IRVINE, Calif.  — Pepperdine water polo junior Jon Carcarey has been named to the Cutino Award Watch List, announced today by USA Water Polo in collaboration with The Olympic Club and Association of Collegiate Water Polo Coaches (ACWPC).

The Peter J. Cutino Award is presented annually by The Olympic Club to honor the outstanding Division One collegiate male and female athlete in the sport of water polo. The 20-member watch list was created in 2022 in an effort to help promote the collegiate game and raise awareness for the award.

"Jon deserves this honor of being on the Cutino Award Watch List," said head coach Merrill Moses. "He was voted Defensive Player of the Year for our team last year and went on to represent team USA in the U20 World Championships this summer and brought home a silver medal. He is one of our team captains this year and we expect that he will have the best year of his college career so far."

In limited action in 11 games this season, Carcarey has anchored the defense for the Waves while adding eight goals, seven assists and 13 steals.

He posted 35 goals and 18 assists during his sophomore campaign for the Waves in 2024 to go along with 20 steals. In his Pepperdine career, he has logged 68 goals and 98 points to go along with 42 steals.

Carcarey has also competed with the national team across various levels, including with the youth national team during his high school career.

He earned a silver medal this past summer while representing the United States at the World Aquatics U20 World Championships in Croatia. The second-place finish marked the highest-ever for the United States at a Junior World Championship. Carcarey recorded four goals across the tournament as the U.S. made its historic run.

2025 Cutino Award Watch List
Kiefer Black | U.S. Naval Academy | Junior | Attacker
Jack Burghardt | Harvard University | Junior | Utility
Jon Carcarey | Pepperdine University | Junior | Utility
Chase Dodd | University of California, Los Angeles | R-Senior | Attacker
Ryder Dodd | University of California, Los Angeles | Sophomore | Attacker
Brendon Gyapjas | San Jose State University | Junior | Goalkeeper
Bernardo Herzer | University of Southern California | R-Junior | Goalkeeper
Reese Jenican | Santa Clara University | Senior | Center
Kristóf Kovács | Princeton University | Junior | Goalkeeper
Luka Krstic | University of California, Irvine | Senior | Attacker
Tom Leggett | U.S. Air Force Academy | Sophomore | Utility
Robert López Duart | University of Southern California | Junior | Attacker
Alika Naone | Loyola Marymount University | Graduate | Attacker
Ryan Ohl | Stanford University | Sophomore | Attacker
Luca Provenziani | Fordham University | Sophomore | Utility
Will Schneider | Stanford University | Sophomore | Center
Ilias Stothart | Brown University | Senior | Center
Laszlo Strasser | Wagner College | Senior | Attacker
Andras Toth | Fordham University | Sophomore | Attacker
Mihailo Vukazic | University of Southern California | Senior | Attacker

Carcarey and the Waves will head to No. 2 Cal on Saturday at 1 p.m. before a matchup at No. 4 Stanford on Sunday.

ABOUT PEPPERDINE WATER POLO
Pepperdine water polo has seen success spanning decades under Terry Schroeder who gave the reins to Merrill Moses following the 2023 season. Highlighted by its national championship in 1997 with Moses as the starting goalie, the Waves have reached the NCAA Tournament on 13 occasions and recently won the inaugural WCC Regular Season Championship in 2023. Overall, the program has seen 60 athletes garner All-American honors while boasting a winning record in 36 of 50 seasons.

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