UCLA's Lauren Steele has been named one of three finalists for the Peter J. Cutino Award.
Lauren Steele Tabbed as Finalist for Peter J. Cutino Award
May 21, 2024 | Women's Water Polo
SAN FRANCISCOย -- The Olympic Club has announced the women's finalists for the Peter J. Cutino Award, an iconic honor in NCAA water polo to recognize the best men's and women's players each year. The women's finalists areย Bia Mantellato Diasย (Hawaii),ย Isabel Williamsย (California), andย Lauren Steeleย (UCLA).
Lauren Steeleย was named NCAA Championship MVP afterย racking up 17 saves in a 7-4 UCLA win over California. Steele was also named MPSF Tournament MVP and Newcomer of the Year. She accumulated 268 saves and scored seven goals of her own en route to a perfect 26-0 record, the third undefeated season in program history (2005 &ย 2008) and just the fifth in the history of women's water polo.
Bia Mantellato Diasย was named Big West Player of the Year and a member ofย the All-Big West First Teamย for the second consecutive season. She was a key part of theย run to the NCAA Semifinal that saw the Wahine finish the season No. 3 in the final 2024 polls,ย the highest final ranking in the history of theย program and the Big West Conference. Mantellato Dias led Hawaii with 64ย goals scored and notchedย a hat trick in ten games,ย including three four-goal performances and three five-goal showings.
Isabel Williamsย captained a University of California defense that led the nation with just 6.7 goals allowed per game. She tallied eleven saves and one steal in the NCAA Championship against UCLA, bringing her program saves record to 885. Williamsย ends her fifth-year senior season with career highs in saves (326), save percentage (.653) and saves per game (12.5) while being named to the All-MPSF First Team.
The men's finalists were announced previously and includeย Nikolaos Papanikolaouย (Cal),ย Roko Pozaricย (Princeton), andย Rafael Real Vergaraย (UCLA)
The Cutino Awards will take place on the evening of Saturday, June 1 at The Olympic Club in San Francisco. The ceremony will be live-streamedย atย Overnght.com. The broadcast will feature interviews with finalists, athletes, coachesย plus the Cutino Award ceremony in its entirety. Those interested in attending the awards can register byย clicking here.
Established in 1999 by The Olympic Club, the 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 among 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 17 sports. Additionally, The Olympic Club has hosted five U.S. Opens, and looks forward to hosting the 2028 PGA Championshipย and 2032 Ryder Cup at its world-class Lakeside Clubhouse golf courses.
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Lauren Steeleย was named NCAA Championship MVP afterย racking up 17 saves in a 7-4 UCLA win over California. Steele was also named MPSF Tournament MVP and Newcomer of the Year. She accumulated 268 saves and scored seven goals of her own en route to a perfect 26-0 record, the third undefeated season in program history (2005 &ย 2008) and just the fifth in the history of women's water polo.
Bia Mantellato Diasย was named Big West Player of the Year and a member ofย the All-Big West First Teamย for the second consecutive season. She was a key part of theย run to the NCAA Semifinal that saw the Wahine finish the season No. 3 in the final 2024 polls,ย the highest final ranking in the history of theย program and the Big West Conference. Mantellato Dias led Hawaii with 64ย goals scored and notchedย a hat trick in ten games,ย including three four-goal performances and three five-goal showings.
Isabel Williamsย captained a University of California defense that led the nation with just 6.7 goals allowed per game. She tallied eleven saves and one steal in the NCAA Championship against UCLA, bringing her program saves record to 885. Williamsย ends her fifth-year senior season with career highs in saves (326), save percentage (.653) and saves per game (12.5) while being named to the All-MPSF First Team.
The men's finalists were announced previously and includeย Nikolaos Papanikolaouย (Cal),ย Roko Pozaricย (Princeton), andย Rafael Real Vergaraย (UCLA)
The Cutino Awards will take place on the evening of Saturday, June 1 at The Olympic Club in San Francisco. The ceremony will be live-streamedย atย Overnght.com. The broadcast will feature interviews with finalists, athletes, coachesย plus the Cutino Award ceremony in its entirety. Those interested in attending the awards can register byย clicking here.
Established in 1999 by The Olympic Club, the 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 among 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 17 sports. Additionally, The Olympic Club has hosted five U.S. Opens, and looks forward to hosting the 2028 PGA Championshipย and 2032 Ryder Cup at its world-class Lakeside Clubhouse golf courses.
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Players Mentioned
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