NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- Christopher Newport University junior Tia Perry was named the Outstanding In-State College Female Athlete of the Year during the 64th Annual Peninsula Sports Club Headliners Night on Monday evening. 

This season, Perry led the Captains to a 29-3 overall record and an Elite Eight appearance in the NCAA Tournament. She was the team's leading scorer, finishing the year with 14.0 points per game on a career-high 419 points scored. 

She added 5.2 rebounds per game and was the defensive leader for a CNU squad that ranked among the nation's best on the defensive side of the ball. She posted the eighth best single-season mark for steals all-time, with 90, and the most since 1998-99 for CNU when Leema Madden had 102 thefts. Perry now has 199 career steals, ranking 10th all-time at CNU in that category.

Perry was a first team All-State selection by the Virginia Sports Information Directors (VaSID) and a second team All-Region pick by D3hoops.com. It was her first career All-Region selection, coming after earning first team All-Conference and USA South Tournament Most Valuable Player honors. She helped guide the Captains to their 11th conference championship in the final year in the USA South.

In the NCAA Tournament, Perry continued to excel, scoring a career-high 24 points in the NCAA Sweet 16 win over undefeated Montclair State. She averaged nearly 15 points per game in the postseason, including a near triple-double in the USA South Championship Game against Ferrum, scoring 16 points with nine steals and eight rebounds.

Christopher Newport, under the direction of first-year head coach Bill Broderick, posted one of the finest seasons in program history with an NCAA Elite Eight appearance for just the second time. The Captains went 29-3 overall, and added a 16-2 record against the USA South.