CJ Kirst

CJ Kirst is an American lacrosse attackman who rose from the Cornell University program to become the first overall selection in both major professional lacrosse drafts of 2025. At Cornell he set the Division I record for career goals with 247 and tied the single-season goals record with 82, and in his senior year he helped Cornell win its first NCAA title in any sport in 48 years, earning the tournament Most Outstanding Player award and the Tewaaraton Award. He joined the Philadelphia Waterdogs of the Premier Lacrosse League and the Toronto Rock of the National Lacrosse League, was named Rookie of the Year in the NLL, and was later named PLL MVP after a league record 34 regular season goals. He has also represented Team USA at under-21 and box lacrosse world championships. The article describes him as the fourth of five brothers from Bernardsville, New Jersey, three of whom also play in the PLL.