NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- For their efforts both on and off the field, Riley Rafterry-Lee, Gracie Sanders, and Sam Wettengel will serve as the captains of the Christopher Newport women's lacrosse team for the second straight season as all three standouts will return to the leadership role during the 2021 campaign.

Sanders will be a captain for the third straight season after previously holding the position in 2019 and 2020. Meanwhile, Rafterry-Lee and Wettengel return for their second stint after serving alongside Sanders last year.

Entering her fifth year with the program, Wettengel has been a consistent presence on the midfield unit since arriving in Newport News. An All-Conference performer, she has appeared in 58 career games and started 33, including all 26 over the past two seasons. An imposing force on the defensive side of the ball, she already ranks 10th in program history with 54 career takeaways, while her 42 caused turnovers in 2019 established a single-season program record.

Equally effective on the offensive end, Wettengel has deposited 53 career goals while adding 16 assists. During an abbreviated 2020 season, the Dameron, Maryland native had six points and eight takeaways, while her 26 draw controls ranked fifth among conference competitors.

In her third season as a team captain, Sanders has remained an integral part of the program's leadership core. Entering her senior season, she has remained one of the team's most consistent contributors as a midfielder. Starting 35 of her 41 appearances, she has 43 career points, including a pair of 15-goal campaigns as a freshman and sophomore.

Along with her work on the offensive side of the ball, Sanders has 31 career takeaways and 50 ground balls. The Manchester, Maryland native has also collected at least 10 draws in each of her first three campaigns, including six during back-to-back appearances against No. 6 Washington & Lee and No. 24 Messiah in 2020.

A defensive juggernaut, Rafterry-Lee has been a stabilizing force on the back line during her first two seasons with the Captains. Entering her junior year, she is already one of the program's most experienced and accomplished defenders after starting 21 of the squad's 26 contests since 2019.

During her sophomore season, Rafterry-Lee helped Christopher Newport limit its opposition to a .376 shooting percentage, which marked the second-lowest single-season rate in school history. Producing 10 takeaways and 12 ground balls during her career, the Bowie, Maryland native is also a perennial Academic All-Conference honoree for her efforts in the classroom.

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