Steele Stanwick

Classroom

Stanwick is on pace to graduate this May in History with a minor in Government. He is a very dedicated student who possesses impeccable integrity, ambition and character, and understands the importance and value of an education.

Character

Stanwick is one of the biggest names in college lacrosse. Kids flock to the Virginia buses and sit outside the locker room at home or on the road, just to get their picture with Stanwick or get an autograph. Despite a win or a loss — Stanwick will take the time to visit with every kid and pose for every picture. He will go down the line and sign for every kid on his way to the team tunnel after games. Stanwick handles all the fanfare with grace and humility. Upon winning the Tewaaraton Trophy, the “Heisman Trophy” of college lacrosse, Steele’s first words included “... I am really humbled by the honor and I wouldn’t be here without my teammates.” He is a two-time captain for UVa (voted by the players) and despite his tremendous numbers during his career — he has sacrificed the potential for better numbers in order to help UVa win.

Community

Stanwick is actively involved in Virginia’s Athletes Committed to Community and Education (A.C.E.) program. A.C.E. was designed as an in-school program for young students to promote classroom success and achievement through a partnership between UVa athletes and local schools. He also is involved with various community-outreach programs — including teaming up with UVa men’s lacrosse teammates to handle race logistics for the annual Gene Arnold Memorial Virginia Area 3 Special Olympics Pepsi 10k Run. The run is the biggest fundraiser of the year for the Area 3 Special Olympics, as each area has to come up with their own funding to compete. Stanwick also is involved with two other community outreach programs that were born during his time at UVa by former teammates and has helped continue their run. Lacrosse Mustache Madness was founded in 2009 to help awareness for prostrate cancer. The past two years the money raised has gone to the HEADstrong Foundation, which funds cancer research and supports families and survivors of blood cancer. Stanwick has been a part of that outreach all three years of its existence as the event each November has raised nearly $200,000 since Nov. 1, 2009. The second outreach founded during Stanwick’s UVa career was the Will Barrow Memorial Flag Football Tournament. The tournament helps raise funds for the underfunded UVa HELP Hotline, a suicide prevention service through UVa’s Madison House.

Competition

Stanwick won the 2011 Tewaaraton Trophy, awarded to the top male collegiate lacrosse player in the nation. He’s only the third recipient of the prestigious award to win with eligibility left. He was a 2011 USILA first-team All-American and the 2011 ACC Player of the Year. He tallied nine goals and 12 assists for 21 total points in the NCAA Tournament, lifting the No. 7 seeded Cavaliers to the program’s fifth NCAA title in 2011. UVa became the lowest seed to ever win a men’s lacrosse NCAA title. In the regular season, Stanwick led the ACC with 38 assists and 70 points in 2011, despite battling an injury most of the season that kept him out of practice for more than six weeks — playing strictly games. He was a member of the 2010 and 2011 All-NCAA Tournament team and was a USILA second-team All-American in 2010. In January, Stanwick was selected by the Ohio Machine with the No. 2 overall pick in the Major League Lacrosse Draft. Named the 2012 ACC Offensive Player of the Year, Stanwick becomes the fourth player in league history to be named player of the year in back-to-back seasons and is the first Cavalier to win the award multiple times in a career.