thumb|right|[[Cornell Big Red men's lacrosse|Cornell's CJ Kirst]]
The Tewaaraton Award is an annual award for the most outstanding American college lacrosse men's and women's players, since 2001. It is the lacrosse equivalent of football's Heisman Trophy. The award is presented by The Tewaaraton Foundation and the University Club of Washington, D.C.
Lacrosse is the oldest sport played in North America and the award honors the Native American heritage of lacrosse in the name of its award, "Tewaaraton," the Mohawk name for their game and the progenitor of present-day lacrosse. The Tewaaraton Award has received the endorsement of the Mohawk Nation Council of Elders. Each year, the award recognizes one of the Six Nations of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy: the Mohawk, Cayuga, Oneida, Onondaga, Seneca and Tuscarora tribes.
Trophy
The award winners each receive a trophy of a bronze sculpture depicting a Mohawk native playing lacrosse. It was designed and created by Frederick Kail with the assistance of Thomas Vennum, Jr., a Native American lacrosse historian and author.
Replicas of the trophy are given to the winners each year. The original castings of the trophy are part of a permanent collection and are currently on display at the University Club of Washington, D.C.
Nomination and selection process
Players are nominated for the award by coaches, and winners chosen by selection committees made up of coaches. and there is no mention of it on either the Tewaraaton Awards website nor the University Club of Washington, D.C.'s website.
Ceremony
Each year the ceremony takes place at the National Museum of the American Indian. Anyone can purchase a ticket to attend the ceremony. Since then, the two awards have agreed almost exactly; in each season but one from 2012 through 2022, both awards were won by the same individual. The only exception in this span was in 2014, when the Enners Award went to one of the two brothers who shared the Tewaaraton Award.
Tewaaraton Award recipients
{| align=left class="wikitable"
|-
!align="center" colspan="1"|Year
!align="center" colspan="1"|Men's winner
!align="center" colspan="1"|School
!align="center" colspan="1"|Position
!align="center" colspan="1"|Women's winner
!align="center" colspan="1"|School
!align="center" colspan="1"|Position
|-
| 2001
| Doug Shanahan
| Hofstra
| Midfield
| Jen Adams
| Maryland
| Attack
|-
| 2002
| Mike Powell
| Syracuse
| Attack
| Erin Elbe
| Georgetown
| Attack
|-
| 2003
| Chris Rotelli
| Virginia
| Midfield
| Rachael Becker
| Princeton
| Defense
|-
| 2004
| Mike Powell
| Syracuse
| Attack
| Amy Appelt
| Virginia
| Attack
|-
| 2005
| Kyle Harrison
| Johns Hopkins
| Midfield
| Katie Chrest
| Duke
| Attack
|-
| 2006
| Matt Ward
| Virginia
| Attack
| Kristen Kjellman
| Northwestern
| Midfield
|-
| 2007
| Matt Danowski
| Duke
| Attack
| Kristen Kjellman
| Northwestern
| Midfield
|-
| 2008
| Mike Leveille
| Syracuse
| Attack
| Hannah Nielsen
| Northwestern
| Midfield
|-
| 2009
| Max Seibald
| Cornell
| Midfield
| Hannah Nielsen
| Northwestern
| Midfield
|-
| 2010
| Ned Crotty
| Duke
| Attack
| Caitlyn McFadden
| Maryland
| Midfield
|-
| 2011
| Steele Stanwick
| Virginia
| Attack
