Two Trojans Up For Top Water Polo Honors
May 11, 2011 | Women's Water Polo
May 11, 2011
Once again, USC water polo is on the forefront of the national honor scene. With 2010 NCAA champions Joel Dennerley and Kristen Dronberger both in the running for this season's Peter J. Cutino Awards, the Trojans have a shot at making it a USC sweep of water polo's highest honor for the third season in a row. The annual award is presented to the top male and top female player in the game, and USC had Olympians Kami Craig and J.W. Krumpholz both claim back-to-back Cutino awards the past two seasons. This year, there are two new Trojan faces on the finalist list, with junior goalie Dennerley and senior two-meter Dronberger earning a shot at the latest men's and women's awards, respectively.
A three-time national champion and the 2010 MPSF Player of the Year, junior goalie Joel Dennerley has anchored the nation's top defensive team with his powerful presence in the cage and a captain's leadership. A member of the Australian National Team, Dennerley will return for his senior season poised to take over as USC's all-time saves leader. Tabbed a 2010 First Team All-American, Dennerley posted 222 saves in 2010, earning two MPSF Player of the Week awards, named the MPSF Tournament MVP and to the NCAA Tournament Second Team. Dennerley is now a three-time All-American with this season's first First Team honor. He stands to become the third Trojan male to win a Cutino Award. Juraj Zatovic (2006) and J.W. Krumpholz (2009 and 2010) are the only Trojans to have won the Cutino Award on the men's side.
On the women's side, Kristen Dronberger is in the midst of her fourth visit to the NCAA Championships as she and the Women of Troy take aim at defending their 2010 national championship this weekend. A two-time All-American already, Dronberger started her USC career with a spot on the 2008 MPSF All-Freshman Team before working her way into her selection as a finalist for collegiate water polo's top honor. Dronberger's pick as a Cutino Award finalist makes it seven straight years that the Women of Troy have had a women's finalist in the mix. Dronberger is currently third on the team in scoring, setting a new season best for herself with 36 goals to date. That count has Dronberger also working her way up the career ladder with 119 career goals, just three out of the No. 13 slot. She was selected to the 2010 NCAA All-Tournament First Team last year when the Trojans claimed the national championship, and most recently found a spot on the 2011 All-MPSF Second Team as she now sets up to help lead USC into the postseason.
Dronberger's selection as a finalist for the Cutino Award bumps USC's total women's finalist tally to 14. Past USC women's Cutino Award winners are: Bernice Orwig (1999), Aniko Pelle (2000), Moriah Van Norman (2004), Lauren Wenger (2006) and Kami Craig (2009 and 2010). Brittany Hayes was a finalist twice (2005 and 2006), Erika Figge was a finalist in 2007, Michelle Stein was a 2009 finalist, and Tumua Anae was a finalist in 2010. Each year, three male and three female finalists are selected for the Peter J. Cutino Award. The award is given annually to the outstanding female and male collegiate water polo players in the United States as voted by the coaches of the Division I schools in honor of the late Peter J. Cutino, the former University of California Berkeley and The Olympic Club coach, who led Cal to eight NCAA championships and passed away in September 2004.
This year's winners will be announced at the 12th Annual Peter J. Cutino Awards Night Dinner to be held Saturday, June 4 at The Olympic Club's City Clubhouse in San Francisco.
Past Cutino Award winners:
1999 - Bernice Orwig (USC)
2000 - Aniko Pelle (USC) & Sean Kern (UCLA)
2001 - Coralie Simmons (UCLA) & Sean Kern (UCLA)
2002 - Brenda Villa (Stanford) & Tony Azevedo (Stanford)
2003 - Jackie Frank (Stanford) & Tony Azevedo (Stanford)
2004 - Moriah Van Norman (USC) & Tony Azevedo (Stanford)
2005 - Natalie Golda (UCLA) & Tony Azevedo (Stanford)
2006 - Lauren Wenger (USC) & Juraj Zatovic (USC)
2007 - Kelly Rulon (UCLA) & John Mann (Cal)
2008 - Courtney Mathewson (UCLA) & Tim Hutten (UC Irvine)
2009 - Kami Craig (USC) & J.W. Krumpholz (USC)
2010 - Kami Craig (USC) & J.W. Krumpholz (USC)
