From NCAA Championships to record-setting individual accomplishments, the Christopher Newport athletic department has seen some of its finest moments during the winter season. While the Captains eagerly anticipate adding more chapters to our storied history with the return of intercollegiate competition, our friends at TowneBank have teamed up with CNUsports.com to spend some time reliving a few of the legendary efforts and memorable accomplishments from our past. Each week over the next three months, we will look back at the anniversary of seven events that helped shape our historic winter sports programs.
February 1, 2004 - Women's Basketball
Becoming just the 16th Captain to reach the 1,000-point plateau, Tomorrow Lofton led the Christopher Newport women's basketball team to a 93-60 victory over Greensboro during a USA South clash at the Freeman Center. With nine minutes remaining in the second half, Lofton drained a jumper off a feed from Amber Hallman to reach the historic mark. The senior eventually finished the game with 16 points and 1,007 for her career, which moved her to 15th on the all-time scoring charts. Along with her assist on Lofton's historic shot, Hallman also added 25 points, 12 rebounds, seven helpers, and six steals during a well-rounded showcase against the Pride. Candace Bryant finished with 16 points and eight boards for the victors as well.
February 2, 2013 - Track & Field
For the second time in less than two weeks, the women's Distance Medley Relay established a new school record after starring on the final day of the Hilton Garden Invitational at the JDL Fast Track in Winston-Salem. Joining forces on the record-setting run, Jessica McClelland, Enuma Ezenwa, Lydia Cromwell, and Melissa Rizor completed the event in 12:37.58. That vaulted them into the top-10 nationally and shaved 15 seconds off the program record set by McClelland, Cromwell, Rizor, and Graciela Slyer on January 20 at the Captains Invitational. Following her work on the relay, McClelland returned to the Fast Track and won her heat in the mile with a PR of 5:20.58, which bumped her to sixth on the program's all-time performance list.
February 3, 1989 - Women's Basketball
Vaulting to the top of the rebounding charts, Beth Spurell added her name to the history books while helping the Christopher Newport women's basketball team top Methodist, 92-65, during a Dixie Conference battle at Ratcliffe Gymnasium. With nine minutes remaining in regulation, Spurell hauled in her 1,034th career rebound, passing the school record set by Rory Peets two years earlier. The record-setting performance continued a remarkable run for the senior standout, which included a record-tying 23 boards against Mary Washington in December. In addition to Spurell's 15 rebounds and 12 points against the Monarchs, Cathy Skinner dropped in a game-high 24 points, while Kim Cameron added 18, and Lou Long posted 17.
February 4, 1984 - Men's Basketball
Clawing back from a 14-point first-half deficit, the Christopher Newport men's basketball team forced overtime and survived a pair of extra sessions to stun sixth-ranked St. Andrews, 71-69, during a marathon battle at Ratcliffe Gymnasium. Playing most of the two overtimes without leading scorer Buck Moore, who deposited a game-high 28 points before fouling out, the Captains turned to some unlikely heroes to snatch the victory from the high-powered Knights. In the first overtime, the hosts trailed by four with 80 seconds remaining, but late buckets by Terry McPherson and John St. George forced a second session. At that point, Vince Eure took over. The junior drilled a 15-footer from the left corner with 27 seconds to go to snatch a 70-69 lead. Clutching the modest advantage, Eure came back and drained a free throw with six seconds left to seal the win. Eure and sophomore guard Keith Cobb led the Captains with 40 minutes apiece during the grueling affair.
February 5, 2000 - Track & Field
Dominating her competition, Casey Taylor entered four events and won all of them while putting together another record-setting effort for the Christopher Newport women's track & field team at the Ramada Inn Classic in Winston-Salem. During the competition, the NCAA Indoor Field Athlete of the Year eclipsed 5-8 in the high jump, which bested her own school record by an inch. One of the country's leading triple jumpers, the reigning national champion also won that event after covering 38-feet, 11-inches. Rounding out her one-day showcase, Taylor walked away with titles in the long jump and 55-hurdles as well.
February 6, 2016 - Track & Field
Continuing one of the most remarkable runs in Capital Athletic Conference history, Logan Harrington broke her third league record in just over a week after setting a new standard in the mile during the Vince Brown Invitational at the Freeman Center. During the race, the junior crossed the line in 5:05.67, which shaved over a full second off the previous league record. That performance followed her showcase at the Camel City Invitational, which saw her break conference marks in the 800 and Distance Medley Relay. Along with Harrington's effort during the home meet, Jonathan Graham also broke his own league record in the men's pole vault. The freshman eclipsed 4.65 meters, which established a new school and conference standard in the event.
February 7, 1988 - Track & Field
Locking up a pair of bids to the NCAA Indoor Championships, sophomore Sandy Shelton dominated the competition at the Delaware Invitational in Newark. Facing a slew of Division I competition, Shelton was unfazed while topping national qualifying standards in both the 400 and 4x400-relay. In the former event, she finished in 57.96, which placed her second in the field. Then, she teamed with Tynesia Alston, Tina Walton, and Sheila Trice for a victory in the relay with a 3:56.1 mark. In addition to her qualifying efforts, the All-American added a second-place showing in the long jump after landing a distance of 17-feet, 10-1/4-inches. Along with her work on the relay unit, Trice also contributed a win in the 55-hurdles after crossing the line in 8.27.
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