View source for Kelly Rulon

{{short description|American water polo player (born 1984)}}
{{Infobox sportsperson
| name = Kelly Rulon
| image =Kelly Rulon (240805-Z-YH478-1439) (cropped).jpg
| image_size = 
| caption = Rulon in 2024
| fullname = Kelly Kristen Rulon
| birth_date = {{birth-date and age|August 16, 1984}}
| birth_place = [[Point Loma, California]], U.S.
| headercolor = lightsteelblue
| show-medals = yes
| medaltemplates =
{{MedalSport | Women's [[water polo]] }}
{{MedalCountry | the {{USA}} }}
{{MedalCompetition | [[Water polo at the Summer Olympics|Olympic Games]] }}
{{MedalGold | [[2012 Summer Olympics|2012 London]] | [[Water polo at the 2012 Summer Olympics – Women's tournament|Team competition]] }}
{{MedalBronze | [[2004 Summer Olympics|2004 Athens]] | [[Water polo at the 2004 Summer Olympics – Women's tournament|Team competition]] }}
{{MedalCompetition | [[World Aquatics Championships|World Championships]] }}
{{MedalGold | [[2009 World Aquatics Championships|2009 Rome]] | [[Water polo at the 2009 World Aquatics Championships – Women's tournament|Team competition]] }}
{{MedalSilver | [[2005 World Aquatics Championships|2005 Montréal]] | [[Water polo at the 2005 World Aquatics Championships – Women's tournament|Team competition]] }}
{{MedalCompetition | [[FINA Women's Water Polo World Cup|World Cup]] }}
{{MedalGold | {{nowrap|[[2010 FINA Women's Water Polo World Cup|2010 Christchurch]]}} | {{nowrap|Team competition}} }}
{{MedalCompetition | [[Pan American Games]] }}
{{MedalGold | [[2011 Pan American Games|2011 Guadalajara]] | [[Water polo at the 2011 Pan American Games|Team competition]] }}
}}

'''Kelly Kristen Rulon''' (born August 16, 1984) is an American [[water polo]] player. She won a gold medal with the United States at the [[2012 Summer Olympics]] in the [[Water polo at the 2012 Summer Olympics – Women's tournament|water polo competition]]. She is also a bronze medalist from the [[2004 Summer Olympics]]. Her position is driver.

Rulon is a two-time medalist (one gold and silver) at the [[FINA World Aquatics Championships|World Championships]].

==Education==
{{more citations needed section|date=June 2025}}
At [[University of San Diego High School]], Kelly Rulon was a four-time first-team all-league, all-city and All-[[California Interscholastic Federation]] selection, as well as [[Most Valuable Player]] of her team each year she played.

As a [[freshman]] in 2003, Rulon was second on the [[UCLA Bruins]] with 27 goals, 26 assists and 27 steals, and scored once in the Bruins' 4-3 victory over [[Stanford University]] in the [[NCAA Women's Water Polo Championship]]; she finished with six post-season goals.

Returning from the Olympics in her 2005 season, Rulon led her team in scoring with 70 goals, as well as multi-goal games (22), assists (48), steals (72) and post-season goals (12). She led the Bruins to the NCAA title with a 33-0 record and was named a first-team [[All-America]]n by the American Water Polo Coaches Association. When UCLA defeated Stanford University in the NCAA final, Rulon, who scored three goals in the semifinal win over Hawaii, led UCLA in scoring for the season and post-season.

As a junior, Rulon was selected the [[Most Valuable Player]] of the 2006 NCAA Tournament after leading UCLA to its second consecutive and fourth overall NCAA title. She scored 11 goals in the three games to set a new NCAA Tournament record. In the 9-8 championship victory over the [[University of Southern California]], Rulon scored four goals and set up the game-winner by drawing an ejection foul with four seconds to play.
[[File:Cutino trophy.jpg|thumb|right|Peter J. Cutino Award trophy to the Player of the Year]]
During her senior year, Rulon had 70 goals, totaled a team-high 52 assists and team-leading 42 steals, and recorded seven blocks and 26 earned exclusions, both totals ranking second-highest on the club. She scored in 26 matches and posted 16 multi-goal efforts. Then she registered a season-high six goals against Loyola Marymount (March 31). Another highlight was the five goals she scored twice – versus Santa Clara (Feb. 24) and UC San Diego (March 16). Rulan had six four-goal performances and had netted 19 goals in a four-game span. She and her team-mates led UCLA to the school's 100th NCAA National Championship (a new record).

