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
In only her third collegiate competition, freshman phenom Johanna Ranta-aho burst onto the scene with a stellar showcase in a crowded field of veterans while marching to the semifinals of the ITA Southeast Regional Championships on September 24, 2016. Battling some of the nation's top tennis standouts, Ranta-aho fit right in with the legendary group and successfully navigated a grueling run through the field during the three-day tournament. With her showcase, she became the first Captain in school history to advance to the women's semifinals in the championship draw at the regional competition.
 
BACKSTORY
In 2016, Johanna Ranta-aho arrived in Newport News with a résumé bursting with accomplishments from a successful tenure in Finland. By the time she landed in Virginia, the Helsinki native had already been a quarterfinalist in the Finnish National Championships and a bronze medalist in the country's U19 tournament. A decorated performer, she climbed as high as 13th in the Finnish rankings during her singles career.
 
The success followed her across the Atlantic Ocean.
 
In her very first collegiate appearance, she faced off against Morgan Yang, the No. 2 singles player at Division I George Mason. Ranta-aho won, 8-6. By the time the ITA Southeast Regional Championships rolled around at the end of September, she had only faced Division I competition. Those battles were the perfect tune-up for her first taste of championship action.
 
TOURNAMENT RECAP
Advancing to the semifinals of the ITA Southeast Regional Championships is an incredible achievement. Reaching that stage as a freshman is remarkable. Accomplishing all of that by marching through one of the deepest fields of decorated legends in tournament history is almost inconceivable.
 
At the beginning of her historic trek, Ranta-aho kicked things off with a quick 6-1, 6-0 win over fellow freshman Caitlyn Sorelle from Ursinus in the Round of 64. After that point, there were no more up-and-coming standouts in her way. The path ahead of her was lined with experienced veterans whose careers were already filled with award-winning efforts.
 
In the Round of 32, Ranta-aho matched up against Franklin & Marshall's Nicole Russo, a senior and four-time first-team All-Conference performer. Ranta-aho brushed her aside, 6-1, 6-2. Up next, in the Round of 16, she faced a collision with Johns Hopkins senior All-American Mikey Barthelmass. Ranta-aho triumphed, 6-4, 6-1.
 
Advancing to the quarterfinals, she faced a date with Katie Lai, a junior from Carnegie Mellon who was coming off an appearance in the 2016 NCAA Championships with the 12th-ranked Tartans. No matter. Ranta-aho dispatched her, 6-1, 6-1.
 
Cruising into the semifinals with an unblemished record, she was pitted against top seed Ashnaa Rao from Johns Hopkins. A three-time All-American and former ITA National Small College Champion, the senior star finally put an end to the freshman's run. But not without a fight. Ranta-aho took three games from the legend, eventually falling, 6-2, 6-1.
 
POSTSCRIPT
Her performance at the ITA Southeast Regional Championships was simply an introduction. It was the opening chapter to one of the greatest stories penned by a Christopher Newport athlete. By the end of her freshman campaign, Ranta-aho was named the State, Conference, and Region Rookie of the Year. On the national level, she was slotted 36th in the ITA Singles Rankings. At the time, that marked the highest position ever achieved by a Captain.
 
Her list of achievements continued to grow over the next three years. As a sophomore, Ranta-aho was named the CAC Women's Tennis Player of the Year, becoming the first Captain to earn that recognition. As a junior, she made her second trip to the NCAA Championships, becoming the first athlete in program history to earn a pair of bids. Although her senior season was cut short in the spring of 2020, she still became the first Captain to earn All-State honors in each of her four collegiate campaigns.
 
Along with her individual accomplishments, Ranta-aho helped usher in one of the finest stretches in program history. Coupled with fellow All-Conference performers McKinney Harwood, Kate Huck, and Alexandra Drye, she helped the 2016-17 Captains climb into the top-25 of the ITA National Rankings for the first time in history while also registering the team's first win over a Division I opponent since 1992.
 
Despite an abbreviated senior campaign, Ranta-aho still became just the second Captain to eclipse 60 career singles victories, while her 37 wins at the No. 1 position also stand second in program history. Meanwhile, her 56 triumphs in doubles action rank sixth all-time, while she and Olivia Reed capped off 2019-20 slotted 18th in the final ITA National Doubles Rankings.
 
For a full listing of the fall 2020 features published to date, click here.
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