Maryland Lacrosse Standout Jackson Harcarik Commits to St. John's, Bolstering Red Storm’s Recruiting Surge

John Carroll star Jackson Harcarik brings elite academics, athleticism and DMV lacrosse pedigree to St. John's as Justin Turri’s rebuild gains momentum

John Carroll three-star lacrosse star Jackson Harcarik is headed to Queens to help St. John's continue its growth as a college lacrosse program. / Jackson Harcarik

It is absolutely no secret that the Maryland/DC region is one of the top hotbeds in America for producing fine talent in lacrosse. That said, there are many college lacrosse programs who don't have much of a history, if any at all, of getting such players.

One good example in Division I is located in the Queens borough of New York City. We are talking about the St. John's Red Storm. However, the above has definitely changed for the red-clad Big East Conference program. Since Coach Justin Turri arrived, St. John's has gotten commitments from some Maryland/DC area student-athletes.  And, the latest to choose the Red Storm will also be continuing his Catholic education. He is, 2025 3-star John Carroll attackman Jackson Harcarik. Harcarik made his commitment in early-June.

St. John’s Sees a Recruiting Shift Under Justin Turri

This past season was Coach Turri's third leading St. John's University. After inheriting a program that hadn't had a .500 or better record since 2014, the Red Storm have gone from 0-14 in 2022 to 4-11 each of the past two years. Not only has improvement been shown since day one in wins, but they have also gotten more competitive, looked tougher and tighter, and trended upward in many different team statistics.

Turri, who previously proved to be a very solid and hardworking recruiter during his time as an assistant at Michigan and a few other Division I programs, has been exactly that so far in Queens. And, from here on, a lot more of the team's talent will have been recruited by Turri. Could we soon witness St. John's getting a lot more competitive and achieving their first .500 season in a while? 

Dual-Sport Excellence and Academic Achievement Set Harcarik Apart

Going back to Jackson, he finished as John Carroll's leading-scorer for the second consecutive year and won his school's prestigious Patriot Award for lacrosse. He also had quite a run in football, as he was both John Carroll's 2024 defensive MVP and named to the Maryland High School Sports Top Defensive Backs list. Also, Jackson's performance in the classroom throughout his high school days deserves mention, too. He had a 4.4 GPA, straight As all four years, and was elected to the National Honor Society, World Language Honor Society, Service Honor Society, and Mu Alpha Theta Mathematics Honor Society. 

Why Harcarik Chose the Red Storm

Jackson says that, after meeting with Turri and the Red Storm assistant coaches(Kyle Turri, Christian Klipstein, and David Drozjock), and upon seeing the St. John's campus, he could immediately see himself being part of that program. They are very passionate and focused on their plans for lacrosse at the university, and Jackson wants to be involved with that. In addition, due to him having so many family members in New York, every home game might well feel like a reunion. In fact, Jackson already has his calendar full of future Sunday family dinners. And, speaking of food, if that wasn't enough, getting a delicious slice of pizza from nearby Regina's "sealed the deal" for him!

Could Harcarik Help Spark a New Era at St. John’s?

Many congratulations and best of luck to Jackson! He was definitely a pioneer in getting Gunnar Waldt's head coaching era at John Carroll started. Now, might he one day have a dream come true by being viewed as the same when it comes to St. John's Lacrosse getting to higher and higher levels under Turri? And possibly to even greater heights than ever before in program history?