Syracuse’s Mike Leveille and Northwestern’s Hanna Nielsen received the 2008 Tewaarton Trophy as the nation’s top male and female lacrosse players at a banquet hosted at the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C. last night.

Leveille finished the season with 49 goals and 34 assists while Nielsen tallied 51 goals, 63 assists and 63 draw controls. Both players led their teams to national championships.

“Mike has been one of the real leaders of this team all year long,” Syracuse head coach John Desko said. “This is a great reward for him, the team and the university for all that he’s accomplished. He was the main cog in our run to the national championship."

A finalist for the award last season, Nielsen becomes the second Wildcat to capture the trophy in three years. Former teammate Kristen Kjellman won the Tewaarton in each of the previous two seasons.

“Hannah really was such an incredible leader for the program this year," said Northwestern coach Kelly Amonte Hiller. "No matter what the situation, she stepped up and made a difference for the team. It's so exciting for Northwestern lacrosse to have this award won by a team member three consecutive years."

The Tewaaraton Trophy has been presented to the top lacrosse player in the nation each year since 2001.