SAN FRANCISCO (December 17, 2018) - Team USA athletes Ben Hallock (Stanford), Johnny Hooper (Cal), and Alex Wolf (UCLA) have been announced as finalists for the prestigious Peter J. Cutino Award, an iconic honor in NCAA Division I water polo to recognize the best men's and women's players each year.

The winner will be announced at the annual award gala hosted by The Olympic Club in their downtown San Francisco clubhouse on Saturday, June 1. Female nominees will be named at the conclusion of their season next spring.

Hallock, a sophomore center from Studio City, Calif., helped lead Stanford to the NCAA Championship
game. The 2016 Olympian for Team USA tallied five goals in that title game, and led the Cardinal with 65 goals during the season. Hallock earned Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) Player of the Year honors in November.

Hooper, a senior attacker from Los Angeles, finished his Cal career as one of the most prolific scorers in program history. His 245 career goals ranked second only to Chris Humbert (296) on the Bears' all-time list. Hooper led Cal with 49 goals in 2018. He received MPSF all-tournament recognition, notching five goals, 12 assists, and nine steals while helping the Golden Bears reach the final.

Wolf, a junior goalkeeper from Huntington Beach, Calif., helped lead UCLA to the NCAA Semifinals. Wolf racked up 163 saves in 19 starts, yielding just 102 goals for a 6.71 goals-against average for the Bruins in 2018.

Established in 1999 by The Olympic Club, the 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 2021 U.S. Women's Open, 2028 PGA Championship, and 2032 Ryder Cup at its world-class Lakeside Clubhouse golf courses.