GREENWOOD, Ind. -- Coupling outstanding work both in the classroom and on the lacrosse field, Dylan Rice and Max Wayne hauled in Academic All-District accolades from the College Sports Information Directors of America on Thursday afternoon.

Rice was celebrated for the third consecutive year, making him the first male athlete in Christopher Newport history to earn the prestigious honor three times. Meanwhile, Wayne picked up the award for the second straight year. With his second nod, he became just the school's sixth male athlete to earn multiple awards, joining Rice as well as current men's soccer star Davis Pillow (2019, 2021), former baseball legend Craig Johnson (2017, 2018), and past football standouts Evan Moog (2013, 2014), David Furrow (2015, 2016), and Ben James (2018, 2019).

Overall, Rice and Wayne were two of 11 honorees from District 5, which includes 11 states ranging from Florida to Missouri. With their awards, they are now eligible for Academic All-American accolades, which will be announced on June 14.

The CoSIDA Academic All-American program recognizes the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performances on the field and in the classroom. Rice and Wayne were two of only 21 Division III men's lacrosse players in the nation to earn All-District plaudits in 2022. They were selected in the highly-competitive "At-Large" category, which includes athletes from lacrosse, swimming, golf, tennis, hockey, wrestling, and a variety of other sports.

Piecing together another record-setting campaign with the Captains, Rice has continued rewriting the history books in 2022. So far this season, he has 103 points, which already stands as a new program record. It also places him 14th on the national charts. Meanwhile, his 70 goals rank first in school history and eighth in the NCAA this year.

Among his finest performances, Rice established a new single-game record with eight goals against Roanoke on February 12. His 10 total points in that game also matched his own program standard set last season. Incredibly, he came back with another 10-point eruption against Whittier on March 27. During that contest, the Mechanicsville, Virginia native also notched six assists, which equaled the second-most by a Captain in school history.

For his athletic achievements, Rice was named a first-team All-Conference selection and hauled in second-team All-American nods from USA Lacrosse Magazine.

Off the field, Rice is a two-time Academic All-American and was named the Coast-to-Coast Athletic Conference Men's Lacrosse Scholar-Athlete of the Year for the second straight season. A graduate student, he wrapped up his bachelor's degree in finance with a near perfect GPA last spring.

Equally dominant in 2022, Wayne has been a stalwart on the defensive side of the ball. Anchoring the back line, he has 53 caused turnovers, which ranks third on the program's single-season list. That total also places him 10th in the entire NCAA this year, while his 50 ground balls rank first among defensemen in the Coast-to-Coast Athletic Conference.

Remarkably consistent throughout the season, Wayne has at least one takeaway and one ground ball in each of his 19 appearances. Headlining his work in 2022, he posted six caused turnovers in wins against Grove City on March 2 and No. 19 Ursinus on March 9. The Ashburn, Virginia native also has 10 takeaways in the playoffs this year, including seven in the first two games of the NCAA Tournament.

For his efforts, Wayne was named a first-team All-American by USA Lacrosse Magazine. He was also chosen as the Coast-to-Coast Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year.

In the classroom, Wayne is a perennial Academic All-Conference selection and was a USILA Scholar All-American last year. A graduate student, he already earned his bachelor's degree in computer science in 2021.

Rice, Wayne, and the rest of their teammates will return to action on Saturday at noon when the third-ranked Captains host No. 6 York (Pa.) in the NCAA Quarterfinals at Jennings Family Stadium.

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