Ariadne Karampetsou Nominated for the Prestigious USA Cutino Award

Ariadne Karampetsou Nominated for the Prestigious USA Cutino Award

Ariadne Karampetsou has received remarkable international recognition! The standout water polo player from Ethnikos Piraeus and current student-athlete at the University of Michigan has been nominated for the Cutino Award, the most prestigious individual honor in U.S. collegiate water polo.

The American Water Polo Federation selected Karampetsou as one of 20 athletes chosen from over 500 competitors in the USA Collegiate Water Polo Championship. This recognition places her among the elite of the sport in the United States, a rare distinction, especially in her first season competing in the NCAA.

Ariadne is not only the sole Greek nominee but also the only representative from the University of Michigan on this year’s shortlist. Her powerful presence in the pool and consistent performances have drawn the attention of federation officials, highlighting her as one of the breakout players of the season.

The Cutino Award, named after Hall of Fame coach Peter J. Cutino, is awarded annually to the best male and female collegiate water polo athletes in the United States and is considered the sport’s highest individual collegiate accolade.

Among the other high-profile nominees are:

• Jenna Flynn, Ryann Neushul, Jewel Roemer (Stanford)

• Carlota Alonso (Wagner)

• Heiley Andress (Fresno State)

• Ruth Arinio Ruiz (Loyola Marymount)

• Emily Ausmus, Tilly Keans (USC)

• Martina Cardona (Long Beach State)

• Bernie Doyle (Hawai’i)

• Lauren Hett (UC Irvine)

• Skylar Kidd (Indiana)

• Emma Lineback, Lauren Steele, Ruby Swadling (USC)

• Maya O’Dea (Harvard)

• Darcy Spark (San Jose State)

• Dorottya Telek (Cal State Northridge)

• Kayla Yelenskyv

Karampetsou is also an active member of the Greek National Team and a proud product of Ethnikos Piraeus, a club known for producing elite athletes. Her development has been further supported by the club’s visionary program “A Healthy Mind in a Healthy Body”, designed by academy director Dimitris Kolovos, which empowers young athletes to pursue excellence both in academics and in sport, whether in Greece or abroad.

Ariadne carries a deep water polo legacy as the daughter of Filippos Karampetsos, a former Greek international, and Anna Chatzigeorgaki, also a former international player and now a coach for the Greek National Team. Her journey reflects not only athletic talent but also a heritage of excellence and commitment to the sport.

At Aquafeed24, we are proud to support Greek athletes worldwide. With our newly established journalistic team in the United States, we will be closely following Ariadne’s journey in the NCAA and beyond.

We wish her the very best of luck in the upcoming Cutino Award voting and look forward to celebrating even more of her achievements shortly.