Wayer Tabbed Tewaaraton Award Nominee
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Virginia long-stick midfielder and team captain Ben Wayer has been named one of 25 Tewaaraton Award nominees, the Tewaaraton Foundation announced Thursday (April 17).
The Tewaaraton Award is recognized as the preeminent lacrosse award, annually honoring the top male and female college lacrosse player in the United States. The selection committees are composed of premier college coaches and are appointed annually by the Tewaaraton Foundation.
Five men’s and five women’s finalists will be selected from these groups, to be announced May 8 at the conclusion of the regular season. They will be honored May 29 at the 25th Tewaaraton Award ceremony presented by Stifel at the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian, in Washington D.C.
The 2025 Tewaaraton Watch List was announced Feb. 6, with the first round of additions being announced March 6 and a second round of additions March 27.
Excluding faceoff specialists, Wayer leads the ACC in both total ground balls (63) and ground balls per game (5.25). He also leads all ACC defensive midfielders in caused turnovers (14) and is second in caused turnovers per game (1.17). An offensive threat in transition, Wayer has five goals and one assist this season. Wayer collected a career-high three points on two goals and an assist in the Hoos’ season opener against Colgate.
2025 Tewaaraton Award Nominees
Sean Byrne, Army West Point – Jr., Goalie
Owen Duffy, North Carolina – Soph., Attack
Billy Dwan, Syracuse – Jr., Defense
Jackson Eicher, Army West Point – Sr., Attack
Jimmy Freehill, Denver – Sr., Defense
Caleb Fyock, Ohio State – Soph., Goalie
Ryan Goldstein, Cornell – Soph., Attack
Chris Kavanagh, Notre Dame – Sr., Attack
Sam King, Harvard – Sr., Attack
CJ Kirst, Cornell – Sr., Attack
Michael Long, Cornell – Sr., Attack
Shawn Lyght, Notre Dame – Soph., Defense
Coulter Mackesy, Princeton – Sr., Attack
Andrew McAdorey, Duke – Sr., Midfield
Logan McNaney, Maryland – Grad. Student, Goalie
Dominic Pietramla, North Carolina – RS Soph., Attack
AJ Pilate, Army West Point – Sr., Defense
Evan Plunkett, Army West Point – Jr., Midfield
Joey Spallina, Syracuse – Jr., Attack
Eric Spanos, Maryland – Jr., Attack
Cardin Stoller, Rutgers – Soph., Goalie
Matt Traynor, Penn State – Sr., Attack
Bobby Van Buren, Ohio State – Sr., Defense
Ben Wayer, Virginia – Sr., LSM
Mikey Weisshaar, Towson – Jr., Midfield
About The Tewaaraton Foundation
The Tewaaraton Award is recognized as the preeminent lacrosse award, annually honoring the top male and female college lacrosse player in the United States. Founded at the University Club of Washington, D.C., the award was first presented in 2001 with permission from the Mohawk Nation Council of Elders. “Tewaaraton” is the Mohawk word for lacrosse, and The Tewaaraton Award symbolizes lacrosse’s Native American Heritage. The Tewaaraton Foundation ensures the integrity of the selection process and advances the mission of the Foundation. Each year, The Tewaaraton Foundation presents two scholarships to students from the Haudenosaunee Confederacy – the Mohawk, Cayuga, Oneida, Onondaga, Seneca, and Tuscarora Nations.