Top Water Polo Stars Honored With the Olympic Club of San Francisco's First-Ever Peter J. Cutino Award.

Sports Editors

SAN FRANCISCO--(BW SportsWire)--Jan. 21, 2000

Women To Compete in Water Polo for the First Time At the Olympic

Games Peter V. Ueberroth Featured Speaker

The Olympic Club announced today that UCLA's Sean Kern has been named the first-ever male recipient of the Peter J. Cutino Award, which will annually honor the nation's top male and female collegiate water polo players.

Kern joins Bernice Orwig of USC, who was named the women's winner last month. The pair will officially receive their award at a distinguished ceremony at the Olympic Club on Saturday, January 22, 2000.

Former major league baseball commissioner and Olympic chief Peter Ueberroth, a one-time water polo player at San Jose State, will be the featured speaker at the event.

A two-time All-American at UCLA and current NCAA Player of the Year, Kern headed a field that included runner-up Brian Heifferon of Stanford, Matt Armato of UCLA, Allan Basso of USC and Taj Jensen of Redlands.

Orwig, a senior goalie, led the USC Women of Troy to the women's national championship this season and was named the MPSF conference Co-Player of the Year. Runners-ups include Heather Crary of Stanford, Aniko Pelle of USC, Katie Grogan of Massachusetts and Teri Lawson of Redlands.

The Cutino Award, created in the name of one of the most celebrated water polo figures in the world, is intended to be water polo's equivalent of football's Heisman Trophy. A long-time University of California and Olympic Club coach, Cutino has led 21 teams to the national championships, including eight NCAA champions and 13 United States National Champions. Cutino has also been the nation's coach in the Pan American Games, the World Championships and the World University Games. Recently the 17-time &uot;Water Polo Coach of the Year&uot; was elected to the U.S. Water Polo Hall of Fame.

The Olympic Club remains a center for water polo and aquatic excellence. Three members of the U.S. men's Olympic team, Brent Albright, Chris Humbert and Brad Schumacher are now training there, along with Maureen O'Toole of the U.S. women's Olympic team, which is hoping to qualify for the 2000 Games. Women will compete in the sport of water polo for the first time in history at the 2000 Games in Sydney, Australia.

A distinguished panel of collegiate coaches was convened to vote on the Cutino award winners. Each winner will receive a brass and walnut trophy designed specifically for this event. A perpetual trophy will remain on display at the Olympic Club of San Francisco.

Founded in 1860, the Olympic Club is the oldest club in the United States. Today, it hosts nearly 8,000 men and women of all ages. Teams and individuals representing the Olympic Club have reached regional, national and international recognition in a wide variety of sports.

The list of the top five outstanding male and female collegiate Water Polo Players follows:

    Men                                  Women
1.  Sean Kern, UCLA                      Bernice Orwig, USC
2.  Brian Heifferon, Stanford            Heather Crary, Stanford
3.  Matt Armato, UCLA                    Aniko Pelle, USC
4.  Allan Basso, USC                     Katie Grogan, University of
                                         Mass.
5.  Taj Jensen, University of Redlands   Teri Lawson, University of
                                         Redlands