Two Cutino Finalists

STANFORD, Calif. – The Olympic Club of San Francisco has named Aria Fischer and Ryann Neushul two of three finalists for the prestigious Peter J. Cutino Award, presented to the outstanding female and male collegiate water polo players in the United States as voted by Division I coaches.

Fischer and Neushul are joined by USC's Tilly Kearns as finalists. The winner will be announced at the annual Cutino Awards Dinner to be held Saturday, June 3 at The Olympic Club in San Francisco. The ceremony will be live-streamed free of charge courtesy of USA Water Polo at YouTube.com/USAWP. The broadcast will feature interviews with finalists, athletes, coaches plus the Cutino Award ceremony in its entirety. Those interested in attending the awards can register by visiting https://www.olyclub.com/cutino-awards-rsvp/.

Six Cardinal players have combined to win the award nine times, with Makenzie Fischer (2019, 2022) joining Kiley Neushul (2012, 2015) and Annika Dries (2011, 2014) as two-time winners. Melissa Seidemann (2013), Jackie Frank (2003) and Brenda Villa (2002) have also received the award.

Fischer and Neushul have been instrumental in leading Stanford to back-to-back NCAA championships, with Fischer leaving The Farm with three rings as a member of the 2019 team. Two weeks ago, Stanford defeated USC 11-9 to secure its ninth NCAA title in school history and repeat for the first time since 2014-15. Appearing in its 12th NCAA final in 13 seasons, Stanford (24-1, 5-1 MPSF) avenged its only loss and closed out another stellar campaign which included a second straight MPSF crown and its best start to a season (16-0) since 2011.

Named the Most Valuable Player at the NCAA Tournament and MPSF Tournament, Fischer was also named to the All-MPSF First Team. On March 26 in a win against Arizona State, Fischer became the seventh player in school history to reach the 200-goal mark and ranks fifth all-time with 226 overall. She leads the Cardinal in goals (71), assists (45), points (116) and shots (142). Fischer is a three-time ACWPC All-American and four-time All-MPSF honoree.

Also tabbed an All-MPSF First Team honoree and named to the NCAA and MPSF All-Tournament teams in 2023, Neushul led the Cardinal with 22 multi-goal games while ranking second on the Cardinal in goals (64), assists (41), points (105) and shots (110). Neushul is a two-time ACWPC All-American and three-time All-MPSF recipient.

Established in 1999 by The Olympic Club, the Peter J. Cutino Award is given annually to the top men's and women's NCAA Division I water polo players as voted on by coaches from across the country. The namesake of the award is a legend in United States water polo history, with eight NCAA titles as head coach at Cal. The Olympic Club has a long and distinguished competitive water polo history, a tradition that continues today in the pool with some of the best age-group teams in the world.

ABOUT THE OLYMPIC CLUB
Founded in 1860, The Olympic Club enjoys the distinction of being amongst the oldest athletic clubs in America. Since its birth, The Olympic Club has fostered amateur athletics in San Francisco. The Winged "O" currently fields teams in 16 sports. Additionally, The Olympic Club has hosted five U.S. Opens, and looks forward to hosting the 2028 PGA Championship and 2032 Ryder Cup at its world-class Lakeside Clubhouse golf courses.
 
Stanford's Cutino Award History