There was never just one way to define Rose Kanemy.
A scoring threat, yes. A consistent contributor, absolutely. But above all, the senior attacker from Montreal will be remembered as the pulse of San Diego State water polo’s offense—a visionary with the ball, a leader without needing to be loud, and the program’s all-time assist queen.
“I came in with a lot of eagerness to try and make an impact on the program, and I had a great team around me my freshman year, and I just wanted to consistently keep an impact all throughout my career,” Kanemy said. “My freshman year, Coach [Carin Crawford] mentioned the word sophomore slump, and that really terrified me, so I put all my effort into not having that happen.”
That effort never wavered. Over her four seasons, Kanemy played in 119 games and climbed the ranks of SDSU’s all-time stats, finishing her career with 203 assists—the most in program history. She surpassed former record-holder Elana Cervantes (186 assists from 2004–07), as well as Sarah Brady (180) and Anique Hermann (159).
Her 65 assists in the 2025 season ranked third in SDSU single-season history, trailing only Hermann’s 69 and her own 2023 mark of 60. Across her career, Kanemy also totaled 115 goals, 85 steals, 39 blocks, and 20 drawn exclusions.
“It’s really crazy, honestly. I never would have imagined that I would have been able to leave such an impact, not only on this team, but on this program as a whole. It is surreal, and it’s something I’ll cherish and carry with me forever.”
The moment she broke the record wasn’t lost on her.
“I think it was my dad who called me, and he was like, hey, they wrote this article, and you’re only 10 assists away from a record,” she said. “I was like, oh my God, now I’m going to be thinking about it, you can’t tell me that. And so I was trying not to keep it in my mind too much. But then, when we were in NorCal at Pacific, one of my teammates looked over at me and was like, I think you just broke the record. And I was like, I don’t know. I guess we’ll see. And then I did. So it was fun having that support from everyone around me.”
That support system defined her time in San Diego, from coaches to teammates to roommates like teammate Amanda Chambers.
“It’s so important. I truly think that having a team that cares about you and that you care about really makes a difference,” she said. “When I compare our team now to our team from our freshman year, it’s a completely different culture and energy, and so it just really encourages you to want to be better for your teammates. It feels just as good to make a nice clean pass to my teammates, for them to get a goal, than for me to score it myself.”
Kanemy’s team-first mindset extended off the stat sheet. She helped lead a cultural shift inside the program alongside Chambers.
“Having been there to witness such a big shift in the program, with Karen stepping down and Dana [Ochsner] picking it up, I hope that the impact we have been able to role—even able to play—in helping with that change and progression in the program will last.”
Whether it was game days, travel trips, or morning walk routines, Kanemy cherished the little moments.
“We’ve gotten to explore the entire city together,” Kanemy said. “So I think every time I look back on what I’ve seen and what I’ve done in San Diego, there’s going to be those memories as well.”
She felt the shift in herself as a player and person by junior year.
“Junior year as a whole, the team itself was very collective, and we were all playing for each other,” she said. “It was really easy to want to get better and get better for each other. Then I think when we came third at our conference championship, that really instilled that confidence that we are getting better as a program and we have a target that we want to reach, and that’s to eventually win conference and be a top 10 team.”
That foundation of belief didn’t just come from within the team—it started at home.
“My family was all super supportive. I know they were a little sad, because I’m a baby, so obviously seeing the youngest one go out of the nest and do her own thing for four years was difficult,” she said. “But they have all been so supportive, and they’re so proud, and they’ve come to visit me almost every year, which has been really nice.”
While she hasn’t made a final decision, water polo will remain in the picture after graduation.
“I am in the middle of trying to see if I can continue my athletic career, whether it is in Europe, in Australia, or even just a coaching route, but I know I definitely want to stay involved in the sport somehow. But it’s still kind of in the works right now.”
What she’ll carry forward most, though, is her growth as a leader.
“I’ve always felt like I definitely worked like a physical leader, and just putting my head down and doing the work,” she said. “But being here, I’ve learned that people actually value what I have to say about the sport.”
As a communication major, Kanemy made the most of her experience.
“Having been a captain the last two years, I’ve really been honing my communication skills and interpersonal skills in being a better leader and being a better communicator for my team, but it goes both ways,” she said. “Like with my communication classes, I’ve learned the importance of leadership and teamwork and how employers look for that in the future. So I’ve been really trying to focus on the skills that I’ve learned in water polo and how those can help me in the future.”
And her advice for future Aztecs?
“I think when you’re training, don’t focus on everyone around you, because when it comes down to it, you want to get better, and only you can do that for yourself,” she said. “With the coaches, it’s definitely a great help, but unless you set your mind to it, you won’t be able to achieve it. And so that’s definitely something really important, is being able to devote that energy to that.”
Rose Kanemy arrived from Montreal with her eyes on California and a dream to compete. She leaves San Diego State with a record-breaking career, lifelong friendships, and the knowledge that she didn’t just make an impact—she shaped a culture.
