Fattal Named Cutino Award Finalist
May 11, 2017 | Women's Water Polo
SAN FRANCISCO -- Rachel Fattal of the UCLA women's water polo team has been named one of three finalists for the 2017 Cutino Award, it was announced today by the Olympic Club of San Francisco. The award, given to the outstanding female and male Collegiate water polo players as voted by coaches of Division I schools, will be presented June 3 at the Olympic Club's City Clubhouse in San Francisco.
Fattal will look to add her name to a prestigious list of UCLA women who have earned the honor. Courtney Mathewson (2008) most recently garnered the award, following Kelly Rulon (2007) a year prior. Natalie Golda (2005) and Coralie Simmons (2001) round out the list.
A year removed from winning gold with Team USA at the Rio Olympic Games, Fattal is at or near the top of UCLA's season leaders in goals (45), assists (33), steals (33) and field blocks (16). The redshirt senior attacker was recently named MPSF Tournament MVP after leading UCLA to its 11th conference title with five goals, five field blocks and three steals in three games. Fattal also joined Kelly Rulon in becoming the only Bruins to earn three All-MPSF First-Team honors. The Seal Beach, Calif. native has also climbed UCLA's all-time charts to become the Bruins' all-time leader in steals (187). Fattal is also currently third on the all-time goal-scoring list (215).
Joining Fattal on the list of nominees are two other seniors, goalkeeper Ashleigh Johnson of Princeton and driver Maggie Steffens of Stanford.
The award is given annually in honor of the late Peter J. Cutino, the former University of California Berkeley and The Olympic Club coach, who passed away in September 2004. Mr. Cutino is in the U.S. Water Polo Hall of Fame. He won "Water Polo Coach of the Year" 17 times. He led U.C. Berkeley to eight NCAA National Championships. In his career Mr. Cutino also coached in the Pan American Games, the Water Polo World Championships and the World University Games.
