COLLEGE PARK, Md. -- Maryland men's lacrosse student-athletes Ajax Zappitello and Luke Wierman were both selected in the 2024 Premier Lacrosse League Draft on Tuesday night.
Zappitello went third overall to the Maryland Whipsnakes, making it the second straight year the Terps have had a close defenseman go No. 3 (Brett Makar, Atlas LC).
Wierman was the first pick of the fourth round, No. 25 overall, by the Denver Outlaws. He was the lone faceoff specialist selected in the draft.
Maryland now has 73 total professional outdoor lacrosse draftees and has had at least one first-round pick in three consecutive drafts.
Zappitello joins a long lineage of former Terps playing professionally with the Whipsnakes, leading into the first year the Whipsnakes will call the state of Maryland home. A three-year starter for one of the nation’s top defenses, Zappitello has a reputation as arguably the top close defenseman in the game. The 2024 Big Ten Defensive Player’s 68 career caused turnovers are good for a tie for tenth in program history. Through 58 career games, the two-time All-American has also totaled five goals, five assists, and 86 groundballs.
Wierman will join a newly rebranded Denver Outlaws that features several hardshells including Jesse Bernhardt and Logan Wisnauskas. Wierman has rewrote the Maryland record books, holding the program record in career faceoffs won (809) as well as in season faceoff wins (298, 2022) and faceoffs taken (451, 2022). A three-time All-Big Ten honoree and two-time All-American, Wierman currently sits second in program history in career groundballs with 433. Across 58 career games, Wierman has 13 goals, 15 assists and 19 caused turnovers.
Zappitello, Wierman, and the rest of the seventh-seeded Terps kick off NCAA Tournament action on Saturday, May 11 when they host Princeton at 7:30 pm at SECU Stadium. The game will air on ESPNU.
