WINCHESTER, Va. -- Punctuating another stellar overall campaign for the nationally-ranked Christopher Newport women's basketball program, three Captains were honored by the Virginia Sports Information Directors as part of the 2019-20 All-State awards. Freshman Anaya Simmons (Williamsburg, Va.) earned State Rookie of the Year honors while Bill Broderick was named the State Coach of the Year for the third time in the last four seasons. Rounding out the Captains' honorees was sophomore guard Sondra Fan (Poquoson, Va.) collecting second team All-State plaudits.

Capturing two of the three major awards this season, the Christopher Newport women's basketball team highlighted the VaSID All-State honors. Simmons is only the second CNU player to garner Rookie of the Year honors in program history joining Chelsie Schweers when the Captains' legend accomplished the feat in 2008. Broderick is now a four-time VaSID Coach of the Year including back-to-back seasons and three of the last four. 

Simmons was already tabbed the Capital Athletic Conference and D3hoops.com Mid-Atlantic Region Rookie of the Year and caps her sensational season with the State Rookie of the Year honor. The newcomer registered one of the most efficient seasons shooting the basketball in the history of Christopher Newport women's basketball after knocking down 57.3% of her shots to rank second all-time. She shattered the near 30-year old freshman record by 30 percentage points set by Dolmesha Stallings in 1993-94 (.543). 

The front-court star came off the bench for the bulk of the season providing a spark for the Captains on both ends of the floor. She scored 11.0 points per game while ranking second on the team in rebounding with 5.9 boards per game. She also tied for second on the team in steals with 51 and total rebounds with 172. Simmons scored in double figures 19 times, including three 20-point performances, and dished out 29 assists with 12 blocked shots during her first campaign. 

Fan was named a second team All-State selection to become the first sophomore since Sam Porter in 2016 to garner a spot on the All-State squad. The second team All-Region guard was a first team All-Conference pick in 2019-20 after leading the Captains on offense and defense. Fan led the Captains in scoring with 13.2 points per game while also leading the squad in assists (70) and steals (60). She was named the CAC Tournament MVP after leading the Captains to the conference regular season and tournament titles. 

The Poquoson, Va. native shot 38.7% from three-point land, ranking third best for sophomores in program history, and 80.2% from the free-throw line, the second best second-year mark. She was one of only two players to start all 29 games and scored in double figures 24 times. 

Head coach Bill Broderick turned in one of his finest coaching performances in his eight-year tenure as the Captains' helmsman in 2019-20 and was honored as the State Coach of the Year for his efforts. Broderick returned just three upperclassmen and led a roster made up of 16 first- and second-year players to the CAC regular season and conference tournament championships. The Captains returned to the NCAA Tournament for the seventh time in eight seasons under Broderick's guidance and advanced to the Round of 16 for the seventh time as well. The COVID-19 virus cancelled the remainder of the tournament with Christopher Newport playing as one of the hottest teams in the nation with 17 straight victories. 

Broderick and the Captains finished the year with a 25-4 overall record and closed the season ranked No. 12 in the WBCA Division III Coaches Poll. In the final 22 games of the season, the Captains were 21-1 with the only loss coming by five points to Tufts University, ranked No. 1 in the nation. The 17-game winning streak is the third longest active streak in the nation while the team also added to the third longest home winning streak in program history with 21 straight wins at the Freeman Center. 

VaSID names 44 all-state teams in 23 sports each year, as well as an Academic All-State squad and an all-sports champion in both the University and College Divisions. Membership in VaSID is open to all media relations professionals working at a University or Conference in the state of Virginia.

2019-20 VaSID College Division All-State Women's Basketball Awards
Player of the Year: Kelly Williams, Randolph-Macon College
Rookie of the Year: Anaya Simmons, Christopher Newport University
Coach of the Year: Bill Broderick, Christopher Newport University

First Team
Katie Garrish, Southern Virginia University
Sydney McKinney, Emory & Henry College
Katie McShea, Marymount University
Kelly Williams, Randolph-Macon College
Peyton Williams, Emory & Henry College

Second Team
Savanna Christensen, Southern Virginia University
Sondra Fan, Christopher Newport University
Erin Hughes, Washington & Lee University
Ahlia Moone, Bridgewater College
Jordan Sondrol, Shenandoah University
Kayla Surles, Hollins University