NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- Coby Auslander and Ryan Young will serve as the team captains for the Christopher Newport men's lacrosse program during the upcoming 2023 campaign, while Michael Brost and Burke Widhelm were named assistant captains.

All four seniors will hold their leadership positions for the first time in 2023.

One of the most electric playmakers in the nation, Auslander hauled in first-team All-American honors for his performance last year. During his junior campaign, he established a new school record with 46 assists, which also led the conference and ranked 25th in the entire NCAA. Equally effective at dotting the back of the net, he added 30 goals while finishing with 76 points. That marked the fourth-highest single-season total in school history and the most by a midfielder.

In his career, Auslander has appeared in 40 games. During that time, the Pennington, New Jersey native ranks third in program history with 74 assists, while his 128 points place him 11th on the all-time charts.

A staple on the back line, Young has been a defensive stalwart for the Captains since arriving in town in 2021. After spending his freshman season at UMBC, the senior star has earned All-Conference laurels during each of his two years at Christopher Newport. Last season, he collected 34 caused turnovers, which ranked seventh in school history and fourth in the league. His 50 ground balls also slotted him ninth in the conference and second among defensemen.

Over the past two seasons, Young has started 36 games while posting 66 caused turnovers, which places him eighth on the career leaderboard. The Broadlands, Virginia native has also pocketed an average of 2.97 ground balls per game during his tenure, which ranks ninth all-time.

Making his mark as a key member of the faceoff unit, Brost has helped the Captains control possession throughout his time in Newport News. Especially effective during his junior campaign, he posted a .604 faceoff percentage last year while winning 32 of his 53 battles. Over the course of the year, he captured at least 50 percent of his duels on nine occasions, including a 9-for-12 showcase against Sewanee in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

During his three seasons at Christopher Newport, Brost boasts a .537 faceoff percentage, which stands as the sixth-highest in school history. The Richmond, Virginia native has also secured 48 ground balls and handed out three assists in his 35 appearances. 

Solidifying his spot among the nation's elite defensemen, Widhelm garnered second-team All-American honors in 2022. Also a first-team All-Conference and All-State selection, he ranked fourth in the league with 34 caused turnovers. That also marked the seventh-highest total in program history. Meanwhile, his 50 ground balls last year equaled the second-highest total by a defenseman in the Coast-to-Coast Athletic Conference.

After spending his first two seasons at Furman, Widhelm has seen action in 39 games since arriving at Christopher Newport in 2021. During his time with the Captains, the Richmond, Virginia native is averaging 1.28 takeaways per contest, which ranks eighth in school lore.

Christopher Newport is coming off of a 2022 campaign in which the Captains spent three weeks as the unanimous No. 1 team in the USILA National Coaches Poll before advancing to the Elite Eight for the second straight season.

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