Wantagh's Madison Taylor wins Tewaaraton Award as best women's lacrosse player in the country
Northwestern women's lacrosse player Madison Taylor of Wantagh. Credit: Ryan Kuttler/Northwestern Athletics
Madison Taylor capped the on-field portion of her historic college career with a second women’s lacrosse national championship on Sunday, but there was one more honor that had eluded her throughout her four years at Northwestern. On Thursday the attacker from Wantagh achieved that distinction.
Taylor was named the 2026 Tewaaraton Award winner as the top female lacrosse player in the country at a ceremony in Washington. It was her third time as a finalist for the award.
She had 97 goals and 42 assists this year, including a goal and six assists in the 14-11 win over defending champion North Carolina in the national final, a performance that likely helped determine the Tewaaraton. Most felt it would be between Taylor and 2025 winner Chloe Humphrey of the Tar Heels.
Taylor is the 12th Long Islander to win the Tewaaraton, which was established for men and women in 2001, and the first Long Island woman to do so since Sam Apuzzo of West Babylon for Boston College in 2018.
The 2026 men’s Tewaaraton went to Notre Dame defender Shawn Lyght, the first player at that position to win it. Syracuse’s Joey Spallina (Mount Sinai High School) and North Carolina’s Owen Duffy (St. Anthony’s) were finalists for the men’s award.
Taylor will continue playing professionally this summer for the California Palms of the WLL.
Tom Rock began covering sports for Newsday in 1996 and became its NFL columnist in 2022. He previously was Newsday's Giants beat writer beginning in 2008.
