BRIDGEPORT, Pa. — Kiefer Black (Sr., San Diego, Calif./La Jolla) of the United States Naval Academy, Jack Burghardt (Sr., Manhattan Beach, Calif./Harvard-Westlake) of Harvard University, Dimitrios Kratimenos (Jr., Athens, Greece/Costeas Geitonas School) of Brown University and Andras Toth (Jr., Pecs, Hungary/PTE Babits Gyakorlo Gimnazium) of Fordham University join former Harvard University standout/current Stanford University athlete James Rozolis-Hill on the list of 20 athletes named to the 2026-27 Cutino Award Watch List.
The Peter J. Cutino Award, named in honor of the late Hall of Fame coach, recognizes the best player in men’s and women’s college water polo.
The watch list was created in 2022 by USA Water Polo, The Olympic Club and the Association of Collegiate Water Polo Coaches (ACWPC), in an effort to help promote the collegiate game, awareness of the award, and the tremendous play of athletes across the country. 20 athletes are recognized for their outstanding play as voted on by collegiate coaches from the United States Air Force Academy, Brown University, California Baptist University, Harvard University, Iona University, Loyola Marymount University, Long Beach State University, Mount St. Mary’s University, the United States Naval Academy, Pepperdine University, Princeton University, Saint Mary’s College of California, San Jose State University, Santa Clara University, Stanford University, the University of California-Berkeley, the University of California-Davis, the University of California-Los Angeles (UCLA) and the University of Southern California (USC).
While it is possible the 2026 Cutino Award winner will come from the list of athletes below, the watch list is completely independent from the nomination and voting process for the Cutino Award as that honor will acknowledge the full impact of the 2026 season.
A women’s Cutino Award Watch List will be shared in Spring 2027.
Cutino Award Watch List (2026-27 Academic Year)
Athletes are listed in alphabetical order
- Botond Balogh | Stanford University | Junior | Attacker
- Kiefer Black | U.S. Naval Academy | Senior | Attacker
- Dom Brown | University of California, Berkeley | R-Junior | Center
- Jack Burghardt | Harvard University | Senior | Utility
- Luigi Canepa | University of California, Santa Barbara | Freshman | Attacker
- Riccardo De Simon | Santa Clara University | Junior | Utility
- Ryder Dodd | University of California, Los Angeles | Junior | Attacker
- Alex Gheorghe | Stanford University | Senior | Center
- Sam Keightley | San Jose State University | Sophomore | Utility
- Dimitrios Kratimenos | Brown University | Junior | Goalkeeper
- Strahinja Krstic | University of Southern California | Sophomore | Center
- Tom Leggett | U.S. Air Force Academy | Senior | Utility
- Ben Liechty | University of California, Los Angeles | Senior | Utility
- Robert López Duart | University of Southern California | Senior | Attacker
- Charles Mills | University of Southern California | R-Junior | Goalkeeper
- Andrea Nuzzo | California Baptist University | Junior | Attacker
- Aran Pina | University of California, Berkeley | Sophomore | Goalkeeper
- James Rozolis-Hill | Stanford University | Senior | Utility
- Corbin Stanley | Long Beach State University | Junior | Center
- Andras Toth | Fordham University | Junior | Attacker
