While Christopher Newport looks forward to the return of intercollegiate competitions, our friends at TowneBank are partnering with CNUsports.com to spend some time throughout the fall semester looking back at a few of the more memorable moments in the storied history of the athletic department. Over the course of the next three months, the Captains will honor the anniversary of three dozen record-setting accomplishments, championship-clinching victories, and other historic events in order to celebrate the past while preparing for even more great moments in the future.

AT A GLANCE
One of the most decorated cross country runners in Christopher Newport history, Aimee Gibbs continued her record-breaking career while topping her own 6k standard at the prestigious Paul Short Run at Lehigh's Goodman Cross Country Course in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania on October 4, 2003. Already the first Captain to break the 23-minute mark in the event, she lowered her own school record after crossing the line in 22:31. With that showcase, she helped Christopher Newport upend multiple Division I and II institutions during the championship race at one of the nation's largest cross country competitions.
 
BACKSTORY
Taking the conference by storm, Aimee Gibbs arrived on campus in 2000 and immediately established herself as one of the finest runners in the region. As a freshman, she ran away with the USA South Championship while being named the league's Runner and Rookie of the Year. Entering her senior campaign in 2003, she was already a three-time conference champion, All-Region performer, and national qualifier.
 
Although Gibbs was the most decorated member of the 2003 Captains, the women's team was loaded with talent. Alicia Burns, Megan Fogarty, and Emily Low were all reigning All-Conference honorees, while freshman Ashley Ezell was beginning her own dominant debut campaign, which saw her collect USA South Rookie of the Year accolades and snatch a spot on the All-Region squad.
 
With a top-seven that also included veteran standouts Elizabeth Browning and Crystal Lassiter, Christopher Newport had elevated expectations entering the 2003 season. Already one of the most respected rosters at the Division III level, the Captains were accepted into the championship race of the 2003 Paul Short Run, which included nationally-ranked competition from all three levels of the NCAA.
 
OPPOSITION RESEARCH
One of the nation's largest annual cross country meets, the Paul Short Run regularly welcomes in top-flight competition from around the country. 2003 was no exception. Among the teams in the championship race, Georgetown and Villanova both entered the weekend slotted in the top-10 of the Division I national rankings, while Penn State was 22nd. Meanwhile, Tennessee and West Virginia cracked the poll later in the year, and both Pittsburgh and Cornell lurked just outside of the top-30.
 
Among the individual competitors in the race, Megan Metcalfe was an NCAA Champion who went on to a successful tenure with the Canadian National Track Team, while Treniere Clement represented the USA at the World Track & Field Championships. Additionally, 15 runners went on to compete in the 2003 NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships, while dozens of others took part in the Division II and III competitions.
 
Although Christopher Newport had previously taken part in the Paul Short Run in 2002, the 2003 competition was the very first time the Captains stood shoulder-to-shoulder with the top teams in the meet's championship race.
 
MEET RECAP
In a field of 224 total runners, including 158 Division I competitors, Aimee Gibbs paced Christopher Newport with a record-setting performance. The Chesapeake, Virginia native crossed the line in 22:31.3, which shaved six seconds off her own 6k school record, which she established just one month earlier at the Sea Gull Opener.
 
Her time was the 65th-fastest in the entire field and the fourth finest among Division III competitors. Putting her performance into perspective, she defeated 13 runners from the nationally-ranked Division I programs, including half of the entrants from the 22nd-ranked Nittany Lions.
 
While Gibbs led the way, three other Captains broke the 24-minute mark for the first time in their careers. Eventual national qualifier Megan Fogarty clocked in at 23:23, while Ashley Ezell was 10 seconds back in 23:33. Rounding out the top-seven, Emily Low crossed in 23:47, Elizabeth Browning was up next in 24:42, Alicia Burns finished in 25:15, and Crystal Lassiter rounded out the group in 27:07.
 
Guided by those efforts, Christopher Newport finished 27th overall, beating a pair of Division I programs, two Division II squads, and all but two of the Division III teams in the field.
 
POSTSCRIPT
The Paul Short Run served as Christopher Newport's final competition before the championship season began. Fittingly, it was a precursor to even more history. With only Division III competition left on the schedule, the Captains dominated. Over the remaining portion of the season, Christopher Newport lost to only one team, walking away with the Mason-Dixon and USA South Championships while placing a program-best 2nd at the NCAA South / Southeast Regionals.
 
For her part, Gibbs capped off her tenure as the most accomplished distance runner in program history. She completed her four-peat of the USA South Championships, becoming the first and only runner in league history to win four straight titles. Later, she became the first Captain to qualify for the NCAA Championships in each of her four seasons and only the second athlete in USA South history to secure a pair of Don Scalf Awards, which is annually presented to the league's top student-athlete.
 
Additionally, the record she set at the Paul Short Run remained the top non-adjusted 6k time in program history for nearly a decade and still stands eighth on the all-time list. Meanwhile, her top 5k time of 18:22 set at the 2001 Mason-Dixon Championships remains the fastest by a Captain. Following her career, Gibbs earned her rightful spot in the Christopher Newport Athletics Hall of Fame in 2012.
 
In addition to Gibbs, Low continued the run of cross country domination by sweeping the next two USA South Championships in 2004 and 2005, while Ezell added another title in 2006 to go along with three All-Region honors. Meanwhile, Fogarty made her debut on the national stage with an appearance at the NCAA Championships in 2005, while Browning, Burns, and Lassiter grabbed All-Conference plaudits for their work in 2003.
 
With seven All-Conference performers, four All-Region honorees, and three Captains who won at least one league championship, the 2003 women's cross country team remains one of the most celebrated squads in Christopher Newport athletics history.
 
 For a full listing of the fall 2020 features published to date, click here.
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