Fischer a Cutino Finalist

STANFORD, Calif. – The Olympic Club of San Francisco has named Makenzie Fischer one of three finalists for the prestigious Peter J. Cutino Award, presented to the outstanding female and male collegiate water polo players in the United States as voted by Division I coaches.
 
The 2019 honoree and 2018 finalist, Fischer is looking to become Stanford's third two-time recipient, joining Kiley Neushul (2012, 2015) and Annika Dries (2011, 2014). Six Cardinal players have combined to win the award eight times, with Melissa Seidemann (2013), Jackie Frank (2003 and Brenda Villa (2002) also receiving the award, which was instituted in 1999.
 
The winners will be announced at the annual Cutino Awards Dinner to be held Saturday, June 4 at The Olympic Club in San Francisco. Fischer is joined by finalists Tilly Kearns (USC) and Maddie Musselman (UCLA).

Returning to the pool for the first time since 2019 due to both Olympic training/competition and pandemic-shortened seasons, Fischer was named the NCAA Most Valuable Player after guiding Stanford to its eighth national title in school history and first since 2019 with a 10-7 win over USC. An All-MPSF first-team selection for the third straight season and fourth overall, Fischer led the Cardinal in goals (83), assists (47), points (130) and shots (167) while producing 23 multi-goal games.

A two-time Olympic gold medalist and three-time NCAA champion, Fischer became the Cardinal's all-time leading scorer in a win over USC on Feb. 26, surpassing the 239 mark achieved by Melissa Seidemann and Lauren Silver. Fischer closed out her career on The Farm with 288 career goals, which also ranks third all-time in MPSF history.

A two-time CoSIDA Academic All-American in 2018 and 2019, Fischer has been equally impressive in the classroom. She was the Cardinal's NCAA Elite 90 Award nominee in 2022, boasting a 3.96 undergraduate GPA within the NCAA's 4.0 scale of calculations. Fischer is also carrying a 4.0 graduate GPA in mechanical engineering.

For her capstone project, Fischer helped design a hexagonal roof for modular refugee housing. Working with an organization that sought to create more dignified living conditions for Syrian refugees in Jordan, Fischer's group was tasked with creating a roof that could be interconnected to accommodate additional family members and easily shipped and assembled.

Established in 1999 by The Olympic Club, the Peter J. 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.

ABOUT THE OLYMPIC CLUB
Founded in 1860, The Olympic Club enjoys the distinction of being amongst 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 16 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.
 Stanford's Cutino Award History