Two members of the University of Utah men’s lacrosse team, Ryan Stines and Nikko DiPonio, were named to the 2026 Tewaaraton Award watch list on March 26, according to an announcement from the Tewaaraton Foundation. The two seniors are among eleven players nationally added in this second round of selections.
The Tewaaraton Award is given each year to the top male and female college lacrosse players in the United States. Committees composed of leading collegiate coaches select honorees annually. The award’s name comes from “Tewaaraton,” which is the Mohawk word for lacrosse and represents the sport’s Native American heritage.
This marks Stines’ second consecutive appearance on the watch list, while it is DiPonio’s first. Utah has now had at least one player included in each of the past three seasons and is currently the only program from the Atlantic Sun Conference represented on this year’s list.
Stines leads his team with 38 points—ranking eleventh nationally—on 24 goals and 14 assists. He recently set a new program record for career points against Virginia with his 217th point and remains within reach of both Utah’s career scoring and assists records. DiPonio stands out defensively, ranking second in caused turnovers per game nationwide while also leading his conference in that category. He has been a consistent leader in ground balls per game over multiple seasons.
Finalists for both men’s and women’s awards will be announced after collegiate play concludes in early May, with winners revealed at a ceremony scheduled for May 28 in Washington, D.C.
Stines, DiPonio, and their teammates will begin ASUN Conference play at Ute Field against Bellarmine Knights on Saturday, March 28.
