COLLEGE PARK, MD -- Faceoff specialist
Luke Wierman and close defenseman
Ajax Zappitello were both named Tewaaraton Nominees as announced by the organization on Thursday afternoon.
The Tewaaraton Award annually honors the top male and female college lacrosse player in the United States. The selection committees are made up of premier collegiate coaches and are appointed annually by The Tewaaraton Foundation. The Terps are one of five schools with two nominees while only Duke has three.
This marks the second consecutive year that Wierman has been named a nominee and is the first time for Zappitello.
Once again, Wierman has been dominant at the faceoff X, winning 144 of 244 faceoffs on the season and racking up a team-high 82 groundballs. On Feb. 3, Wierman officially became the program's all-time winningest faceoff specialist, passing Andy Claxton's record of 648 that stood for over three decades. Wierman is also just 30 groundballs away from tying Claxton's school record of 451 groundballs.
Throughout the season, Zappitello has shown why he is regarded as arguably the best defenseman in the game. He has caused at least one turnover in 10 of 11 games for a total of 18 in just 11 games. He also has 23 groundballs on the season to go along with a goal and has frequently shut down some of the best attackmen in the game.
Five men's and five women's finalists will be announced on May 9.
Logan Wisnauskas became Maryland's third Tewaaraton winner in 2022 after a 61 goal, 42 assist, 103 point season that ended with an NCAA Championship.
About The Tewaaraton Foundation
Founded at the University Club of Washington, DC and first presented in 2001, the Tewaaraton Award is recognized as the preeminent lacrosse award, annually honoring the top male and female college lacrosse player in the United States. Endorsed by the Mohawk Nation Council of Elders and U.S. Lacrosse, the Tewaaraton Award symbolizes lacrosse's centuries-old roots in Native American heritage. The Tewaaraton Foundation ensures the integrity and advances the mission of this award. Each year, the Tewaaraton Award celebrates one of the six nations of the Haudenosaunee/Iroquois Confederacy – the Mohawk, Cayuga, Oneida, Onondaga, Seneca and Tuscarora – and presents two scholarships to students of Native American descent. To learn more about The Tewaaraton Foundation, please visit www.tewaaraton.com.
