ITHACA, N.Y. – Cornell lacrosse senior defenseman Brendan Staub has been added to the 2026 Tewaaraton Award Watch List, The Tewaaraton Foundation announced Thursday, March 5.
 
Staub becomes the fourth Big Red men's lacrosse player named to the watch list, joining senior face-off specialist Jack Cascadden, junior attackman Willem Firth and junior Ryan Goldstein, who were all named to the initial watch list in February.
 
A native of Garden City, N.Y., Staub has been one of the premier defensive players in the nation through the early stages of the 2026 season. Heading into the contest against #14 Penn State on Saturday, the senior has 10 ground balls, and four caused turnovers, helping lead Cornell to the 13th-best scoring defense in the country through the first month of the season, holding teams to 8.75 goals per game.
 
Staub has played in over 50 games for the Big Red, starting every game since the start of his junior season. He is currently tied for 10th all-time in program history with 51 caused turnovers.
 
The Tewaaraton Award, presented by Stifel and founded in 2001, annually honors the top male and female college lacrosse players in the United States. Selection committees are comprised of premier collegiate coaches appointed annually by The Tewaaraton Foundation.
 
The field will be narrowed to 25 nominees on April 16, with five finalists announced in early May. The 2026 Tewaaraton Award recipients will be announced May 28 at the Tewaaraton Ceremony in Washington, D.C.
 
Cornell heads to University Park, Pa., to take on #14 Penn State on Saturday, March 7. The opening face-off is scheduled for 1 p.m. from Panzer Stadium.