MELBOURNE, Fla. – The United State Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association has released its 2026 All-American teams with Florida Tech's Steve Ulrichs, Jax Francisco, Brooks van Esselstyn and Thomas Strong being selected.
 
Ulrichs, Francisco, van Esselstyn and Strong are the eighth, ninth, 10^th and 11^th different players in program history to be named All-Americans by the USILA. This is the most the Panthers have had in a single season in program history.
 
Jax Francisco earns All-American status and was named to the Second Team for his historic 2026 season. Francisco made program history this season, becoming the first Panther to be named South Region Defensive Player of the Year while also earning a spot on the All-South Region First Team. The redshirt senior from Westminster, Maryland dominated in net, leading the SSC with 172 saves during the regular season, averaging 12.29 saves per game. Francisco collected four SSC Defensive Player of the Week honors, earned recognition on the USILA Team of the Week and became the Sunshine State Conference's all-time saves leader. He finished the year with 203 total saves, setting a new Florida Tech single-season record.
 
Florida Tech defenseman, Steve Ulrichs, was named to the All-American Second Team after earning USILA All-Region First Team honors after an outstanding defensive campaign. Already recognized on the All-Sunshine State Conference First Team and SSC All-Tournament Team, Ulrichs ranked seventh in the conference with 58 ground balls while forcing 39 turnovers the second-highest total in the SSC. His impact earned him SSC Defensive Player of the Week honors three times along with three appearances on the USILA Team of the Week. 
 
Junior defensive midfielder, Brooks van Esselstyn, joins Francisco and Ulrichs on the All-American Second Team. Van Esselstyn also earned USILA All-Region First Team recognition following an impressive all-around season. The Bluffton, South Carolina native scored a career-best 20 goals while adding 27 points, 27 ground balls and nine caused turnovers. Additionally, he recorded eight multi-goal performances and was previously named to the All-SSC First Team.
 
Thomas Strong is the final Panther to earned All-American status as he was named as an honorable mention for his 2026 season. Strong earned a spot on the USILA All-Region Second Team after another standout year for the Panthers. The senior attacker from Ellicott City, Maryland posted a career-high 30 goals to lead Florida Tech, and which was tied for seventh in the SSC. He also earned SSC First Team and SSC All-Tournament Team honors, while his four-goal outing against RV Belmont Abbey earned him national recognition on the USILA Team of the Week.
 
For the latest news, updates and information on the Florida Tech Men's Lacrosse team, visit FloridaTechSports.com. Fans can also stay up-to-date on the latest Panthers news by following Florida Tech Athletics on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

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