NEW ROCHELLE, NY - Iona University men's lacrosse sophomore
Jimmy Kennedy was one of 77 NCAA Division I student-athletes named to the inaugural class of the Liam Gleason Humanitarian Award. Kennedy, along with Kennedy Gleason, daughter of Coach Liam Gleason, were recognized as 2026 recipients of the honor.
Established in January 2026 by family members, former coaches and friends close to Liam Gleason, the Humanitarian Award recognizes student-athletes who exemplify leadership, unwavering support for teammates and staff, outstanding sportsmanship and meaningful community involvement.
Each NCAA Division I men's lacrosse program selected one student-athlete from its team to receive the award at the conclusion of the 2026 season. Voted on by players, coaches and staff, the honor is presented to the individual whose teammates most aspire to emulate.
The program was created to ensure Coach Gleason's legacy continues for future generations, including his family and children.
"Being a light in the world means spreading kindness, love, and positivity to those around you - helping dispel darkness and negativity," said Sue Gleason. "Simple acts of compassion can illuminate the lives of others and inspire them to do the same. Liam was that light in the world, and even though his physical presence is gone, his light continues to shine."
Kennedy has appeared in 31 games over his first two seasons with the Gaels and was voted the first team captain in program history. He currently ranks second all-time in program history with 31 goals and 50 points while sitting third with 19 assists. Kennedy has also recorded 18 multi-point games, eight multi-goal performances, five multi-assist outings and four hat tricks. In 2026, he tied the program's single-season mark with 11 multi-point efforts.
Off the field, Kennedy is a two-time MAAC All-Academic Team selection. He owns a 3.71 GPA while pursuing a degree in Finance from Iona's LaPenta School of Business.
"
Jimmy Kennedy is a great candidate for the Liam Gleason Humanitarian Award," said Iona head coach
Chad Surman. "Voted as the first-ever team captain in Iona lacrosse history, Jimmy has been instrumental in building Iona lacrosse from the ground up. He provides selfless, unwavering leadership and is consistently setting the example for what it means to be a Gael."
Additional information on the Liam Gleason Humanitarian Award can be found at
CoachGleason.com. Organ donation educational resources and donor registration information are available at
Donate Life America.
2026 Coach Liam Gleason Humanitarian Award Recipients
| School |
Student-Athlete |
Class |
Position |
Major |
| Air Force |
Nolan Parlette |
Sr. |
Goalie |
Management |
| Albany |
Max Neeson |
Sr. |
Defense |
Human Development / Psychology |
| Army |
Sean Byrne |
Sr. |
Goalie |
|
| Bellarmine |
John Alie |
Sr. |
Attack |
Finance |
| Binghamton |
Mason Shenk |
Sr. |
Midfield |
Finance |
| Boston University |
Ethan Hart |
Sr. |
Midfield |
Communications |
| Brown |
Trey Taylor |
Sr. |
Defense |
Pre-Law |
| Bryant |
Zack Bender |
Sr. |
Midfield |
Finance |
| Bucknell |
Louie Germain |
Sr. |
Defense |
Political Science |
| Canisius |
Josh Verhagen |
Sr. |
Defense |
Education |
| Cleveland State |
Justin Dalum |
Sr. |
Goalie |
Business |
| Colgate |
Hunter Drouin |
Sr. |
Attack |
Political Science |
| Cornell |
Matthew Dooley |
Sr. |
Defense |
Economics / Management |
| Dartmouth |
Hopper Zappitello |
Sr. |
Attack |
Government |
| Delaware |
Jason Kolar |
Sr. |
Midfield |
International Business |
| Denver |
Watt Muir |
So. |
Attack |
Finance |
| Detroit Mercy |
Danton Molotky |
Sr. |
Midfield |
Business |
| Drexel |
