Wisnauskas, a Sykesville native who attended the Boys’ Latin School of Maryland, began his career at Syracuse but did not play there before transferring. Wisnauskas spent five seasons in College Park, taking advantage of the extra eligibility granted to all college athletes in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, and he became the program’s all-time leader in goals (205) and points (340).

Wisnauskas thanked his teammates in his acceptance speech “for the most incredible journey of a lifetime this year and the previous four years at Maryland.” He added: “While I dreamt about my future an exhausting amount as a little kid, the journey with you guys has been beyond remarkable. What we accomplished at Maryland has been remarkable and historic and my being on this stage is a culmination of your guys’ dedication, selflessness and friendship.”

Maryland men’s lacrosse team caps perfect season with national title

Through Maryland’s run in this year’s NCAA tournament, Wisnauskas scored 13 goals with six assists in four games. In the national semifinal win over Princeton, he scored four times, and in the title game, Wisnauskas notched two goals and two assists. He finished this season converting 48.8 percent of his shots.

Wisnauskas becomes the third Maryland men’s player to win the Tewaaraton, which was first awarded in 2001, joining Jared Bernhardt (2021) and Matt Rambo (2017).

“I came to Maryland for the opportunity to win a national championship while fulfilling my greatest potential,” Wisnauskas said. “And I’m proud to now be an alumnus of the greatest lacrosse program in the world.”

The other male finalists were Chris Gray (North Carolina), Sam Handley (Penn), Brendan Nichtern (Army) and Connor Shellenberger (Virginia).

On the women’s side, Boston College’s Charlotte North won the award for the second straight year. North scored 92 goals with 23 assists and led the Eagles to the national title game. North scored four goals in the championship, but top-seeded North Carolina secured the title with a 12-11 victory.

North, who spent her first two collegiate seasons at Duke and then played three years at Boston College, became the NCAA’s all-time leading scorer in Division I women’s lacrosse, finishing her career with 358 goals.

North won the Tewaaraton over finalists Aurora Cordingley (Maryland), Ally Mastroianni (North Carolina), Jamie Ortega (North Carolina) and Meaghan Tyrrell (Syracuse).

Cordingley, a graduate transfer from Johns Hopkins, was named the Big Ten attacker of the year after recording 67 goals and 51 assists, both team highs. She ranked fourth in the nation with 118 points and helped the Terps return to the Final Four.

Maryland women’s lacrosse has had 27 Tewaaraton finalists, including at least one in each season under Coach Cathy Reese, who took over the program in 2007.

Former Maryland player Kelly Amonte Hiller, the longtime head coach at Northwestern, received the Tewaaraton Legends Award, which is given to exceptional players whose college careers predated the Tewaaraton Award. Amonte Hiller, a four-time all-American, won two national championships and scored 187 goals as a Terp from 1993 to 1996. She has led Northwestern to seven national titles, all during an eight-year stretch from 2005 to 2012.

Dave Pietramala, a former standout defender at Johns Hopkins, also won the Legends Award. He led the program at his alma mater from 2001 to 2020 and now serves as an assistant at Syracuse. New England Patriots Coach Bill Belichick, an avid fan of lacrosse, won the Spirit of Tewaaraton Award.