NCAA Water Polo’s Best Honored June 7 at The Olympic Club
The 26th Annual Peter J. Cutino Awards—college water polo’s highest individual honor will be presented on Saturday, June 7, 2025, at The Olympic Club in San Francisco.
Named for legendary coach Peter J. Cutino, the award recognizes the top male and female NCAA Division I water polo players each season.
The ceremony will be live‑streamed free on Overnght.com, featuring red‑carpet interviews, finalist features, and the full awards presentation.
2025 Men’s Finalists
- Ryder Dodd (UCLA) – Set the MPSF single‑season scoring record with 102 goals, led Bruins to a national title, and earned NCAA Tournament MVP honors
- Max Miller (USC) – Two‑time First‑Team All‑American; 54 goals this year and 147 career goals, 16th all‑time for the Trojans
- Mihailo Vukazic (Pacific) – 2024 West Coast Conference Player of the Year; 63 goals in 20 games and a First‑Team All‑American selection
2025 Women’s Finalists
- Emily Ausmus (USC) – MPSF Newcomer of the Year; USC single‑season record 114 goals, plus 55 assists and 46 steals
- Tilly Kearns (USC) – Redshirt senior with 100 goals this season; finishes USC career third all‑time with 262 goals
- Ryann Neushul (Stanford) – MPSF Player of the Year; 60 goals and the only four‑time NCAA champion in Stanford history
Event Details
- Date: Saturday, June 7, 2025
- Venue: The Olympic Club – San Francisco, CA
- Broadcast: Live on Overnght.com
For more on the finalists, check out Swimming World’s Water Polo coverage from this year’s NCAA Championships.
First presented in 1999, the Cutino Award is determined by votes from NCAA coaches nationwide and honors athletes who exemplify skill, sportsmanship, and leadership.
Winners receive a handcrafted walnut‑and‑brass trophy, while the perpetual trophy remains on display at The Olympic Club.
Stay tuned to Swimming World’s Water Polo hub for live coverage, post‑event interviews, and full reaction once the 2025 Cutino Award winners are revealed.
Past winners:
| Ceremony Year | Men’s Season | Men’s Winner (School) | Women’s Season | Women’s Winner (School) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 1999 | Sean Kern (UCLA) | 1999 | Bernice Orwig (USC) |
| 2001 | 2000 | Sean Kern (UCLA) | 2000 | Aniko Pelle (USC) |
| 2002 | 2001 | Tony Azevedo (Stanford) | 2001/2002 | Coraline Simmons (UCLA) / Brenda Villa (Stanford) |
| 2003 | 2002 | Tony Azevedo (Stanford) | 2003 | Jackie Frank (Stanford) |
| 2004 | 2003 | Tony Azevedo (Stanford) | 2004 | Moriah van Norman (USC) |
| 2005 | 2004 | Tony Azevedo (Stanford) | 2005 | Natalie Golda (UCLA) |
| 2006 | 2005 | Juraj Zatovic (USC) | 2006 | Lauren Wenger (USC) |
| 2007 | 2006 | John Mann (UC Berkeley) | 2007 | Kelly Rulon (UCLA) |
| 2008 | 2007 | Tim Hutten (UC Irvine) | 2008 | Courtney Mathewson (UCLA) |
| 2009 | 2008 | J.W. Krumpholz (USC) | 2009 | Kami Craig (USC) |
| 2010 | 2009 | J.W. Krumpholz (USC) | 2010 | Kami Craig (USC) |
| 2011 | 2010 | Ivan Rackov (UC Berkeley) | 2011 | Annika Dries (Stanford) |
| 2012 | 2011 | Joel Dennerley (USC) | 2012 | Kiley Neushul (Stanford) |
| 2013 | 2012 | Balazs Erdelyi (Pacific) | 2013 | Melissa Seidemann (Stanford) |
| 2014 | 2013 | Balazs Erdelyi (Pacific) | 2014 | Annika Dries (Stanford) |
| 2015 | 2014 | Konstantinos Genidounias (USC) | 2015 | Kiley Neushul (Stanford) |
| 2016 | 2015 | Garrett Danner (UCLA) | 2016 | Stephania Haralabidis (USC) |
| 2017 | 2016 | McQuin Baron (USC) | 2017 | Ashleigh Johnson (Princeton) |
| 2018 | 2017 | Luca Cupido (UC Berkeley) | 2018 | Amanda Longan (USC) |
| 2019 | 2018 | Ben Hallock (Stanford) | 2019 | Makenzie Fischer (Stanford) |
| 2020 | 2019 | Ben Hallock (Stanford) | 2020 | — No award (COVID‑19) |
| 2021 | 2020 | Nicolas Saveljic (UCLA) | 2021 | Maud Megens (USC) |
| 2022 | 2021 | Nikolaos Papanikolaou (UC Berkeley) | 2022 | Makenzie Fischer (Stanford) |
| 2023 | 2022 | Nikolaos Papanikolaou (UC Berkeley) | 2023 | Aria Fischer (Stanford) |
| 2024 | 2023 | Nikolaos Papanikolaou (UC Berkeley) | 2024 | Isabel Williams (UC Berkeley) |