June 6, 2011

STANFORD, Calif. - Stanford's Annika Dries was named the winner of the 2011 Peter J. Cutino Award, given annually to the top collegiate women's water polo player in the nation, the Olympic Club announced over the weekend.

Dries, a sophomore two-meter from Laguna Beach, Calif., is the third Stanford player to earn the women's award, joining Jackie Frank (2003) and Brenda Villa (2002).

Teammate Melissa Seidemann was among the four finalists with Dries. California's Emily Csikos and USC's Kristen Dronberger were also included.

California's Ivan Rackov was announced as the winner of the men's Cutino Award.

Dries was instrumental in Stanford's run to the NCAA title in 2011, leading the team with 58 goals while picking up the MPSF Player of the Year and National Collegiate Championship Most Outstanding Player awards. She scored five goals in the Cardinal's 9-5 national title game victory over California on May 15 to cement her place on the All-Tournament Team in Ann Arbor, Mich.

On the year, Dries helped lead Stanford to a 28-1 record, including a perfect 7-0 mark in MPSF regular season play. In addition to the individual honors received, Dries was named to the All-MPSF First Team and to the MPSF's All-Academic List.

Dries is currently with the U.S. Senior National Team, having just completed competition at the Kirishi Cup in Kirishi, Russia. The U.S. will now travel to China to compete at the FINA World League Super Final beginning June 14.