| Shannon Smith
| Northwestern
| Attack
|-
| 2012
| Peter Baum
| Colgate
| Attack
| Katie Schwarzmann
| Maryland
| Midfield
|-
| 2013
| Rob Pannell
| Cornell
| Attack
| Katie Schwarzmann
| Maryland
| Midfield
|-
| rowspan="2"|2014
| Lyle Thompson
| rowspan="2"|Albany
| rowspan="2"|Attack
| rowspan="2"|Taylor Cummings
| rowspan="2"|Maryland
| rowspan="2"|Midfield
|-
| Miles Thompson
|-
| 2015
| Lyle Thompson
| Albany
| Attack
| Taylor Cummings
| Maryland
| Midfield
|-
| 2016
| Dylan Molloy
| Brown
| Attack
| Taylor Cummings
| Maryland
| Midfield
|-
| 2017
| Matt Rambo
| Maryland
| Attack
| Zoe Stukenberg
| Maryland
| Midfield
|-
| 2018
| Ben Reeves
| Yale
| Attack
| Sam Apuzzo
| Boston College
| Attack
|-
| 2019
| Pat Spencer
| Loyola
| Attack
| Megan Taylor
| Maryland
| Goalie
|-
| 2020
| align=center colspan="6" | No Awards Due to COVID-19
|-
| 2021
| Jared Bernhardt
| Maryland
| Attack
| Charlotte North
| Boston College
| Attack
|-
| 2022
| Logan Wisnauskas
| Maryland
| Attack
| Charlotte North
| Boston College
| Attack
|-
|2023
| Brennan O'Neill
| Duke
| Attack
| Izzy Scane
| Northwestern
| Attack
|-
|2024
| Pat Kavanagh
| Notre Dame
| Attack
| Izzy Scane
| Northwestern
| Attack
|-
|2025
| CJ Kirst
| Cornell
| Attack
| Chloe Humphrey
| North Carolina
| Attack
|-
|2026
| Shawn Lyght
| Notre Dame
| Defense
| Madison Taylor
| Northwestern
| Attack
|-
| colspan="7" |Source:
|}
Men's awards by university
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Rank !! School !! Number of Awards!!Winning years
|-
|T-1 || Cornell ||||2009, 2013, 2025
|-
|T-1 || Duke ||||2007, 2010, 2023
|-
|T-1 || Maryland ||||2017, 2021, 2022
|-
|T-1 || Virginia ||||2003, 2006, 2011
|-
|T-1 || Syracuse ||||2002, 2004, 2008
|-
|T-6 || Albany ||||2014 (2x), 2015
|-
|T-6 || Notre Dame ||||2024, 2026
|-
|T-8 || Loyola (MD) ||||2019
|-
|T-8 || Yale ||||2018
|-
|T-8 || Brown ||||2016
|-
|T-8 || Colgate ||||2012
|-
|T-8 || Johns Hopkins ||||2005
|-
|T-8 || Hofstra ||||2001
|}
Women's awards by university
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Rank !! School !! Number of Awards!!Winning years
|-
|1 || Maryland ||||2001, 2010, 2012, 2013, <br> 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, <br> 2019
|-
|2 || Northwestern ||||2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, <br> 2011, 2023, 2024, 2026
|-
|3 || Boston College ||||2018, 2021, 2022
|-
|T-4 || North Carolina||||2025
|-
|T-4 || Duke ||||2005
|-
|T-4 || Virginia||||2004
|-
|T-4 || Princeton ||||2003
|-
|T-4 || Georgetown ||||2002
|}
Notable achievements
- 2014 was the first year that the award was given to a Native American player. It is also the first, and so far only, time the award has been given to two players to share: Lyle Thompson and Miles Thompson, who are both part of the Onondaga Nation, won the award that year.
thumb|upright|Tina Sloan Green awarded in 2016|alt=Portrait of Tina Sloan Green
{| class="wikitable"
!align=center colspan="2" style="color:white; background:black"|Spirit of Tewaaraton Winners
|-
!Year
!Winner
|-align=center
| rowspan="2" |2003
|A.B. “Buzzy” Krongard
|-align=center
|Diane M. Geppi-Aikens
|-align=center
|2005
|Sid Jamieson
|- align="center"
|2009
|Roy D. Simmons, Jr.
