FREDERICKSBURG, Va. -- After wrapping up one of the finest regular season campaigns in recent memory, eight members of the Christopher Newport women's lacrosse team hauled in All-Conference accolades, including first-team plaudits for Kendall Krause, Sam Wettengel, and Kelsey Winters, as the Captains were well-represented on the All-League squads, which were announced by the Coast-to-Coast Athletic Conference on Tuesday afternoon.
 
In addition to the first-team honorees, Becca Creekmore, Emma Jackson, Cat Leighty, Gracie Sanders, and Joely Stevens earned second-team accolades for their efforts. Overall, the eight All-League selections marked the second-most in program history and the highest total since the legendary 2013 squad picked up nine citations from the USA South Athletic Conference.
 
The awards were the second for both Krause and Wettengel, who were second-team selections in 2019. The other six Captains were celebrated for the first time in their careers.
 
Showcasing the program's impressive consistency at attracting and developing talented student-athletes, the eight honorees hail from five different recruiting classes. Wettengel, a fifth-year senior, joined the program in 2017. Meanwhile, Stevens, Sanders, and Leighty are all fourth-year members of the squad, Krause is a junior, Creekmore and Winters are both in their second seasons in Newport News, and Jackson is in the midst of a decorated debut campaign.
 
The four underclassmen are also the most honored by the conference since the 2016 Captains had five celebrated by the league.
 
Returning to the All-Conference squad, Krause has remained a dominant figure on the midfield unit. One of the top two-way players in the league, she ranks eighth in the conference with 26 goals and has scored at least once in 12 of her 14 appearances, including a six-point showcase at No. 4 Salisbury on April 3. Meanwhile, on the other end, the junior sits third among league competitors with 32 ground balls and seventh with 17 takeaways.
 
Among her finest moments, Krause matched her career-high with three caused turnovers while adding a hat-trick during a victory over No. 20 St. Mary's (Md.) on March 31. That was one of her eight multi-goal efforts during the season, including four strikes in a win over Shenandoah on March 20. The Ellicott City, Maryland native has also secured at least two ground balls in 11 of her appearances while notching a season-high four draw controls in a win over Virginia Wesleyan on March 10.
 
One of the most accomplished players in program history, Wettengel has scattered her name throughout the record books while orchestrating another dominant season with the Captains. In 2021, the multi-talented midfielder is tied for the conference-lead with 24 caused turnovers, while her 87 draw controls place her second in the league. Both of those totals also rank in the top-10 on the program's all-time single-season charts.
 
Starring throughout the year, Wettengel has notched at least one point in 11 of her appearances. Meanwhile, she has secured at least 10 draws in four of her outings, including a record-tying 13 against No. 4 Salisbury on April 14. Suffocating the opposition on the defensive side as well, the Dameron, Maryland native has collected at least two takeaways on five occasions, while her six caused turnovers at Marymount on March 17 matched the third-highest total by a Captain.
 
Electric on the attack, Winters has been nothing short of unstoppable since arriving in Newport News. Torching the competition, she ranks second in the conference with 77 points this year, while her 47 assists are the fifth-highest total by any player in the NCAA. Meanwhile, on a per-game basis, she has compiled one of the most incredible statistical seasons in program history. Her 3.36 assists-per-game average ranks first in school lore, while her 5.50 points-per-game rate is the second-best mark by a Captain and the highest in over a decade.
 
Picking apart opposing defenses, Winters has at least one assist in each of her 14 appearances this year, including seven helpers at Marymount on March 17. She also added a career-high 11 points against Virginia Wesleyan on March 10 and was honored as the IWLCA National Offensive Player of the Week for that showcase. Overall, the Harwood, Maryland native has registered at least one point in all 21 games of her career, which already ranks as the eighth-longest scoring streak by a Captain.
 
Between the pipes, Creekmore has cleaned up in the crease with a stellar sophomore season. She currently leads the conference with 120 saves and ranks second with 38 ground balls. Her 120 stops also stand 14th in the NCAA. Boasting six double-digit save efforts this season, the Pasadena, Maryland native has compiled a .441 save percentage and an 11.07 goals-against-average. She also added her name to the history books by becoming the first goalkeeper in school history with multiple wins over nationally-ranked opponents after beating No. 19 Mary Washington, No. 20 St. Mary's (Md.), and No. 23 Lynchburg during the year.
 
