University Southern California Trojans
Robert López Duart And Mihailo Vukazic Named Peter J. Cutino Award Finalists
January 27, 2026 | Men's Water Polo
This marks the third time in program history that USC has had two finalists for the award.
LOS ANGELES - USC junior Robert López Duart and senior Mihailo Vukazic continue to add to their list of accolades this season by being named finalists for the Peter J. Cutino Award.
López Duart and Vukazic are the 14th and 15th Trojans to be named finalists for the top honor of collegiate water polo. The two Trojans are in the running for this season's award alongside UCLA's Ryder Dodd.
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.
López Duart led USC in scoring with 66 goals on the year and racked up 93 total points. The junior tallied 17 multiple-goal outings as the Trojans reached the NCAA title game. López Duart was named a First Team All-American for the second consecutive season along with being named to the NCAA All-Tournament First Team, All-MPSF Second Team and a member of the conference tournament team. López Duart also added 23 steals, 19 drawn exclusions and 11 field blocks to the stat sheet to wrap up the 2025 campaign.
Vukazic has been named a Cutino Award Finalist for the second straight season after being named one of the three finalists after his strong 2024 season at Pacific. In his 2025 season with the Trojans, Vukazic finished second on the team in goals with 53 and posted a .535 shooting percentage. The senior driver recorded 87 total points, 20 steals, 14 drawn exclusions and nine field blocks on the season.
The Cutino Awards will take place on the evening of Saturday, June 6 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.
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 19 sports. Additionally, The Olympic Club has hosted five U.S. Opens, and looks forward to hosting the 2028 PGA Championship and 2032 Ryder Cup at its world-class Lakeside Clubhouse golf courses.
López Duart and Vukazic are the 14th and 15th Trojans to be named finalists for the top honor of collegiate water polo. The two Trojans are in the running for this season's award alongside UCLA's Ryder Dodd.
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.
López Duart led USC in scoring with 66 goals on the year and racked up 93 total points. The junior tallied 17 multiple-goal outings as the Trojans reached the NCAA title game. López Duart was named a First Team All-American for the second consecutive season along with being named to the NCAA All-Tournament First Team, All-MPSF Second Team and a member of the conference tournament team. López Duart also added 23 steals, 19 drawn exclusions and 11 field blocks to the stat sheet to wrap up the 2025 campaign.
Vukazic has been named a Cutino Award Finalist for the second straight season after being named one of the three finalists after his strong 2024 season at Pacific. In his 2025 season with the Trojans, Vukazic finished second on the team in goals with 53 and posted a .535 shooting percentage. The senior driver recorded 87 total points, 20 steals, 14 drawn exclusions and nine field blocks on the season.
The Cutino Awards will take place on the evening of Saturday, June 6 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.
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 19 sports. Additionally, The Olympic Club has hosted five U.S. Opens, and looks forward to hosting the 2028 PGA Championship and 2032 Ryder Cup at its world-class Lakeside Clubhouse golf courses.
Players Mentioned
DR
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