Anthony Chiango |
Fr. |
Attack/Midfield |
Business |
| Duke |
Aiden Maguire |
Sr. |
Midfield |
Finance |
| Fairfield |
Jake Gilbert |
Sr. |
Attack |
Finance |
| Georgetown |
Lucas Dudemaine |
Sr. |
Midfield |
Finance |
| Hampton |
Canyon Steverson |
Sr. |
Midfield |
Cyber Security / Criminal Justice |
| Harvard |
Jack Speidell |
Jr. |
Attack |
Government |
| High Point |
Ryan Hynes |
Sr. |
Midfield |
Finance |
| Hobart |
James Hamilton |
So. |
Midfield |
Business / Entrepreneurship |
| Hofstra |
Jon Singer |
Gr. |
Goalie |
Physical Education |
| Holy Cross |
Will Messineo |
Sr. |
Midfield |
Economics |
| Iona |
Jimmy Kennedy |
Jr. |
Midfield |
Business |
| Jacksonville |
Jack Taylor |
Sr. |
Attack |
Business |
| Johns Hopkins |
Eric McDonald |
Sr. |
Midfield |
Political Science |
| Lafayette |
Zach Zukowsky |
Sr. |
Midfield |
Economics |
| Lehigh |
Peter Theodoropoulos |
Sr. |
Midfield |
Finance |
| LeMoyne |
Owen Wilson |
Sr. |
Attack |
Business |
| Long Island |
Clif Hawkins |
So. |
Midfield |
Health Sciences |
| Loyola Maryland |
Luike Murphy |
Sr. |
Midfield |
Finance |
| Manhattan |
Andrew Giandonato |
Sr. |
Defense |
Finance |
| Marist |
Drew Anderson |
Sr. |
Midfield |
Business |
| Marquette |
Andrew Bowman |
Sr. |
Midfield |
Supply Chain Management |
| Maryland |
AJ Larkin |
Sr. |
Midfield |
Communications |
| Mercer |
Matthew Burnside |
Sr. |
Midfield |
Marketing |
| Mercyhurst |
Adam Schembri |
So. |
Midfield |
Business |
| Merrimack |
Reid Betner |
Sr. |
Defense |
Health Sciences |
| Michigan |
John Morgan |
Gr. |
Attack |
Sport Management |
| Monmouth |
Miles Edmiston |
Sr. |
Defense |
Business |
| Mount St. Mary's |
Kevin Whitty |
Sr. |
Attack |
Accounting |
| Navy |
Race Ripley |
Sr. |
Attack |
Economics |
| NJIT |
Owen Mercado |
Sr. |
Midfield |
Civil Engineering |
| North Carolina |
Grant Pierce |
Sr. |
Midfield |
Communications |
| Notre Dame |
Fisher Finley |
Gr. |
Midfield |
|
| Ohio State |
Griffin Liedel |
Sr. |
Midfield |
Logistics Management |
| Penn State |
Mark McKeon |
Sr. |
Midfield |
Accounting |
| Pennsylvania |
Matthew Till |
Jr. |
Midfield |
Philosophy, Politics, and Economics |
| Princeton |
David Smythe |
Sr. |
Midfield |
Computer Science |
| Providence |
Jackson Coutu |
Sr. |
Midfield |
Management major |
| Queens (N.C.) |
Zach Miller |
Sr. |
Attack |
Business Management |
| Quinnipiac |
Ryan Downing |
Sr. |
Midfield |
Health Sciences |
| Richmond |
Jack Ricciardi |
Sr. |
Attack |
Accounting |
| Robert Morris |
Sam Colón |
Sr. |
Defense |
News & Sports Communications |
| Rutgers |
Justin Lawler |
Gr. |
Midfield |
Political Science |
| Sacred Heart |
Luke Catolico |
Sr. |
Midfield |
Finance |
| Saint Joseph's |
Liam Quinn |
Sr. |
Defense |
Finance |
| Siena |
RJ Ihlefeld |
Sr. |
Midfield |
Finance |
| St. Bonaventure |
Patrick Shanahan |
Jr. |
Attack |
Biology |
| St. John's |
Joey Asterino |
Jr. |
Attack |
Business |
| Stony Brook |
Robbie Smith |
Sr. |
Face-off |
Business |
| Syracuse |
Michael Ippoliti |
Jr. |
Goalie |
Finance |
| Towson |
Ryan Schrier |
Sr. |
Attack/Midfield |
Economics |
| UMass |
Blaise New |
Jr. |
Midfield |
Finance |
| UMass Lowell |
Colby Frigon |
Jr. |
Attack |
Criminal Justice |
| UMBC |
Dante Marinello |
Sr. |
Defense |
Economics |
| Utah |
Nikko Diponio |
Sr. |
Defense |
Communications |
| Vermont |
Ryker Demarest |
Sr. |
Defense |
|
| Villanova |
Jack Gormley |
Jr. |
Defense |
Economics |
| Virginia |
Truitt Sunderland |
Sr. |
Attack |
Media Studies |
| VMI |
Cole Jones |
Sr. |
Midfield |
International Studies |
| Wagner |
Jacob Wood |
So. |
Defense |
Finance |
| Yale |
George Northup |
Jr. |
Goalie |
|
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