ITHACA, N.Y. -- Senior attackman CJ Kirst was chosen as a USILA Division I Men's Preseason All-America first team selection to pace five Big Red lacrosse players honored. Senior attackman Michael Long was a third-team choice, while sophomore midfielder Willem Firth, senior defender Jayson Singer and senior goalkeeper Wyatt Knust were honorable mention selections.

Kirst, a Tewaaraton Trophy finalist in 2023 and a semifinalist in 2024, returns as one of the favorites for the award in 2025. He finished last season averaging 3.21 goals per game, ranking third in all of Division I men's lacrosse. The senior also ranked eighth nationally in points per game, clocking 4.79 per contest while earning a spot on the All-America first team for the second straight year. He enters his final season with 165 goals (second all-time at Cornell), 65 assists (No. 10 all-time at Cornell) and 230 points (No. 5 all-time at Cornell) and will continue to climb the charts.

 Long, an honorable mention All-American in 2024, is closing in on 200 career points as a fifth-year senior who has had two seasons cut short due to injury. The All-Ivy attackman can execute as a distributor or a scorer as evidenced by his 5.0 points per game last spring on 26 goals, 34 assists) that ranked fifth nationally. 

Firth was named Ivy League Rookie of the Year in 2024 after making a splash with 22 goals and 12 assists for 34 points. Singer was a second-team All-Ivy pick last spring, starting all 14 games and registering nine ground balls and seven caused turnovers. Knust ranked among the Ivy leaders in save percentage (second, .566), goals against average (third, 11.35) and savers per game (third, 12.82).

In total, 89 players from 32 teams were honored as a preseason All-Americans. Preseason All-Americans are compiled by USA Lacrosse Magazine staff and contributors with consultation from college coaches.

The third-ranked Big Red opens a promising 2025 season when it visits Lehigh on Saturday, Feb. 15 at 12 p.m. in Bethlehem, Pa.

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USA LACROSSE DIVISION I MEN'S PRESEASON ALL-AMERICANS
FIRST TEAM
 A – Chris Kavanagh, Notre Dame
A – CJ Kirst, Cornell
A – Joey Spallina, Syracuse
M – Andrew McAdorey, Duke
M – Evan Plunkett, Army
M – Mikey Weisshaar, Towson
FO – Will Lynch, Notre Dame
SSDM – Ben Ramsey, Notre Dame
SSDM – Casey Wilson, Denver
LSM – Will Donovan, Notre Dame
D – Jimmy Freehill, Denver
D – Brendan Lavelle, Penn
D – Scott Smith, Johns Hopkins
G – Emmet Carroll, Penn
 
SECOND TEAM
 A – Sam King, Harvard
A – Coulter Mackesy, Princeton
A – McCabe Millon, Virginia
M – Matt Traynor, Penn State
M – Griffin Schutz, Virginia
M – Michael Leo, Syracuse
FO – Will Coletti, Army
SSDM – Noah Chizmar, Virginia
SSDM – Aidan Maguire, Duke
LSM – Ben Wayer, Virginia
D – Billy Dwan, Syracuse
D – Shawn Lyght, Notre Dame
D – Ty Banks, Georgetown
G – Jack Fracyon, Penn State
 
THIRD TEAM
A – Ryan Bell, Providence
A – Owen Duffy, North Carolina
A – Michael Long, Cornell
M – Matt Collison, Johns Hopkins
M – Sam English, Syracuse
M – Devon McLane, Notre Dame
FO – James Ball, Georgetown
SSDM – Jack Gray, Duke
SSDM – Jack Monfort, Johns Hopkins
LSM – Max Yates, Colgate
D – Richard Checo, Lehigh
D – Colin Mulshine, Princeton
D – Levi Verch, Saint Joseph's
G – Michael Gianforcaro, North Carolina
 
HONORABLE MENTION
 A – Aidan Carroll, Georgetown
A – Ryan Cohen, Michigan
A – Jackson Eicher, Army
A – Owen Hiltz, Syracuse
A – Leo Johnson, Yale
A – Nate Kabiri, Princeton
A – Chris Lyons, Yale
A – Aidan McLane, Brown
A – Silas Richmond, UAlbany
A – Eric Spanos, Maryland
A – Ryan Stines, Utah
A – Jake Taylor, Notre Dame
A – Tynan Walsh, Penn
M – Jack Aimone, Penn State
M – Jordan Faison, Notre Dame
M – Willem Firth, Cornell
M – Johnny Hackett, Virginia
M – Benn Johnston, Duke
M – Max Krevsky, Yale
M – Chad Palumbo, Princeton
M – Charlie Pope, Vermont
M – Cam Rubin, Penn
M – Finn Thomson, Syracuse
FO – Zach Hayashi, Navy
FO – Machado Rodriguez, Yale
FO – Brady Wambach, North Carolina
SSDM – Mike Grace, Syracuse
SSDM – Pace Billings, Michigan
LSM – Jack Combs, Vermont
LSM – Juliann Radossich, Fairfield
LSM – Jack Stuzin, Yale
D – Michael Bath, Princeton
D – Charlie Cave, Brown
D – Greg Campisi, Notre Dame
D – Ricky Figueiras, Syracuse
D – Patrick Pisano, Yale
D – Alex Ross, Penn State
D – John Shroter, Virginia
D – Jayson Singer, Cornell
D – Peter Thomann, North Carolina
D – Bobby Van Buren, Ohio State
G – Kevin Ellington, Delaware
G – Wyatt Knust, Cornell
G – Logan McNaney, Maryland
G – Anderson Moore, Georgetown
G – Mason Oak, Quinnipiac
G – Zach Vigue, Richmond