Princeton University Athletics
Jon Hess ’98 Named To USA Lacrosse National Hall Of Fame
September 10, 2026 | Men's Lacrosse
Jon Hess accomplished basically everything a college lacrosse player can on a team level. Now, nearly 30 years after graduating from Princeton, he is being given the ultimate honor for what he brought to the sport.
Hess, Princeton Class of 1998, will be one of eight inductees into the USA Lacrosse National Hall of Fame in the Class of 2026, the organization announced Thursday. The official ceremony to welcome the new class will be Jan. 9, 2027.
"It goes without saying that Jon completely deserves this honor," says Princeton head coach Matt Madalon. "He was a great, great player obviously. Anyone who paid attention to lacrosse in those years knew who Jon Hess was. Beyond that, he's been a great and loyal alum and a leader in our program for all the years since he graduated. We're thrilled for Jon, and we look forward to celebrating with him."
Hess was one of the cornerstones of Princeton's dynasty of the 1990s, which saw the program win five NCAA championships that decade before adding another in 2001 and then a seventh this past spring. Princeton won the NCAA championship in Hess' sophomore, junior and senior years, and those Tiger teams remain the most recent to win three straight national titles.
Part of one of the greatest attack units the sport has seen along with classmates Jesse Hubbard and Chris Massey, Hess put up 215 career points with 82 goals and 133 points. When he graduated he ranked second all-time at Princeton in scoring; he still sits fifth even with the changes to the rules the last few decades that have seen offensive production increase. This is from his official Hall of Fame write-up:
Being inducted as a truly great player, Hess graduated from Princeton in 1998 as a three-time All-American and three-time national champion, leading the Tigers to three straight NCAA titles in 1996, 1997 and 1998. He also helped lead Princeton to four consecutive Ivy League championships, 1995-1998. Hess won the Jack Turnbull Award as the national attacker of the year in 1997 and was also named the Ivy League's Player of the Year that same season. After college, Hess played three seasons with the New Jersey Pride in Major League Lacrosse. He was also a member of the U.S. Men's U19 Team that won the gold medal in 1996, with Hess being selected as the most outstanding player after tallying a USA record 23 assists and 38 points in the tournament.
Hess joins Hubbard in the National Hall of Fame and is the 17th member of the Princeton men's lacrosse program to achieve this honor. He was officially notified two weeks ago by USA Lacrosse's Brian Logue on a Zoom call that featured 35 of his former teammates and coaches. Hess also served previously as the president of the Friends of Princeton Men's Lacrosse.
"Jon was the heart and soul of our Three-P '96, '97, and '98," Hubbard says. "He led the team on the field as our quarterback X attackman. And he led the team off the field, cultivating camaraderie and a culture of solidarity. He'd basically do roll call at team parties and make sure everyone knew where to be and when to be there. He was a great teammate to everyone on the team. And, as a shooter, I was lucky to have him feeding me my whole career."
The 2026 inductees are: Lissa Fickert, Jon Hess, Sarah Albrecht Meehan, Lindsey Munday, Jim Nestor, Max Seibald, Chris Rotelli and Peter Worstell.
Established in 1957, the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame honors men and women who by their deeds as players, coaches, officials and/or contributors, and by the example of their lives, personify the great contribution of lacrosse to our way of life. Nearly 500 lacrosse greats are recognized in the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame, which is housed in the National Lacrosse Museum at the USA Lacrosse Headquarters in Sparks, Maryland.
Hess, Princeton Class of 1998, will be one of eight inductees into the USA Lacrosse National Hall of Fame in the Class of 2026, the organization announced Thursday. The official ceremony to welcome the new class will be Jan. 9, 2027.
"It goes without saying that Jon completely deserves this honor," says Princeton head coach Matt Madalon. "He was a great, great player obviously. Anyone who paid attention to lacrosse in those years knew who Jon Hess was. Beyond that, he's been a great and loyal alum and a leader in our program for all the years since he graduated. We're thrilled for Jon, and we look forward to celebrating with him."
Hess was one of the cornerstones of Princeton's dynasty of the 1990s, which saw the program win five NCAA championships that decade before adding another in 2001 and then a seventh this past spring. Princeton won the NCAA championship in Hess' sophomore, junior and senior years, and those Tiger teams remain the most recent to win three straight national titles.
Part of one of the greatest attack units the sport has seen along with classmates Jesse Hubbard and Chris Massey, Hess put up 215 career points with 82 goals and 133 points. When he graduated he ranked second all-time at Princeton in scoring; he still sits fifth even with the changes to the rules the last few decades that have seen offensive production increase. This is from his official Hall of Fame write-up:
Being inducted as a truly great player, Hess graduated from Princeton in 1998 as a three-time All-American and three-time national champion, leading the Tigers to three straight NCAA titles in 1996, 1997 and 1998. He also helped lead Princeton to four consecutive Ivy League championships, 1995-1998. Hess won the Jack Turnbull Award as the national attacker of the year in 1997 and was also named the Ivy League's Player of the Year that same season. After college, Hess played three seasons with the New Jersey Pride in Major League Lacrosse. He was also a member of the U.S. Men's U19 Team that won the gold medal in 1996, with Hess being selected as the most outstanding player after tallying a USA record 23 assists and 38 points in the tournament.
Hess joins Hubbard in the National Hall of Fame and is the 17th member of the Princeton men's lacrosse program to achieve this honor. He was officially notified two weeks ago by USA Lacrosse's Brian Logue on a Zoom call that featured 35 of his former teammates and coaches. Hess also served previously as the president of the Friends of Princeton Men's Lacrosse.
"Jon was the heart and soul of our Three-P '96, '97, and '98," Hubbard says. "He led the team on the field as our quarterback X attackman. And he led the team off the field, cultivating camaraderie and a culture of solidarity. He'd basically do roll call at team parties and make sure everyone knew where to be and when to be there. He was a great teammate to everyone on the team. And, as a shooter, I was lucky to have him feeding me my whole career."
The 2026 inductees are: Lissa Fickert, Jon Hess, Sarah Albrecht Meehan, Lindsey Munday, Jim Nestor, Max Seibald, Chris Rotelli and Peter Worstell.
Established in 1957, the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame honors men and women who by their deeds as players, coaches, officials and/or contributors, and by the example of their lives, personify the great contribution of lacrosse to our way of life. Nearly 500 lacrosse greats are recognized in the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame, which is housed in the National Lacrosse Museum at the USA Lacrosse Headquarters in Sparks, Maryland.
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