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
Polishing off an unprecedented era of cross country domination, Christopher Newport placed third during the NCAA National Championships at the North Farm Course in Elsah, Illinois on November 18, 2017. Wrapping up their third straight appearance at the national competition, the Captains set a new standard for success while earning the school's first podium finish. Headlining a roster that included three All-Americans, Grayson Reid led the way with a fifth-place finish at the NCAA meet.
 
BACKSTORY
Entering the 2017 NCAA Championships, the Captains were looking to write a storybook ending to one of the finest stretches in school history. Rolling into the title meet, the squad's top-seven featured six seniors. Together, Grayson Reid, JJ LaPointe, Jeff Dover, Daniel Read, Billy Rabil, and Sam Murch formed the backbone of a cross country dynasty.
 
Over the course of their collective careers, those six seniors had already accumulated 21 All-Conference awards and 16 All-Region honors for their work in the fall. They also helped Christopher Newport claim three conference crowns, two regional titles, and a program-best 11th-place finish at the 2016 NCAA Championships.
 
In 2017 alone, the Captains had already defended their conference and regional crowns, while Reid ran away with the individual title at both meets. Add All-Region sophomore Cavanaugh McGaw to the collection of senior stars and the 2017 Captains were nothing short of a juggernaut.
 
Under the guidance of first-year head coach Sarah Lagasse, Christopher Newport marched into the 2017 National Championships with their sights set on history.
 
MEET RECAP
Entering the national competition ranked 11th in the country, Christopher Newport far exceeded the outside expectations. Piecing together a race for the ages, the Captains flooded the top of the leaderboard. Three members of the team placed in the top-25 as the squad accumulated a total score of 221. That placed the team third in the field.
 
Leading the way, Reid came in fifth overall, marking the top position ever achieved by a Captain at the national meet. One week after shattering the school record in the 8k at the Regional Championships, the senior clocked in at 24:20.60 - placing him just 17 seconds behind the eventual national champion.
 
On Reid's heels, LaPointe and Dover also capped off their cross country careers with top-25 efforts. LaPointe came in 14th in 24:40.32, while Dover was 21st in 24:44.59.
 
Following the top-three performers, Read finished in 25:31.59, while McGaw crossed in 25:49.17. Overall, Christopher Newport's top-five produced an average time of 25:01.26, marking the second-best effort in the field.
 
Rounding out the competitors, Rabil clocked in at 25:55.90, and Murch was up next in 26:01.14.
 
The third-place finish at the meet marked the best in program history, topping the squad's 11th-place showing in 2016.
 
POSTSCRIPT
Given the storied history of the Christopher Newport men's cross country program, it seems like an impressive statement to declare that the 2017 Captains were - definitively - the greatest team in school history. However, when you consider the context, it's actually a tremendous understatement.
 
The 2017 Captains were the first cross country team in program history to earn a podium finish at the NCAA Championships. That's true. But, consider this: They were also the first team from Virginia to register a podium finish. And they were the first team from the Capital Athletic Conference to accomplish that feat.
 
In fact, the 2017 Captains were the first team from the entire South / Southeast Region to finish on the podium at the NCAA Championships. That's an area of the country that encompasses 12 states and hundreds of top-flight institutions.
 
So, the 2017 squad wasn't just the most accomplished men's cross country team in school history. It was the most accomplished men's cross country team from any school between El Paso, Texas and Arlington, Virginia. In history.
 
What the Captains accomplished on November 18, 2017 remains one of the greatest achievements in Christopher Newport athletics history. On the heels of their performance at the national meet, Dover, LaPointe, and Reid were all named to the All-American team. Later, following his work on the track & field squad, Dover was also celebrated as the 2017-18 CAC Male Athlete of the Year.
 
To this day, Reid ranks first on the program's all-time performance list in the 8k with his school-record time of 24:01.3 at the 2017 Regionals. Right behind Reid, LaPointe remains second on the all-time list, while Dover is third.
 
Incredibly, of the top-16 performers on Christopher Newport's all-time 8k list, half of them were on the 2017 squad. In addition to the top-three standouts, McGaw sits sixth in school history, Rabil is ninth, Jason Putnam is 13th, Read is 14th, and Peyton Artz is 16th.
 
For a full listing of the fall 2020 features published to date, click here.
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