From NCAA Championships to record-setting individual accomplishments, the Christopher Newport athletic department has seen some of its finest moments during the winter season. While the Captains eagerly anticipate adding more chapters to our storied history with the return of intercollegiate competition, our friends at TowneBank have teamed up with CNUsports.com to spend some time reliving a few of the legendary efforts and memorable accomplishments from our past. Each week over the next three months, we will look back at the anniversary of seven events that helped shape our historic winter sports programs.
January 18, 1992 - Women's Basketball
In a bout with regionally-ranked Methodist, the Christopher Newport women's basketball team smothered its competition with a defensive masterpiece as the Captains established a new record for blocks during an 86-71 victory at Ratcliffe Gymnasium. Extending their home winning streak to 20 straight games, the hosts compiled 20 blocks against the Monarchs, smashing the previous record of 15 set against the same team in 1991. Leading the charge, Crystal Richardson swatted five shots, while Tia Johnson rejected four. Meanwhile, Liisa Barnes scored a game-high 24 points and added three steals on the defensive side. Kinsey Pritchett also poured in 14 points, five steals, and a block, while Karen Barefoot handed out 13 assists.
January 19, 1990 - Men's Basketball
Playing their first game as a nationally-ranked program, the Christopher Newport men's basketball team lived up to its billing with a dominant 103-83 victory over Ferrum at Swartz Gymnasium. Three days after breaking into the NCAA Division III poll, the 14th-ranked Captains used a 20-5 run in the second half to flip a modest deficit into a lopsided win. Making history of his own during the game, Lamont Strothers scored 26 points while breaking Buck Moore's career scoring record of 1,677 on a three-pointer with 16:32 left in the second half. James Boykins, who was named the USA Today National Defensive Player of the Week earlier in the day, showcased his talents as well with 16 points and a game-high 20 rebounds. Drexter Randall also added a season-high 23 points, including a clutch three-point play during the squad's second-half rally that put an end to Ferrum's comeback bid.
January 20, 1989 - Christopher Newport University
During a ceremony in Ratcliffe Gymnasium, six former athletes and an administrator became the first people to earn the athletic department's highest honor as the school inducted the first members of the Christopher Newport Athletic Hall of Fame. The inaugural class featured longtime coach and athletic director Bev Vaughan as well as some of the finest athletes to ever grace the campus. Basketball legends Bobby Arnette, Carl Farris, Linda Richardson, and Andy Waclawski were celebrated for their work on the hardwood, while track & field national champion Edna Davis and record-setting soccer star Andre Bell rounded out the founding members of the Hall of Fame.
January 21, 2017 - Track & Field
For the second time in as many weeks, Wesley Shrieves shattered the Capital Athletic Conference indoor long jump record after a historic showing during the Captains Invitational at the Freeman Center. During the meet, the junior sensation landed a distance of 7.25 meters, which tacked on nearly seven inches to his own league standard that he established on January 13. Not only was his effort the finest performance in CAC history, but it also placed him second in the nation during the 2016-17 campaign and marked the best showing by a Captain since 2001. Overall, his showcase was one of 47 PRs recorded by Christopher Newport during the competition and one of 12 new entries on the program's all-time top-10 lists.
January 22, 2010 - Women's Basketball
Torching the single-game program record for field goal percentage, the 13th-ranked Christopher Newport women's basketball team was nearly unstoppable during an 86-60 triumph over Methodist at the Freeman Center. Converting 31 of their 42 attempts, the Captains finished the contest with a .738 field goal percentage, which obliterated the school record and marked the second-best effort in NCAA history. Junior Chelsie Schweers was 14-for-18 while compiling a season-high 40 points during the squad's record-setting 16th straight victory. With that performance, she moved to second on the program's all-time scoring list, inching past Hall of Famers Tia Moore and Pam Stewart. Meanwhile, Jessica Moore had 17 points on 7-of-11 shooting, and Lauren Gural was a perfect 4-for-4 while adding 13 points.
January 23, 2004 - Track & Field
Continuing to set new standards in the pole vault, Brandy King eclipsed her own school record in the event while putting together a historic showing during the Captains Classic at the Freeman Center. Pacing all Division III competitors in the field, the senior became the first Captain to eclipse 11-6 in the indoor pole vault. That performance toppled her own school record of 11-1 3/4, which she had established in 2002. It also marked the finest performance in the history of the Mason-Dixon Conference by over four inches.
January 24, 1998 - Women's Basketball
Putting on another scoring clinic, Misty Hart eclipsed 1,000 career points while leading the Christopher Newport women's basketball team to a 104-83 victory over Averett in Danville. Surging for a game-high 39 points and 11 assists, Hart was nearly perfect from the field. The senior shot 15-for-19 from the floor, including 6-of-9 from long range. Her efforts helped the Captains race out to a 60-43 halftime lead on the way to their 32nd straight win over the Cougars dating back to 1979. In addition to Hart, freshman Karla Rhone poured in 17 points, while Tamara Pool had 11. Senior Dana Edwards also dropped in 10 to round out the double-digit performers.
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