Jack “Taco’ Meszaros makes Team USA U17 Lacrosse squad

Sussex Academy rising junior Jack “Taco” Meszaros has made the Team USA U17 roster for USA Lacrosse following a tryout at the national headquarters in Sparks, Md. 

“I had a lot of fun at tryouts!” Meszaros said. “We had two practices every day — one was skills and drills, and the other one was live scrimmages. We also had classroom sessions about nutrition, NIL [name, image, likeness] and mental health with sports.”

Taco was one of 50 kids selected from a pool of 150 to represent the U17 and U19 teams. He will be the only face-off specialist on the younger squad of 25.

“I got to play alongside some amazing lacrosse players and be coached by some of the best,” Meszaros said. “It was an experience I won’t forget.”

It marks another highlight he can add to the reel he was working on when the email popped up on his screen informing him he had made it. His dad was the first person he told.

His high school coach, Andrew Fox, believes the accomplishment was made possible by Taco’s work ethic.

“I couldn’t be more proud of him; he is living proof that if you keep working on and off the field, that hard work pays off,” Fox said. “Team USA does not even know the level of player they are about to get — I feel like no one has seen it fully yet.”

For the last three years, the Henlopen Athletic Conference and other Sussex Academy opponents have witnessed firsthand just how dominant Taco is at the face-off X. He won his 500th career face-off as a sophomore this past spring and developed an outside shot, making things even more complicated for defenders. He is a player who constantly fine-tunes his game.

“I have spent a lot of time this summer working on my strength, speed and agility at EMG Elite Training in Milford,” Meszaros said. “I also had the opportunity to work one-on-one with Jimmy Spillane to hone my face-off technique; I think this helped me to stand out on the field when it came to facing off.”

Lacrosse fans across North America will get to see Taco at work when Team USA takes on Canada Lacrosse Sept. 18-21 and again Oct. 24-26, as they play Haudenosaunee Nationals and Team Ontario. Both tournaments will be hosted by USA Lacrosse at the national headquarters in Spark.

“I am looking forward to the two tournaments and feel as though I am prepared to do well because of the work that I continue to put in,” Meszaros said.

Taco is one of three players from Delaware to make the national team and the only player from a public school in the First State.

“Jack is a player who puts us on the map: great athlete, student, captain and all-around great kid,” Fox said. “Can’t wait to see where this takes him. Every day is Taco Tuesday!”

“I had a really amazing summer with a lot of great opportunities; I feel like they prepared me to take on this next step,” Meszaros said.