The finalists for the 2026 Peter J. Cutino Award have officially been announced, with University of Southern California star Emily Ausmus and Stanford University duo Juliette Dhalluin and Jenna Flynn shortlisted for one of the most prestigious individual honors in NCAA water polo.
Presented annually by The Olympic Club, the Cutino Award recognizes the top male and female NCAA Division I water polo players, with winners voted on by coaches from across the United States.
Ausmus continued her remarkable rise this season, becoming the first women’s player in MPSF history to progress directly from newcomer of the year to MPSF Player of the Year in consecutive campaigns. The USC sophomore attacker captained the Trojans to their first NCAA title since 2021 and was named NCAA Tournament MVP after recording six goals and three assists across the tournament.
The All-MPSF First Team selection finished the season with 77 goals and 30 assists for 107 total points, while also contributing 39 steals and an impressive 27-2 sprint record.
Stanford’s Juliette Dhalluin earned recognition after an outstanding campaign for the Cardinal. The French attacker was named MPSF Tournament MVP after scoring 12 goals across three matches, including a career-high-equalling six-goal performance in Stanford’s 16-14 victory over USC in the conference final.
Dhalluin, who received All-MPSF Second Team honors, finished the year with 49 goals, 32 assists, 15 multi-goal performances and nine hat tricks in her second season with Stanford.
Joining her as a finalist is teammate Jenna Flynn, who once again established herself among the elite attackers in collegiate water polo. Flynn earned All-MPSF First Team and MPSF All-Tournament Team recognition after leading Stanford with 54 goals and 82 total points.
The redshirt junior recorded 15 multi-goal games and 12 hat tricks during the season and now sits 11th on Stanford’s all-time scoring list with 182 career goals.
The men’s finalists, announced previously, are Ryder Dodd of University of California, Los Angeles, Robert López-Duart of USC, and Mihailo Vukazic of USC.
The 2026 Cutino Awards ceremony will take place on June 6 at The Olympic Club in San Francisco and will be streamed live on Overnght. The broadcast is set to include interviews with finalists, athletes and coaches, alongside full coverage of the ceremony.
Established in 1999, the Cutino Award is named after legendary former University of California, Berkeley head coach Peter J. Cutino, who won eight NCAA titles during his iconic career and remains one of the most influential figures in American water polo history.
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