Joksimovic Named One of Three Finalists for 2020 Cutino National Player of Year Award

Photo by: Marc Hagemeier

Joksimovic Named One of Three Finalists for 2020 Cutino National Player of Year Award

3/17/2020 5:17:00 PM | Men's Water Polo

Award Recognizes Top Collegiate Player of the Year

LEWISBURG, Pa. – Rade Joksimovic of the Bucknell men's water polo team has been named one of three finalists for the prestigious Peter J. Cutino Award, USA Water Polo announced on Tuesday afternoon.

The award, named after former collegiate water polo player and UC Berkeley Head Coach Peter J. Cutino, is considered the highest individual award in American collegiate water polo.

Joksimovic joins Ben Hallock of national champion Stanford, who earned the award in 2019, and Luke Pavillard of national runner-up Pacific as one of three finalists for the honor. Hallock was also named the ACWPC Player of the Year this season.

Six different schools on the men's side have had at least one recipient of the Cutino Award, all from the state of California. Stanford, UC Berkeley, USC, UCLA, Pacific, and UC Irvine have each earned winners in the past. The nominees are tallied by votes of the NCAA Divison I head coaches.

Joksimovic becomes Bucknell's first-ever player nominated for the award which debuted in 1999, and will be presented at the Olympic Club in San Francisco on June 6. The banquet will also be live streamed by USA Water Polo.

Joksimovic capped off an incredible career in the Orange and Blue by becoming Bucknell's first-ever First Team All-American in December, and he is the only Bison in program history to earn a spot on the All-American Team three times. Joksimovic earned numerous individual accomplishments in 2019, including his fourth-straight MAWPC Player of the Year honor.

The native of Novi Sad, Serbia tallied 139 goals in 2019 while adding 42 assists for 181 points, the sixth-most in a single season in program history. Joksimovic finished his career second in Bucknell history in points (714) and goals (527), fifth in assists (187), first in steals (317), and tenth in ejections drawn (124), and is Bucknell's all-time leader in games started (120).

Additionally, Joksimovic helped Bucknell to a high standard of team success during his four years, leading the squad to three 20-win seasons and 87 wins overall, the most in a four-year stretch by the squad since 1982.

Joksimovic was named the MAWPC Player of the Tournament this season in leading Bucknell to its second title in the past four years, earning a win over George Washington in Kinney Natatorium on Nov. 4, 2019. The win also secured Bucknell's second NCAA Tournament appearance in the past four seasons.

In the ensuing NCAA Play-In game against unbeaten and No. 9 Harvard, Joksimovic scored six times as Bucknell avenged a 2016 loss to the Crimson in the same scenario for Bucknell's first NCAA Tournament win since 1985. In Joksimovic's final game against No. 2 USC, the senior scored twice, added an assist, and posted a steal as the Bison fell to the defending National Champion Trojans in the National Quarterfinals in Stockton, Calif.

The winner of the 2020 Cutino Award will be announced at a banquet at the Olympic Club in San Francisco on June 6.