Before heading to Washington, D.C., to support her senior captains Nadine Hadnagy and Zoe Stukenberg, who were named finalists for the prestigious Tewaaraton Award, Maryland coach Cathy Reese dropped off her 9-year-old daughter Cayden at her youth lacrosse practice.
Before Cayden shut the car door, she looked at her mom and said, “Mom, I hope Zoe wins.”
After all, the walls of Cayden’s room are covered from floor to ceiling with pictures of Stukenberg. The senior midfielder, who not only graduates with an undefeated season on the field but also a perfect 4.0 GPA in the classroom majoring in biological sciences, has been tutoring Cayden in math. The two have been inseparable.
“Cayden and I are buddies,” said Stukenberg. “When she comes to practice, we joke and play lacrosse together and sometimes I give her a little nudge that she needs to try just as hard in the classroom as she does on the field because she’s a beast.”
At the beginning of the ceremony, families, friends and fans sitting in the theater at the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian were touched to hear what Reese thought of Stukenberg.
Sheehan Stanwick Burch, master of ceremonies alongside Joe Beninati, voice of the Washington Capitals and play-by-play commentator for Major League Lacrosse games, introduced Stukenberg by sharing a sentiment Reese had shared with her shortly before Thursday’s celebrations.
“She is who I want my daughter to grow up to be like,” Reese described Stukenberg to Stanwick Burch.
To hear how highly Reese thought of her nearly brought Stukenberg to tears. When she became Maryland’s sixth straight Tewaaraton winner and eighth overall, Stukenberg nearly brought Reese to tears for her kinds words thanking everyone for “the most unbelievable journey” in her acceptance speech.
“Cathy, you can’t cry because then I’m going to cry,” Stukenberg said. “I guess this is the part where I’m going to ramble about how much I love Maryland.”
Reese explained after the ceremony that she felt a big connection between the leadership of Stukenberg and this year’s Spirit of Tewaaraton Award honoree George Boiardi, a four-year starter for Cornell who tragically lost his life in 2004.
Just a year ago, the lady Terps had read, “The Hard Hat: 21 Ways to Be a Great Teammate,” a book that shares the life and legacy of Boiardi, a true teammate for the Big Red. To Reese, Stukenberg is very similar.
“Listen, Zoe, she’s great with everyone. She’s so nice and I think that’s one of the most important characteristics that you can have,” Reese said. “To lead a team by working for her teammates is something I admire. I look at that and I look at my kids coming up [and] I want them to just be good people – and that’s what we have here.
“In college sports and lacrosse in general, there are so many great people that have influenced other people's lives,” Reese continued. “I think sometimes that might be missed out upon a little bit. I look at Zoe and she’s had such a positive impact on my life and so many people around her, whether that’s in the community or her teammates, people at the university [or] people she TA’s for. She does it all.”
To Reese, Stukenberg has the intangible qualities that every coach would want in a leader. Not only is she near the top of almost statistical category for the Terps on the field, she became a role model for everyone around her, including Cayden.
“She think she’s going to be like Zoe,” said Reese about her daughter because she and Stukenberg are both left-handed. “I’m lucky that my kids have such good role models, even my boys. Riley, my oldest who’s 12, he watched the feed online and wrote back, ‘Tell Zoe I love her and congratulations!’ I’m like, aw! You know what I mean? They just are such a part of it and are so proud.”
It was Stukenberg’s leadership that guided Maryland to its third national title in four years and its first undefeated season since 2001, when the first Tewaaraton female recipient Jen Adams led the way for the Terps. The 2017 Terps became the fifth Maryland team in school history to finish its season without a blemish, joining the undefeated 1995, 1996, 1999 and 2001 squads.
“We weren’t picked to be a final four team maybe even this year, and without her, we aren’t going 23-0,” Reese said. “That really goes to credit her leadership and what her abilities are on the field.”
Stukenberg, usually one to always have something to say, was left speechless to be the next great Terp to hold the Tewaaraton trophy. She was more than honored, and in true Maryland style, was quick to credit her teammates for her success and the team’s success, noting this award was for them.
Maryland has had a long history of success, and if there was anything Stukenberg had to say about the future with Cathy Reese at the helm of the program, she knows her teams – and her children – will follow in her footsteps.
“Mark my words – Cayden Reese, one day, will be on this stage,” Stukenberg said.
But the Maryland head coach will be quick to say right back that they’re following in Stukenberg’s footsteps.
Greer Brown Wins Tewaaraton Legend Award
Cherie Greer Brown, a three-time first-team All American and the 1994 NCAA Division I Defensive Player of the Year while also being the leading scorer at Virginia, was honored Thursday night with the Tewaaraton Legend Award, which recognizes standout players before 2001, when the Tewaaraton Award was established.
Greer Brown was also a four-time member of the U.S. women’s national team over the course of 14 years, was inducted into the US Lacrosse National Hall of Fame in 2009 and was named to Lacrosse Magazine’s All-Century Team.
She was known as a player who was the “first to take the blame and the last to take the credit.” Her No. 18 jersey was the first women’s lacrosse number to be retired at Virginia.
"Cherie Greer was simply the most outstanding lacrosse player to ever wear a Virginia uniform and the top collegiate and U.S. player of her time," said Jane Miller, her coach at Virginia. “You will not find a more humble superstar. Cherie Greer was a treasure we were fortunate to have at the University of Virginia for four years. She was a coach’s dream, a teammate’s dream and now a very deserving legend.