NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- In an announcement made by the organization on Tuesday afternoon, five Christopher Newport men's soccer players were named to the College Sorts Communicators Academic All-District team. Earning first team Academic All-District honors were fifth-year senior Ethan Larson, juniors Mason Field, Jonathon Leiding, and sophomores Ryan Kiely and Trevor Smith. 

The 2022 Academic All-District® Men's Soccer Teams, selected by College Sports Communicators, recognize the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performances on the field and in the classroom. The CSC Academic All-America® program separately recognizes soccer honorees in four divisions — NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III and NAIA.

Academic All-District® honorees advance to the CSC Academic All-America® ballot. First-, second- and third-team Academic AllAmerica® honorees will be announced in early December. 

The group of five CNU selections grows the Captains' all-time list of men's soccer representatives on the Academic All-District squad to ten. The 2022 Captains join Billy Lucas (2004), Michael Zimmerman (2012), Jimmy Grace and Bobby Seifert (2016), and Davis Pillow (2019, 2021) as all-time selections for Christopher Newport. 

This year, four of the five honorees were key cogs in one of the top defenses in the nation as Leiding, Kiely, and Smith all played in front of Larson to lock down opposing attacks. Larson ranked 17th nationally in total shutouts and the back line helped CNU rank 13th nationally in shutout percentage. As a unit, Christopher Newport held opponents to just 13 goals in 18 games played with a 0.71 goals-against average. The Captains logged 11 shutouts and an .806 save percentage in goal. 

On the offensive end, Mason Field helped lead CNU with six points on two goals and two assists. He started 10 games and played in 17 during his third year with the Captains. He earned first team All-Conference honors this season as a member of the midfield. 

Christopher Newport was ranked 12th in the nation ahead of the team's 13th NCAA Tournament appearance last weekend. The Captains advanced to the Round of 32 before suffering an overtime loss to close out the season with a 13-3-2 overall record. CNU improved to 39-11-9 in three seasons under head coach Justin Chezem, who now boasts a 73.7 percent winning percentage. 

For a complete release of the 202 Academic All-District Teams, click here.