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Ben Hallock wins second straight Cutino Award

Hallock is officially the nation’s top collegiate water polo player for the second year in a row

By Cam Mellor
Water Polo - Olympics: Day 1 Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images

For the second consecutive year, Stanford redshirt junior Ben Hallock has won the nation’s most prestigious award in water polo.

Hallock was named the Peter J. Cutino Award winner, given annually to the nation’s most outstanding collegiate water polo player. He became the second Cardinal athlete to win the award two times and just the fifth man to win the award multiple times. Former Cardinal Tony Azevado won the award four consecutive times from 2001 to 2004.

Hallock spoke to GoStanford on what it means to win:

“It’s hard to express my feelings on being the Cutino Award winner for a second time,” Hallock said during a video acceptance speech on USA Water Polo’s YouTube page. “I am so thankful to the Olympic Club and the Cutino family for their continued support within the water polo community. To be recognized by the water polo coaches around the country is an honor.

“Congratulations to Luke [Pavillard] and Rade [Joksimovic] on your nominations and your unbelievable careers. To have an Australian and Serbian as finalists for the Cutino Award demonstrates that collegiate water polo provides opportunities beyond borders and nationalities.”

This isn’t the first bit of hardware he’s brought home and likely won’t be the last as he’s already a two-time winner of the Association of College Water Polo Coaches National Player of the Year and won the Cardinal’s first National Title since 2002 just last year.

He led Stanford in goals for the third straight year and scored multiple goals in all but four matches this past season. He had five or more goals in seven different contests and is the Cardinal’s active leader in career goals with 194, eighth all time.

He’s a two-time MPSF Player of the Year, three-time First-Team All-American, golden-goal scorer and mutliple time postseason-MVP award winner.

“To my teammates and coaches at Stanford – John Vargas, Jon Barnea, Brandon Johnson, Lea Maurer, Dr. Dutch, Sanam [Rezazadeh], Drew Holland and every one of my teammates - you are all what makes this game worth it and I will cherish memories of this last season for the rest of my life,” Hallock added.

From all of us at Rule of Tree — Congratulations, Ben!