Stanford freshman Kiley Neushul showed that she could excel playing water polo at the next level.
The 2011 Dos Pueblos graduate scored a team-best 58 goals and helped the Cardinal win their second straight NCAA championship.
Neushul was recognized for her amazing season by being named the winner of the Peter J. Cutino Award, given to the top male and female collegiate water polo players in the nation.
“Kiley had a tremendous season, as did our entire team,” said Stanford women’s water polo head coach John Tanner. “It was great seeing her honored in front of a room full of water polo legends.”
At the National Championship in San Diego in mid-May, Neushul scored three goals, including a goal in the Cardinal’s 6-4 title-game win over USC.
The freshman driver recorded 11 hat tricks and 17 multi-goal games as the Cardinal went 26-2 overall, including a perfect 7-0 record in MPSF regular-season play.
After helping Dos Pueblos capture four straight CIF titles, win 67 matches in a row and earn four CIF Player of the Year honors, Neushul accepted a scholarship to Stanford. In her first season at the Farm, she was named the MPSF Newcomer of the Year and selected to the All-MPSF First Team and All-Newcomer Team. Additionally, she earned one KAP 7 MPSF Player of the Week honor and was a four-time KAP 7 MPSF Newcomer of the Week.
Neushul becomes the fourth Stanford player overall to earn the award, following last year’s winner, Annika Dries, as well as Jackie Frank (2003) and Brenda Villa (2002).
The other finalists for this year’s award were UCLA’s Caitlin Dement and KK Clark.