|- align="center"
|2010
|Dick Edell
|- align="center"
|2012
|Richie Moran
|- align="center"
|2013
|Bob Scott
|- align="center"
|2014
|Brendan Looney
|- align="center"
|2015
|Chief Oren Lyons
|- align="center"
|2016
|Tina Sloan Green
|-align=center
|2017
|George Boiardi
|-align=center
|2018
|Welles Crowther
|-align=center
|2019
|Ethel “Feffie” Barnhill
|-align=center
|2022
|Bill Belichick
|-align=center
|2023
|Alfred "Alf" Jacques
|-align=center
|2024
|Chris Sailer
|-align=center
|2025
|Paul Rabil, Mike Rabil
|}
Native American Scholarship Program
Since 2006, The Tewaaraton Foundation has given over $130,000 in scholarships to Native American high school lacrosse players through its Tewaaraton Native American Scholarships program. The $10,000 scholarships are awarded annually on a highly competitive basis to one Native American female and one Native American male lacrosse player who are enrolled members of a U.S. tribe. All awards are not only based on the student's athletic performance, but also on their merit, academic achievement, and ambition.
{| align=left class="wikitable" border="0"
!align="center" colspan="7" style="color:white; background:black"|Tewaaraton Native American Scholarship Recipients
|-
! Year
! Boys' Winner
! Nation
! Girls' Winner
! Nation
|-
| 2006
| Justin Gill
| Oglala Sioux and Seneca Nation of Indians
| Lindsey Steeprock
| Mohawk Nation
|-
| 2007
| Alexander Jamieson
| Seneca Nation of Indians, Wolf Clan
| Mia McKie
| Tuscarora Indian Nation, Turtle Clan
|-
| 2008
| Emmett Printup
| Tonawanda Seneca
| Corinne Abrams
| Tuscarora Indian Nation
|-
| 2009
| Isaac "Ike" Hopper
| Onondaga Nation
| Trenna Hill
| Mohawk Nation
|-
| 2010
| Kyle Henry
| Tuscarora Indian Nation, White Bear Clan
| Taylor Hummel
| Tuscarora Indian Nation, White Bear Clan
|-
| 2011
| Christopher White
| Oneida Nation
| Kristiana Ferguson
| Tuscarora Indian Nation
|-
| 2012
| Bradley Thomas
| Tuscarora Indian Nation
| Marissa Haring
| Seneca Nation of Indians
|-
| 2013
| Robert McMicking
| Cayuga Nation, Wolf Clan
| Cassandra Minerd
| Onondaga Nation, Eel Clan
|-
| 2014
| Kason Tarbell
| St. Regis Mohawk Tribe
| Alie Jimerson
| Cayuga Nation, Bear Clan
|-
| 2015
| Chaunce Hill
| Six Nations Seneca, Turtle Clan
| Lynnzee Miller
| Mohawk Nation, Wolf Clan
|-
| 2016
| Emerson Shenandoah
| Mohawk Nation, Snipe Clan
| Jade Haumann
| Seneca Nation of Indians, Wolf Clan
|-
| 2017
| Liam Anderson
| Tuscarora Indian Nation, Turtle Clan
| Shayla Scanlan
| Seneca Nation of Indians, Wolf Clan
|-
| 2018
| Lyle Warrior
| Seneca Nation of Indians
| Ivy Santana
| Seneca Nation, Wolf Clan
|-
| 2019
| Isaiah Cree
| Akwesasne Mohawk, Wolf Clan
| Jacelyn and Mirabella Lazore
| Akwesasne Mohawk, Wolf Clan
|-
| 2020
| Cobie Cree
| Mohawk Nation, Bear Clan
| Yanenowi Logan
| Seneca Nation, Deer Clan
|-
| 2021
| Peter Thais
| Mohawk Nation, Wolf Clan
| Fantasy Jimerson-Kenjockety
| Seneca Nation, Beaver Clan
|-
| 2022
| Crayton Cree
| Akwesasne Mohawk Nation, Bear Clan
| Savannah Swamp
| Akwesasne Mohawk Nation, Bear Clan
|}
See also
- Lt. Raymond Enners Outstanding Player Award
- Jack Turnbull Outstanding Attackman Award
- Lt. j.g. Donald MacLaughlin Jr. Outstanding Midfielder Award
- William C. Schmeisser Outstanding Defender Award
- Ensign C. Markland Kelly Jr. Outstanding Goaltender Award
- F. Morris Touchstone Outstanding Coach Award