University of Virginia senior midfielder Chris Rotelli and Princeton University senior defender Rachael Becker are the recipients of the 2003 Tewaaraton Trophy, given annually to the most outstanding male and female college lacrosse players in the nation. The ceremony was held this evening at the National Geographic Building in Washington, DC.

Rotelli (Rumford, RI; Moses Brown) earned first-team All-America honors for the second year in a row and was named the ACC Player-of-the-Year, as he led Virginia to the 2003 National Title. The history major is the first midfielder in school history to record at least 20 goals and 20 assists in a season (26g, 23a). He tied for the team lead in scoring with 49 points.

He was selected among five finalists, including Kevin Cassese (Duke University; Midfield, Sr.), Adam Doneger (Johns Hopkins University; Midfield; Sr.), Kyle Harrison (Johns Hopkins University; Midfield; So.) and 2002 Tewaaraton award-winner Michael Powell (Syracuse University; Midfield; Jr.).

Becker (Broomall, PA/Maple Newton) was a Tewaaraton finalist for the second consecutive year. The psychology major led Princeton to the 2002 and 2003 National Championships, including individual accolades as the 2003 NCAA Tournament 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. As a junior, Becker earned Academic All-America honors and was named as the National Defensive Player of the Year.

The other women's finalists were Lauren Aumiller (University of Virginia; Midfield; Sr.), Kelly Coppedge (University of Maryland; Midfield; Jr.), Suzanne Eyler (Loyola College; Defense; Sr.) and Lisa Staedt (James Madison University; Midfield; Sr.).

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 University's Michael Powell (2002) and Hofstra University's Doug Shanahan (2001) for the men and Georgetown University's Erin Elbe (2002) and University of 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.

The Tewaaraton Award Foundation is recognized by the IRS as a 501(c)(3) organization and relies on the support of past and present lacrosse players, coaches and enthusiasts, as well as corporations to fund its efforts. The University Club and the Tewaaraton Award Foundation are proud to promote the sport of lacrosse and to sponsor this distinctive award for young men and women attending our nation's colleges and universities.