FARMINGTON HILLS, Mich. -- The Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) has announced its 2026 Men’s Lacrosse All-MIAA award recipients, recognizing the conference’s top performers following a competitive regular season. Albion College’s Cal Stearns has been named the Most Valuable Offensive Player, Hope College’s John Foster earned Most Valuable Defensive Player honors, and teammate Jackson Vasquez was selected as Rookie of the Year.
Most Valuable Offensive Player: Cal Stearns, Albion
Albion senior midfielder Cal Stearns has been named the MIAA Most Valuable Offensive Player after leading the Britons’ attack throughout the 2026 season. The 2023 MIAA Rookie of the Year, Stearns is a four-time All-MIAA selection, a two-time IMLCA All-Region selection and a two-time College Sports Communicators Academic All-District honoree.
Stearns helped guide Albion to a 4-2 conference record and the No. 3 seed in the 2026 MIAA Men’s Lacrosse Tournament Presented by Collegiate Credit Union, entering the semifinals with a 12-6 overall record. He finished the regular season as the league leader with 27 goals, averaging 4.50 per game, and 115 shots at 19.17 per game, while ranking second with 34 points at 5.67 per game.
Most Valuable Defensive Player: John Foster, Hope
Hope senior defender John Foster has been named the MIAA Most Valuable Defensive Player after anchoring a dominant defensive unit for the Flying Dutchmen. A co-captain and three-time All-MIAA honoree, including two First Team selections, Foster also earned IMLCA All-Region Honorable Mention honors in 2025.
Foster helped lead Hope to its third-consecutive regular-season championship and sixth in program history, finishing conference play with a perfect 6-0 record and entering the semifinals at 16-0 overall. The Flying Dutchmen secured the top seed in the 2026 MIAA Men’s Lacrosse Tournament Presented by Collegiate Credit Union and allowed a conference-best 34 goals during league play.
Individually, Foster recorded 11 caused turnovers and 21 ground balls during the regular season, playing a key role in one of the conference’s most effective defensive efforts.
Rookie of the Year: Jackson Vasquez, Hope
Hope freshman midfielder Jackson Vasquez has been named the MIAA Rookie of the Year after an impactful debut season. Vasquez played a significant role in helping the Flying Dutchmen secure their third-straight regular-season title and maintain an undefeated 6-0 conference record, entering the postseason with a 16-0 overall mark and the top seed in the conference tournament.
Vasquez ranked among the league’s top ten with 22 ground balls, averaging 3.67 per game, and posted a .512 faceoff percentage, winning 21 of 41 attempts. His contributions in possession and transition play were key components of Hope’s success throughout the season.
2026 Men's Lacrosse All-MIAA Honorees
Most Valuable Offensive Player:
Cal Stearns, Albion
Most Valuable Defensive Player:
John Foster, Hope
Rookie of the Year:
Jackson Vasquez, Hope
2026 All-MIAA First Team
Attack - Gibson Heethuis, Hope (3)
Attack - Preston Hoexum, Hope
Attack - Cal Stearns, Albion (4)
Offensive Midfielder - Hudson Thiemann, Calvin
Offensive Midfielder - Jackson Vasquez, Hope
Offensive Midfielder - Alec Winegar, Adrian (3)
Long Stick Midfielder - Tyler Berens, Hope
Short Stick Midfielder - Jackson Arnold, Hope
Face Off Midfielder - Connor Laidlaw, Albion
Defense - Jack Bungart, Kalamazoo (4)
Defense - John Foster, Hope (3)
Defense - Drew Garrison, Calvin
Goalkeeper - Jack Balmforth, Hope (3)
2026 All-MIAA Second Team
Attack - Rocco Curatola, Trine
Attack - Luke Schuemann, Albion (2)
Attack - Jordan Warners, Calvin
Offensive Midfielder - Jack McNamara, Hope
Offensive Midfielder - Vin Pantano, Trine
Offensive Midfielder - Max Plesscher, Kalamazoo
Long Stick Midfielder - Logan Bride, Albion (3)
Short Stick Midfielder - J'Oshua Shaw, Trine
Faceoff Midfielder - Nate Hanson, Calvin (2)
Defense - Mason Levin, Trine (2)
Defense - Brendan O'Donnell, Hope
Defense - Ben Schollett, Albion (2)
Goalkeeper - Josiah Karnehm, Adrian