Gator Juniors Kitty Cullen, Brittany Dashiell Nominated for Prestigious Tewaaraton Award
Wednesday, April 25, 2012 | Lacrosse
Florida juniors Kitty Cullen (Rockville, Md.) and Brittany Dashiell (Bel Air, Md.) were announced this afternoon as official nominees for the prestigious Tewaaraton Award, presented by Panama Jack. The pair of Gators are among 25 women's lacrosse players nominated for this award, which is generally recognized as the highest individual annual award given out in NCAA lacrosse.
“It is a tremendous honor for both Brittany and Kitty to be named to the Tewaaraton Award nominee list,” said Head Coach Amanda O'Leary. “We are extremely proud of these young women who are excellent representatives of our program and the University of Florida.”
Cullen receives the nomination for the second-straight year, while Dashiell earns the honor for the first time. While a Gator student-athlete has yet to be selected as a Tewaaraton finalist, assistant coach Caitlyn McFadden was the 2010 Tewaaraton Award winner as a senior at the University of Maryland.
Kitty Cullen leads the Gators in both points per game (3.93) and assists per game (1.33), with a total of 39 goals and 20 assists for 59 points on the season. The 2011 ALC Player of the Year has had to adjust her style of play this season, often drawing double- or triple-teamed defense from her opponents. As a follow-up to her 77-goal performance in 2011, Cullen, who had just 15 assists through her first two seasons, put up 20 assists in the first 10 games of 2012, easily adjusting to her new role on the balanced 2012 Gators attacking unit. Additionally, the Rockville, Md., native has eight ground balls, six draw controls and a caused turnover on the season
Brittany Dashiell has had a standout campaign in the midfield, looking strong on both ends of the field as well as through the midfield. One of Florida's nation-leading four players with over 50 points, Dashiell is tied for the team lead with 20 assists, while adding 34 goals on the offensive end. The Bel Air, Md., native is third on the team in both draw controls (38) and caused turnovers (11), while also tabbing 24 ground balls.
25 male and 25 female lacrosse players were selected as official nominees today, narrowing the field from the 82 men and 57 women who were named to the watch lists earlier this season. Gator junior Ashley Bruns (Ellicott City, Md.) was among the 32 additional women's lacrosse players selected at the start of the season.
On May 10, the Tewaaraton Foundation will make yet another cut, narrowing down the list to five male and five female finalists, who will be honored May 31, 2012, at the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C.
“We congratulate these 50 elite student-athletes on their remarkable accomplishments thus far this season,” said Jeff Harvey, chairman of the Tewaaraton Foundation. “With the help of our selection committees, we look forward to announcing this year's finalists next month.” The selection committees are comprised of 12 men's and ten women's current and former coaches.
The 25 female nominees include players from 17 different schools, 16 of which are currently ranked in the IWLCA Division I poll. Maryland and North Carolina lead all teams with three nominees, while Florida, Northwestern, Syracuse and Duke each have two players nominated.
Official 2012 Women's Tewaarton Nominees
Dana Cahill, Goalie - Penn State University
Kara Cannizzaro, Midfield - University of North Carolina
Ally Carey, Midfield - Vanderbilt University
Kitty Cullen, Attack - University of Florida
Brittany Dashiell, Midfield - University of Florida
Emma Hamm, Attack - Duke University
Kristin Igoe, Midfield - Boston College
Karri Ellen Johnson, Attack - University of Maryland
Becky Lynch, Attack - University of North Carolina
Alayna Markwordt, Attack - Ohio State University
Alyssa Murray, Attack - Syracuse University
Josie Owen, Attack - University of Virginia
Marlee Paton, Midfield - Loyola University
Sarah Plumb, Midfield - Dartmouth College
Iliana Sanza, Defense - University of Maryland
Katie Schwarzmann, Midfield - University of Maryland
Shannon Smith, Midfield - Northwestern University
Jessi Steinberg, Attack - Cornell University
Maggie Tamasitis, Attack - University of Notre Dame
Mary Teeters, Goalie - Towson University
Sophia Thomas, Midfield - Georgetown University
Taylor Thorton, Defense - Northwestern University
Michelle Tumolo, Attack - Syracuse University
Kim Wenger, Midfield - Duke University
Laura Zimmerman, Midfield - University of North Carolina
Official 2012 Men's Tewaaraton Nominees
Pierce Bassett, Goalie - Johns Hopkins University
Peter Baum, Midfield - Colgate University
Jesse Bernhardt, LSM - University of Maryland
Anthony Biscardi, Midfield - University of Massachusetts
Sam Bradman, Midfield - Salisbury University
Colin Briggs, Midfield - University of Virginia
CJ Costabile, Long Stick Midfield - Duke University
Kevin Cunningham, Attack - Villanova University
Tucker Durkin, Defense - Johns Hopkins University
Billy Eisenreich, Attack - Bucknell University
Tyler Fiorito, Goalie - Princeton University
Marcus Holman, Attack/Midfield - University of North Carolina
Austin Kaut, Goalie - Penn State University
John Kemp, Goalie - University of Notre Dame
Roy Lang, Midfield - Cornell University
Will Manny, Attack - University of Massachusetts
Kiel Matisz, Midfield - Robert Morris University
Mark Matthews, Attack - University of Denver
Brian Megill, Defense - Syracuse University
Mason Poli, Defense - Bryant University
Scott Ratliff, LSM - Loyola University
Michael Sawyer, Attack - Loyola University
Tom Schreiber, Midfield - Princeton University
Steele Stanwick, Attack - University of Virginia
Garrett Thul, Attack - United States Military Academy
| Tewaaraton Award Recipients | ||||||
| Year | Men's Winner | School | Position | Women's Winner | School | 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 |
About The Tewaaraton Foundation
First presented in 2001, the Tewaaraton Award is recognized as the pre-eminent 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 US 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 tribal nations of the Iroquois Confederacy – the Mohawk, Cayuga, Oneida, Onondaga, Seneca and Tuscarora – and presents two scholarships to students of Iroquois descent. To learn more about The Tewaaraton Foundation, please visit www.tewaaraton.com. Additionally, you can like or follow The Tewaaraton Foundation at www.facebook.com/Tewaaraton and www.twitter.com/tewaaraton.
About Panama Jack
Panama Jack is an international company that has built a powerful brand and loyal following with product offerings synonymous with a carefree beach lifestyle. Its offerings include suncare products, sunglasses, beach apparel, sandals and shoes, hats, jewelry, and beach chairs and umbrellas. Panama Jack added home furnishings to its product offerings in 2011, introducing its Home Collection and Outdoor Collection that allow people to live the Panama Jack lifestyle at home. The company also launched branded luggage and beach-cruiser bicycles in 2010, as well as opening the first of several Panama Jack retail stores at top travel destinations. Founded in 1974, Panama Jack is based in Orlando, Fla. To learn more, please visit www.panamajack.com.
