WASHINGTON, DC - The Christopher Newport University men's basketball team was recognized at the White House Monday, as Vice President Kamala Harris and new NCAA President Charlie Baker welcomed National Champions from all across the country. A total of 47 teams from 19 different sports from all three divisions of NCAA competition gathered on the South Lawn for the first-ever recognition of college champions.

Click HERE to watch the complete ceremony.

Christopher Newport men's basketball recorded a 30-3 record in the 2022-23 season, and won its first-ever national title by beating Mount Union (OH) in the final game in Fort Wayne, IN, in March. All 17 members of the National Championship team were joined by coaches and administrators from CNU for the late morning celebration.

Baker and Harris each emphasized the attributes it took for the teams to reach the pinnacle of success, and called the event a culmination in the long road to a championship.

"Only the best of the best become a national champion," Harris said. "I know it wasn't easy. You made tremendous sacrifices. Training through injuries, birthdays, vacations and even a pandemic. You know, all of you, what it means to commit and to persevere."

"E pluribus unum means out of many, one," Baker said, referencing a traditional motto that appears on the Great Seal of the United States. "That is exactly who you are and what you represent here today. You are the national champions in your sports, and you're here today representing all those who played with you and against you."

Christopher Newport has now won three National Championships in the last 18 months, as men's basketball followed titles won by women's soccer and softball during the 2021-22 academic year.