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June 4, 2003
Washington, D.C. – Virginia midfielder Chris Rotelli was named the winner of the 2003 Tewaaraton Trophy, symbolic of being named the top men’s lacrosse player in the nation this season.
A senior from Rumford, R.I., Rotelli put together one of the best seasons ever by a Cavalier middie and played a key role in leading the team to the national championship. A complete midfielder of the old school variety, he consistently made his presence felt on both ends of the field this spring with his tenacious defense and variety of offensive skills.
“In a short period of time, the Tewaaraton has become the most important recogniton in our sport,” said Virginia head coach Dom Starsia. “This selection honors Chris, his teammates, the Virginia lacrosse program and the University. It is fitting while still absolutely remarkable that Chris should receive this individual honor when his most enduring characteristic this spring was a total committment to the team. His performance in 2003 was truly remarkable.”
Rotelli tied for the team lead in scoring with 49 points to become the first midfielder to lead the team since 1966. His 49 points are also a school record for a midfielder. This spring he scored 26 goals and added 23 assists to become the first “20-20” midfielder in school history.
He was named a first-team All-American this season to become the school’s first two-time first-team middie since Jay Jalbert in 1999-2000.
A three-time All-ACC selection, he was selected as the conference’s Player of the Year, one of five Cavaliers to win the award under head coach Dom Starsia but just the second midfielder in school history to win the league’s top award (along with Andy Kraus in 1988).
During his career he was an integral member of three Final Four teams and a member of two ACC championship squads. Rotelli inished his career tied for 14th in career goals (85) and 22nd in points (126) in Virginia history.
Princeton’s senior defender Rachael Becker (Broomall, PA/Maple Newton) received this season’s Tewaaraton Trophy for the women’s side. She led Princeton to the national championship this season and was named the NCAA Tournament’s MVP. She is a three-time first-team All-America selection, the 2003 Ivy League Player-of-the-Year and a three-time all-conference and all-region selection.
The entire Tewaaraton Awards ceremony will be aired on College Sports Television (CSTV) on Saturday, July 4th at 4:00 p.m. EST. CSTV is channel 610 on DirecTV.
Every qualified male and female college varsity player in Divisions I, II and III is eligible for the Award. Nominations are requested from all varsity coaches. A selection committee comprised of coaches for both male and female candidates oversees the voting process. Previous winners have included Syracuse’s Michael Powell (2002) and Hofstra’s Doug Shanahan (2001) for the men and Georgetown’s Erin Elbe (2002) and Maryland’s Jen Adams (2001) for the women.
The Tewaaraton Award Foundation, in conjunction with The University Club of Washington, DC, formally established the “Tewaaraton Trophy” on August 29, 2000. Today, the Tewaaraton Trophy is recognized as the pre-eminent lacrosse award honoring the top female and male varsity collegiate lacrosse player in the United States. Simply, it is the lacrosse equivalent of the Heisman Trophy. The Foundation committee honors Native American heritage with the name “Tewaaraton,” the name the Mohawk nation gave to their game and the progenitor of present day lacrosse and has received approval from the Mohawk Council of Elders.