IWLCA All-Americans

NORTHBOROUGH, Mass. -- Adding another chapter to her historic 2021 campaign, Kelsey Winters became the first sophomore in Christopher Newport history to earn IWLCA All-American honors after picking up second-team plaudits from the Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association on Monday afternoon.
 
Overall, Winters became just the third Captain to receive the prestigious honor, joining former legends Meaghan Galvin and Sarah Culver. Galvin was a two-time selection in 2016 and 2017, while Culver capped off her tenure with national plaudits in 2019.
 
Prior to earning the IWLCA honor, Winters was previously celebrated as a third-team All-American by USA Lacrosse Magazine. She also collected first-team All-Conference and All-Region accolades for her efforts in 2021.
 
A dynamic offensive threat, Winters carved up the competition throughout her sophomore season. She ranked ninth in the NCAA with 47 assists, while her 77 total points placed her 25th in the country. After also depositing 30 goals during the year, she became just the eighth Captain to register at least 30 strikes and 30 assists in a single campaign.
 
With her work during the year, Winters scattered her name throughout the record books. She established a new single-season school standard with a 3.36 assists-per-game average. Her 47 total helpers also marked the second-most in program history, while her 5.50 points-per-game rate was the highest in over a decade. Additionally, her 11 free-position strikes equaled the 11th-most by a Captain.
 
Consistently effective, Winters became just the fourth player in program history to notch a pair of 10-point efforts in a single campaign. Her 11 points against Virginia Wesleyan on March 10 equaled the third-most in school lore. Seven days later, she came back with 10 more points, including seven assists, in a victory at Marymount on March 17. Her seven helpers also matched the third-most by a Captain.
 
For her historic run, she picked up a pair of Coast-to-Coast Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Week accolades on March 15 and March 22. The Harwood, Maryland native also became the first Captain to earn the IWLCA National Offensive Player of the Week award after securing the prestigious honor on March 16.
 
Equally dominant against top-flight competition, Winters tormented nationally-ranked foes throughout the year. She erupted for seven points, including five helpers, in a win over No. 23 Lynchburg on March 24. She also had four assists in battles against No. 4 Washington & Lee on March 13 and No. 20 St. Mary's (Md.) on March 31, while she deposited a hat-trick during the team's triumph over No. 19 Mary Washington on April 10.
 
Overall, Winters had at least two points in all 14 of her appearances in 2021. During the year, she had five hat-tricks and handed out at least three assists on nine occasions. Her run of 15 consecutive games with at least one assist dating back to 2020 also stands as the second-longest streak in program history.
 
In just 21 career games, Winters already ranks 10th in school history with 70 assists, while her 15 free-position goals place her 12th on the all-time charts.
 
Aided by the efforts of Winters, Christopher Newport finished the year ranked 22nd in the IWLCA National Coaches Poll and reached the Coast-to-Coast Athletic Conference Championship for the first time in program history.
 
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