The Two Winners of the 2009 Tewaaraton Award

Two college students received the prestigious 2009 Tewaaraton Award last Thursday, from the University Club in Washington D.C. The award was established in 2000, and it awarded to the male and female Lacrosse players are considered the top collegiate players of the year. The award is named for the Mohawk Nation's original name for the game that became modern day Lacrosse.

The two players that received the award were Max Seibald from Cornell University and Hannah Nielson of Northwestern. Siebald is the senior captain of Cornell Lacrosse team, and has the honor of being the first player at Cornell to receive the award since its inception. Seibald was first team all Ivy League in all of the past four seasons that he has played, and has 28 goals, 46 ground balls and 10 assists his last playing season. 

Hannah Nielson led her team to victory this year, giving Northwestern its fifth NCAA title in a row and an impressive 23-0 record. Nielson had 59 goals and 83 assists this year, making her own record in the season's final game with six assists. Nielson is Northwestern's second Tewaaraton winner, joining Kristen Kjellman in that prestigious honor. 

The finalists for the award are invited to an awards dinner in June at the University Club, where the two trophy winners are announced. The award recipient's college or university receives a $10,000 scholarship for the school's general scholarship fund, with preference given to Native Americans who are seeking scholarships.