CJ Kirst Wins 2025 Tewaaraton Award

Cornell attackman CJ Kirst is the 2025 Tewaaraton Award winner, as announced Thursday night at the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C. The award is given to the best lacrosse player in the country.

Kirst was also a finalist in 2023 when Duke’s Brennan O’Neill won the award.

Kirst is the third Cornell player to win the Tewaaraton Award, joining Rob Pannell (2013) and Max Seibald (2009). Kirst is fresh off leading Cornell to its first national championship in 48 years on Memorial Day against Maryland. He scored six goals and tied Lyle Thompson’s Division I men’s single-season goals record (82) to lift Cornell back to the top of men’s lacrosse for the first time since 1977.

After starting his career off hot, winning Ivy League Rookie of the Year and leading Cornell to a national championship game berth in 2022, Kirst surpassed Payton Cormier’s Division I men’s career goals record (224) in April. No player is within 20 of Kirst’s 247 career goals.

He also holds Cornell’s single-game records in points (12) and goals (nine) — both of which were set last season. Kirst ends his college career with a national championship, multiple records and a Tewaaraton Award, making him one of the most decorated players in NCAA history.

He finished this season with 82 goals and 33 assists while shooting 43 percent. A workhouse on the ride, Kirst made himself known as more than just a goal scorer. He added 43 ground balls and 19 caused turnovers to his point total while only turning the ball over 22 times.

The other finalists were Army attackman Jackson Eicher, Notre Dame attackman Chris Kavanaugh, Harvard attackman Sam King and Princeton attackman Coulter Mackesy. Kirst was selected No. 1 overall in the 2025 Premier Lacrosse League College Draft by the Philadelphia Waterdogs on May 6.