In 2007, Rulon was named winner of the [[Peter J. Cutino Award]], which is given to the college Player-of-the-Year in water polo. She joined other [[UCLA Bruins]], [[Coralie Simmons]] (2001), [[Natalie Golda]] (2005), and [[Courtney Mathewson]] (2008), as the school's four UCLA female [[Peter J. Cutino Award]] winners, all coached by [[Adam Krikorian]].<ref>[https://www.ncaa.com/waterpolo-womens/article.aspx?id=261324 Cutino Award winners]{{dead link|date=May 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! bgcolor="#e5e5e5" | Year !! bgcolor="#e5e5e5" | Goals !! bgcolor="#e5e5e5" | Attempts !! bgcolor="#e5e5e5" | Percentage
|-
| 2003 || 27 || 70 || 39
|-
| 2005 || 70 || 122 || 57
|-
| 2006 || 59 || 101 || 58
|-
| 2007 || 70 || 123 || 57
|-
|Totals
|226
|416
|211
|-
|}

==International and Olympics==
Rulon received [[Most valuable player|MVP]] honors at the 1999 Junior Olympics and was five-time Junior Olympics First-Team All-American. She played in the 2002 Junior Pan American Championships, where she was the tournament's leading scorer.
In 2004, Rulon [[redshirt freshman|redshirted]] to play in the [[2004 Summer Olympics|Summer Olympics]] in [[Athens, Greece]]. She scored four goals in the Olympics including the game-winning goal against Hungary in the opening game. The US women won the bronze medal by defeating Australia. After the 2005 collegiate season, Rulon played for the U.S. National Team that won a [[silver medal]] in the 2005 FINA World Championships in Canada.

During 2009 FINA World Championship in Rome, which saw US women team winning the [[gold medal]], Kelly Rulon scored last two goals of the final match against Canada. She was also awarded of the ''Gold Cap'' as tournament's best player.

Kelly currently trains with the USA Water Polo National Team and in October 2011 helped lead Team USA to the gold medal at the Pan American games.

In 2012, Rulon played in the [[2012 Summer Olympics|Summer Olympics]] in [[London, England]].  She assisted the US women's team win the [[gold medal]], against Spain. The final score of the final match in London against Spain was 8-5.

==Clubs==
Rulon left UCLA after 2007 College season for moving into Europe. In the same year she joined the A.S.D Roma team playing in the Italian Women's Waterpolo Championship. With A.S.D. Roma she won that year the LEN Cup, as best scorer of final match in Padua.
Rulon played 2008/09 season for Nervi, being the scoring leader in the Italian Championship (81 goals)
After her coming back in Rome she scored 58 goals in the 2009/10 season.

==Awards==
In 2020, Rulon was inducted into the [[USA Water Polo Hall of Fame]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Kelly Rulon (2020) |url=https://usawaterpolo.org/hof.aspx?hof=228 |website=usawaterpolo.org |publisher=USA Water Polo |access-date=December 16, 2020 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Hall of Fame Inductees |url=https://usawaterpolo.org/sports/2018/11/28/trads-hof-inductees-html.aspx |website=usawaterpolo.org |publisher=USA Water Polo |access-date=December 16, 2020 }}</ref>

She will be inducted into the [[UCLA Bruins#UCLA Athletics Hall of Fame|UCLA Athletic Hall of Fame]] as a member of the 2023 class.<ref>{{cite web |title=UCLA Athletic Hall of Fame Class of 2023 Announced |url=https://uclabruins.com/news/2023/6/8/bruin-athletics-ucla-athletic-hall-of-fame-class-of-2023-announced.aspx |website=UCLABruins.com |publisher=UCLA Athletics |access-date=8 June 2023}}</ref>

==Personal life==
Rulon majored in history at UCLA. Rulon's younger sister, Katie, was also a member of the UCLA water polo team.{{cn|date=June 2025}}

==See also==
* [[United States women's Olympic water polo team records and statistics]]
* [[List of Olympic champions in women's water polo]]
* [[List of Olympic medalists in water polo (women)]]
* [[List of world champions in women's water polo]]
* [[List of World Aquatics Championships medalists in water polo]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{Sports links}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20060520033037/http://uclabruins.cstv.com/sports/w-wpolo/mtt/rulon_kelly00.html Kelly Rulon: UCLA Team biography]
* {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20070929032953/http://www.sdhoc.com/main/awards/starsoftheyear/starsoftheyeararticles/Rulonkellyjournal San Diego Hall of Champions: Kelly Rulon, 2005 Amateur Star of the Year]}}

{{United States women's water polo squad 2004 Summer Olympics}}
{{United States women's water polo squad 2012 Summer Olympics}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rulon, Kelly}}
[[Category:1984 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Water polo players from San Diego]]
[[Category:American female water polo players]]
[[Category:Water polo drivers]]
[[Category:Water polo players at the 2004 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Water polo players at the 2012 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 2004 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 2012 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Olympic gold medalists for the United States in water polo]]
[[Category:Olympic bronze medalists for the United States in water polo]]
[[Category:World Aquatics Championships medalists in water polo]]
[[Category:Water polo players at the 2011 Pan American Games]]
[[Category:Pan American Games gold medalists for the United States in water polo]]
[[Category:UCLA Bruins women's water polo players]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 2011 Pan American Games]]
[[Category:University of San Diego High School alumni]]
[[Category:21st-century American sportswomen]]