Equally effective on the defensive side, Jackson has made a smooth transition to college and was one of only two freshmen in the league to earn All-Conference honors this season. The first-year phenom has started all 16 games and contributed a season-high four caused turnovers during the team's win over No. 23 Lynchburg on March 24. Overall, her 13 takeaways this year rank 13th among all players in the conference and first among freshmen. Also impactful in other facets of the game, the Mount Airy, Maryland native has 19 ground balls and 12 draw controls, including at least two in each of her last four outings.
 
An absolute force on the offensive side of the ball, Leighty has tormented opponents with a relentless assault throughout her senior season. Serving as a focal point on the attack, she leads the conference with 44 goals, while her 72 total points rank 15th in the entire NCAA. She also boasts a league-high 14 free-position goals and stands third with 28 assists. Remarkably consistent, she has at least one point in each of her 16 appearances, including nine hat-tricks. The Fairfax, Virginia native has been especially effective against top-flight competition with six-point eruptions against No. 4 Salisbury, No. 19 Mary Washington, and No. 23 Lynchburg.
 
An imposing presence from sideline to sideline, Sanders has put together a sensational senior season. Defensively, she is tied for the conference-lead with 24 caused turnovers. That total also ranks eighth in program history. Flashing her versatility, she currently stands as the only player in the league with at least 20 goals, 20 draws, 20 takeaways, and 20 ground balls. Among her finest moments during the year, the Manchester, Maryland native had 10 ground balls at Roanoke on March 6, marking the second-highest total in school history. Her five caused turnovers against No. 19 Mary Washington on April 10 also equaled the eighth-most by a Captain.
 
Anchoring the defensive unit, Stevens has helped bottle up opposing attacks throughout the 2021 campaign. Starting all 16 games on the back line, the fourth-year standout currently has 12 caused turnovers and 15 ground balls. Showing a knack for coming through in key situations, she has continued to step up against elite competition throughout the season. So far this year, the Grand Rapids, Michigan native has at least two takeaways in four of her appearances. All of those outings have come against nationally-ranked opponents. In fact, of her 12 caused turnovers this season, 10 have been recorded against top-25 programs.
 
Guided by the eight All-Conference performers, Christopher Newport currently boasts a 10-6 record and enters the league playoffs as the No. 3 seed. The Captains will kick off the postseason on Wednesday when the team takes on No. 24 Mary Washington in the semifinals at the Battleground Turf Field.

2021 All-Coast-to-Coast Conference Honorees
Offensive Player of the Year: Alexis Strobel, Salisbury
Defensive Player of the Year: Carrie Hesen, Salisbury
Rookie of the Year: Katie Blair, Mary Washington
Scholar-Athlete of the Year: Julie Talbert, Salisbury
Coaching Staff of the Year: Salisbury

First-Team All-Conference
ATT: Lydia McNulty, Salisbury
ATT: Kayla Sarazin, Mary Washington
ATT: Alexis Strobel, Salisbury
ATT: Kelsey Winters, Chris. Newport
MID: Jayne Barkman, St. Mary's (Md.)
MID: Kendall Krause, Chris. Newport
MID: Samantha Stachowiak, Mary Washington
MID: Lauren Valenti, Salisbury
MID: Sam Wettengel, Chris. Newport
DEF: Rylie Cole, Mary Washington
DEF: Stephanie Heffron, St. Mary's (Md.)
DEF: Carrie Hesen, Salisbury
DEF: Caroline McKenna, Salisbury
GK: Aimee Uibel, St. Mary's (Md.)

Second-Team All-Conference
ATT: Katie Blair, Mary Washington
ATT: Lucy Gussio, St. Mary's (Md.)
ATT: Cat Leighty, Chris. Newport
ATT: Erin Scannell, Salisbury
MID: Alissa Johnson, Southern Virginia
MID: Chloe Mitchell, Southern Virginia
MID: Gracie Sanders, Chris. Newport
DEF: Grace Clarke, Mary Washington
DEF: Mary Kate Fitz-Patrick, St. Mary's (Md.)
DEF: Emma Jackson, Chris. Newport
DEF: Kate Lamberti, Salisbury
DEF: Joely Stevens, Chris. Newport
GK: Becca Creekmore, Chris. Newport
GK: Reilly Miller, Mary Washington
 
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