2026 Cutino Award Watch List Released: Nation’s Top Water Polo Talent Recognized
USA Water Polo, The Olympic Club, and the Association of Collegiate Water Polo Coaches recently released the 2026 Peter J. Cutino Award Watch List, highlighting 20 of the best players in collegiate water polo. The list, which started in 2022, recognizes last season’s standout performers and indicates who might dominate this year. Varsity coaches from around the country submitted nominations for list consideration.
It’s important to note that the watch list operates separately from the actual Cutino Award voting process. While this year’s winner could come from these 20 men, the final decision won’t be made until after the season concludes. The award has honored the nation’s top male and female water polo players each year since 1999 and is named after the late Hall of Fame coach Peter J. Cutino. The athletic director of The Olympic Club administers the award, in collaboration with a five-person Board of Trustees.
West Coast programs dominate the selections, with USC landing three players and both UCLA and Stanford placing two each on the Watch List. The service academies, Naval Academy and Air Force, earned one each. Programs like Fordham, Wagner College, and San Jose State also made the list.
UCLA sophomore Ryder Dodd, the reigning Cutino award winner, will look to go back-to-back.
The complete list includes:
- Kiefer Black | U.S. Naval Academy | Junior | Attacker
- Jack Burghardt | Harvard University | Junior | Utility
- Jon Carcarey | Pepperdine University | Junior | Utility
- Chase Dodd | University of California, Los Angeles | R-Senior | Attacker
- Ryder Dodd | University of California, Los Angeles | Sophomore | Attacker
- Brendon Gyapjas | San Jose State University | Junior | Goalkeeper
- Bernardo Herzer | University of Southern California | R-Junior | Goalkeeper
- Reese Jenican | Santa Clara University | Senior | Center
- Kristóf Kovács | Princeton University | Junior | Goalkeeper
- Luka Krstic | University of California, Irvine | Senior | Attacker
- Tom Leggett | U.S. Air Force Academy | Sophomore | Utility Robert
- López Duart | University of Southern California | Junior | Attacker
- Alika Naone | Loyola Marymount University | Graduate | Attacker
- Ryan Ohl | Stanford University | Sophomore | Attacker
- Luca Provenziani | Fordham University | Sophomore | Utility
- Will Schneider | Stanford University | Sophomore | Center
- Ilias Stothart | Brown University | Senior | Center
- Laszlo Strasser | Wagner College | Senior | Attacker
- Andras Toth | Fordham University | Sophomore | Attacker
- Mihailo Vukazic | University of Southern California | Senior | Attacker
Fordham stands out as a rare East Coast program with multiple selections. Head coach Brian Bacharach, a 2006 All-American and national champion at California-Berkeley, has spent more than a decade with the Rams and was excited to see sophomores Luca Provenziani and Andras Toth both earn spots on the list. For Bacharach, the recognition reflects what his players accomplished last season.
“The Cutino Award Watch List is really a reflection of last season’s performance,” he said. “Luca was a (first-team) All-American last year and Andras was an All-American as well.”
The dual recognition speaks to Fordham’s growth as a program in recent years.
“I think the fact that we have had a fair amount of success over the last few years definitely contributed to coaches being willing to recognize more than just one of our athletes,” Bacharach said.
Last season, Fordham won its fourth consecutive MAWPC championship and advanced to the NCAA quarterfinals for the second straight year, marking the best stretch in program history. The Rams finished with a school record win total, cementing their status as one of the nation’s top programs. When asked what sets his two players apart, Bacharach pointed to their speed and versatility in the water.
“They are both incredibly quick. They both score at such an elite level and in a multitude of ways. They both are incredibly hard to guard,” he said.
As for whether their Watch List inclusion adds more pressure for Provenziani and Toth, Bacharach doesn’t believe it will.
“They are both incredibly motivated athletes,” he said. “I do not think recognition changes that at all. The pressure they put on themselves is greater than any external pressure they face. It is what makes them both great athletes.”
At Loyola Marymount (LMU), graduate student attacker Alika Naone didn’t see his selection coming.
“I was surprised. I didn’t expect the honor and I also thought there were a lot of people who deserved it who did not get the honor,” he said.
Naone entered the season with his attention on team goals rather than individual accolades.
“I didn’t expect this recognition at all. I was focused on what our team could achieve and didn’t have this on my radar,” he said.
While he appreciates the recognition, Naone sees it as secondary to what LMU wants to accomplish.
“At this point, it’s nice to be seen and recognized, but I don’t want it to be a distraction from our team’s main goals for our season,” he said.
The honor also shifts how opponents will view him.
“I think this list definitely puts a target on your back. I could only imagine what other players who feel they deserve this honor are thinking and I’m sure it adds a little fuel to their fire in every practice,” Naone said.
Despite the recognition, Naone’s goals for the season remain team centered.
“I want our team to grow and flourish in the conference tournament and punch our ticket to NCAAs,” he said. “I want our team to build lifelong friendships that won’t end after season and I hope the freshmen and underclassmen leave this season feeling like they have a shot at the conference championship every year they play.”
