Johns Hopkins men’s lacrosse junior Quintan Kilrain recently chatted with PressBox about what it meant to be named captain, playing for Team USA last summer and more. The 6-foot, 195-pound defenseman picked up 28 ground balls and caused 11 turnovers for the Blue Jays in 2025. Kilrain is a native of Purcellville, Va., and graduate of The Lawrenceville School (N.J.).
PressBox: How did you first become interested in lacrosse?
Quintan Kilrain: I think I was around 2 or 3. Growing up being the youngest of five, I had the privilege to have my older siblings create a path for me. Luckily enough, my oldest brother picked up a stick when he was 10. That got passed down to me at a young age. Ever since I was 2 or 3, I always had a stick in my hands.
PB: Who was the biggest influence on your game growing up?
QK: It had to have been [former Johns Hopkins long-stick midfielder] Michael Pellegrino. He was the first defender that I kind of looked up to. I admired his game and his tenacity. Other than that, I loved to watch Matt Landis play when he was at Notre Dame.
PB: When did you start playing defense?
QK: At a young age, you played every position. You played middie, attack and defense. And then I also played goalie for a little bit. I found a role at midfield when I was probably in fourth or fifth grade. I kind of understood what lacrosse was more with the positions, and I realized if I played defense I could play defense but also play offense. It was the best of both worlds.
PB: Why did you choose to go to Johns Hopkins?
QK: When I was younger — probably around 8 to 10 — I went to my first college game and it was here at Hopkins. They played Ohio State that game, actually went into triple overtime and Hopkins ended up winning. That was just surreal for me. I was able to go in the locker room after and kind of see that team and the culture and everything that was built here. The tradition and the academics as well as the lacrosse here was a no-brainer for me. Only being about two hours away from my hometown, it’s easy enough for my parents and family to come see me. [That] was also a driving factor. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.
PB: What does it mean to be the first solo junior captain in Hopkins history?
QK: It’s a great honor and a privilege to be in that position, to have the confidence of my coaches but also more importantly my teammates. The trust and confidence they have in me really gives me that extra boost. I love to be in this role and I love to be in this position, but it’s not a single role or just someone’s job. It’s everyone’s job, right? The ability that I have to hopefully impact everyone on the team, whether that be in a large way or in the smallest way, to lead them to their next four years to hopefully pass on something that I gave to them, that really makes it all worth it.
PB: What was it like to be told in front of the team that you were named captain?
QK: It was surreal. I’ve admired the captains that have been my captains here and also in high school. Those people I really look up to and to this day reach out to them. I’m always trying to learn and be the best I can and always trying to change in the best way possible. It was a great honor. I had to pinch myself right after that one just to really settle in and appreciate [it] and honestly be so grateful for the opportunity.
PB: What’s it like to play in the Hopkins-Maryland rivalry?
QK: It’s really awesome. My first game was my freshman year here at Hopkins. I remember talking to a sixth year at the time, Garrett Degnon. We talked a few days before the game and it was just funny to hear his side of the game. He’s obviously played in quite a few of them and going into my first one he just told me, “You’ve got to look around and look into the stands and really just take it all in, but also know that you’ve been playing lacrosse your whole life and it’s just another game.” Going out on that field and seeing all those stands packed and people lined up on the fence was something I’ll never forget.
PB: Hopkins hasn’t been to a Final Four since 2015. How can your team break through this year?
QK: I think our team is going to be super focused on the fundamentals and our discipline and our toughness this year. I don’t think you’ll have to question that. Whether you come to a practice of ours or a lift or even a game, you’ll know that those three things will be executed at the highest levels. If we do that consistently, I love our chances and our ability to make it to that last game and win it all.
PB: What was it like to play for Team USA in the World Lacrosse Men’s U20 Championship in South Korea last summer?
QK: Definitely an experience that I’ll never forget. It was obviously not the outcome I wanted or any of my teammates on that team wanted [with Canada winning], but just having the ability to play with so many special players and learn from those new coaches and form a relationship with them was something I’ll never forget and hopefully [I can] stay in contact with those guys as well as play them this year, which will be really exciting to see.
PB: What’s your favorite memory at Hopkins so far?
QK: I’m going to go a little bit off-script. The games are super special. The practices [in] early mornings and everything like that, those are things that I’ll never forget, but there are so many of them that it’s hard to choose a special one. But what I think is most special to me is the time off the field spent with those guys. I had the privilege to connect with a bunch of guys on the team, especially when I was a freshman. A bunch of the seniors and upperclassmen took me under their wing — spending time with those guys doing homework in the library, something like that. Saying we’re going to get work done but we never really do and spending two or three hours just chatting all the time is probably one of my favorite memories so far.
PB: What’s your favorite thing about Baltimore?
QK: I’d say how close the school is to the Inner Harbor and all the fun things we have around here. [The] campus is secluded but also when you walk off campus, you realize that you’re in Baltimore, so there are a lot of things to do outside — go down to the Inner Harbor for dinner or just kind of hang out with the guys around the houses. But the city really loves its lacrosse and that’s the biggest thing around here and really in the state of Maryland. It’s great to have that support and their passion for the game.
PB: Who’s your best friend on the team and what’s a story that underscores your friendship?
QK: I would say I have a really close friend group. My whole team is some of my best friends. The guy I’ve known the longest is Hunter Chauvette, No. 91. He plays attack. The first time I met him at Homewood was when I was in eighth grade and his older brother was playing for Culver Military Academy [at Homewood]. I remember the head coach at the time introduced me to Hunter because we were both going to be going there for our freshman year. I remember saying hello to him. The next day I followed him on Instagram and he never followed me back until we got to school. It’s funny how [far] we’ve come. We’ve been roommates for the last seven years, [first at Culver Military Academy, then at The Lawrenceville School and finally at Hopkins]. We’ve had the same class schedule for the last five. We’ve definitely shared a lot of time together.
PB: Who did you look up to when you first got to Hopkins?
QK: I always admired our two captains, Garrett Degnon and Beaudan Szuluk. They were fifth and sixth years, I believe, at the time. Their routine and way of life is something that I try to really understand and then also implement in my life. They had a great balance of never getting too high but never getting too low, always staying calm under pressure and really going out every day and having to prove that they were in that position for a reason but also prove the player they were. [They enjoyed practice and] all the little things because sooner or later your time with lacrosse is going to end. They just enjoyed every moment, so that’s the biggest thing I took from them.
PB: What advice would you give to younger players going through the recruiting process?
QK: Always have an open mind for growth. Whether you’re a high recruit or not a high recruit at all, you’re going to grow in the next to three years when you first step on a college campus. Having that kind of growth mindset is crucial for your development, to obviously step foot on to campus and have the best shot of playing right away or getting the opportunity to play for your team. Stay ready and always want to learn more because at the young age, you might think you’re done growing or developing as a player, but you’re a long ways away from your full potential.
PB: What are your goals for after lacrosse?
QK: I’ve always had an urge to serve the country, so I think that’d be one of my goals — to give back in any way, whether that’s serving or doing something along the lines of that. That’s definitely a goal of mine as well as giving back to the lacrosse community because the position I’m in today, I wouldn’t be anywhere close to this without the game of lacrosse. [I’ll try to] help out as much as I can and give back to it because it gave so much to me.
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Johns Hopkins Athletics
Issue 297: February / March 2026
Originally published Feb. 18, 2026