LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- For the first time in program history, the Christopher Newport men's lacrosse team climbed to first in the USILA National Coaches Poll as the Captains took over the top spot in the latest rankings, which were released on Monday morning by the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association.

The Captains earned the top spot in unanimous fashion as Christopher Newport secured all 26 first-place votes while garnering 520 total points. Rounding out the top-five, RIT was slotted second, while the defending national champions were followed by Salisbury, Union, and St. John Fisher.

Achieving the No. 1 position continues a remarkable run of firsts for the men's lacrosse program. The Captains earned votes in the poll for the first time in 2014 before vaulting into the top-20 for the first time during the 2016 campaign. Meanwhile, since 2018, Christopher Newport has been a mainstay in the national rankings while breaking into the top-five for the first time last year.

This season, the Captains opened the year ranked fifth in the USILA poll before climbing to fourth on February 14. Since then, Christopher Newport has spent the past two weeks holding down the No. 2 spot before reaching the pinnacle on Monday morning.

Overall this year, the team currently boasts a pristine 14-0 record. The Captains are one of just four undefeated squads in the nation, joining No. 7 Bowdoin, No. 8 Dickinson, and No. 18 MIT. Additionally, the squad's 14-game winning streak is the second-longest active roll in the country, trailing only MIT's 15-game run dating back to the 2020 campaign.

Making the 2022 season even more remarkable, Christopher Newport boasts wins over four teams currently ranked in the top-20. The Captains have knocked off No. 3 Salisbury, No. 11 Lynchburg, No. 17 Gettysburg, and No. 20 Washington & Lee. The program has also toppled Williams, Ursinus, Catholic, and Grove City, who all received votes in the poll and slot just outside of the national rankings.

Christopher Newport will return to action on Saturday when the Captains host Mary Washington in a Coast-to-Coast Athletic Conference showdown at 1 p.m.

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