ITHACA, N.Y. - Four former Cornell men's lacrosse standouts were selected in the NLL Draft Saturday, Sep. 6, highlighted by NCAA all-time leading scorer and 2025 Tewaaraton Trophy winner,
CJ Kirst, who was selected No. 1 overall by the Toronto Rock. Kirst becomes just the fifth player all-time to be selected first in both the pro-field (PLL) and pro-box (NLL) drafts. He is also the second consecutive American to be selected first overall in the NLL Draft.
Kirst tied the NCAA Division I single-season record with 82 goals while setting school and Ivy League marks with 115 points in 2025 and became the third Big Red player to win the prestigious Tewaaraton Trophy as college lacrosse's top player. He
The two-time Ivy League Player of the Year scored six goals in Cornell's championship game victory over Maryland, earning tournament Most Outstanding Player honors. The consensus first-team All-American finished his career as the NCAA's all-time leader in goals scored with 247, breaking the previous record of 224. His 345 career points rank 10th in Division I history. Kirst was a four-time All-American, including first-team honors in each of his final three seasons. He was twice named Ivy League and ECAC Player of the Year (2023, 2025) and was a Tewaaraton Trophy finalist in both 2023 and 2025.
Kelleher was selected 20th overall by Toronto, pairing him with former college teammate Kirst. A four-year standout midfielder and winner of the 2025 Ivy League Midfielder of the Year award, he was also a three-time All-Ivy First Team selection who finished with 123 career points (93 goals, 30 assists) across 67 games. The Wantagh, N.Y., native was named Nike Inside Lacrosse Third-Team All-American in 2025 after contributing 27 goals and 39 points in 19 starts. He was a first-team All-Ivy honoree in 2024 (24 goals, 9 assists) and 2023 (22 goals, 2 assists), with additional recognition as a USA Lacrosse and USILA All-American honorable mention.
Dalton was drafted by Ottawa with the 37th overall pick. The five-year member of the Big Red started 15 games while appearing in all 19 contests in 2025, totaling 20 goals and seven assists for 27 points. The Toronto, Ontario, native posted his best single-game performance with three goals against Richmond and recorded multiple goals in eight games during the season.
A 2025 All-American honorable mention, Davis was picked 80th overall by Colorado. The defender appeared in 50 games for the Big Red over the course of his career, contributing 81 groundballs, 12 caused turnovers, and a pair of goals and assists during his career. He was named to the All-Ivy Second Team in 2025.
The quartet were key pieces in leading Cornell to its first NCAA lacrosse championship in 48 years this past season.
