Princeton University Athletics
Roko Pozaric
Pozaric Named Cutino Award Finalist
April 22, 2024 | Men's Water Polo
PRINCETON – Roko Pozaric has been named a finalist for the prestigious Peter J. Cutino Award, the USA Water Polo and the Olympic Club announced.
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.
Pozaric joins other finalists Nikolaos Papanikolaou (Cal) and Rafael Real Vergara (UCLA). After becoming the first Princeton Tiger to be named First-Team All-American, Pozaric is now also the first Tiger to be named a Cutino finalist.
The two-time Northeast Water Polo Conference Player of the Year recorded the best season of his career in 2023. He scored 76 goals, fourth most in program history with a personal-best 47 assists along with 41 steals, 28 drawn ejections and a 111-9 sprint record. He scored a goal in all but one with 22 multi-goal performances.
"We are honored to have a member of our team named as a Cutino Award finalist for the first time in program history," said Princeton head coach Dustin Litvak. "This is the most prestigious award in collegiate water polo and recognizes not only the incredible player that Roko is but also the historic season our team had this past fall. Roko is more than deserving of this nomination. Beyond his obvious talent, Roko is an extremely dedicated, hard-working and selfless teammate who has a tremendous passion for the sport, our team and Princeton University."
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-streamed free of charge courtesy of USA Water Polo on Overnght.com. The broadcast will feature interviews with finalists, athletes, coaches plus the Cutino Award ceremony in its entirety. Those interested in attending the awards can register by 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.
Pozaric joins other finalists Nikolaos Papanikolaou (Cal) and Rafael Real Vergara (UCLA). After becoming the first Princeton Tiger to be named First-Team All-American, Pozaric is now also the first Tiger to be named a Cutino finalist.
The two-time Northeast Water Polo Conference Player of the Year recorded the best season of his career in 2023. He scored 76 goals, fourth most in program history with a personal-best 47 assists along with 41 steals, 28 drawn ejections and a 111-9 sprint record. He scored a goal in all but one with 22 multi-goal performances.
"We are honored to have a member of our team named as a Cutino Award finalist for the first time in program history," said Princeton head coach Dustin Litvak. "This is the most prestigious award in collegiate water polo and recognizes not only the incredible player that Roko is but also the historic season our team had this past fall. Roko is more than deserving of this nomination. Beyond his obvious talent, Roko is an extremely dedicated, hard-working and selfless teammate who has a tremendous passion for the sport, our team and Princeton University."
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-streamed free of charge courtesy of USA Water Polo on Overnght.com. The broadcast will feature interviews with finalists, athletes, coaches plus the Cutino Award ceremony in its entirety. Those interested in attending the awards can register by clicking here.
Players Mentioned
UTL
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