VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. -- Andrew Cook was named the Virginia State Player of the Year, while Ryan Young and Mikey Thompson also collected top individual accolades as the Christopher Newport men's lacrosse team was well-represented on the All-State squad, which was announced by the Virginia Sports Information Directors on Friday afternoon.

With his award, Cook became the third Captain in program history to earn the state's top honor, joining former legends Matt Hayden (2017) and Max Wayne (2022). Meanwhile, Young was named Virginia's Defensive Player of the Year, while Thompson was celebrated as the top coach for the fourth straight season and the sixth time during his decorated tenure.

Along with Cook and Young, Coby Auslander, Alex Brendes, Warner Cabaniss, Zac Hanway, and Brett Jackson garnered first-team accolades, while Drew Miller, Campbell Pozin, and Burke Widhelm picked up second-team nods. The 10 total honorees marked the most in school history, topping the nine award-winners from last year's squad.

Orchestrating one of the most dominant seasons by a Captain, Cook was previously named the USILA National Midfielder of the Year and the IMLCA Region 3 Offensive Player of the Year. He also hauled in first-team All-Conference, All-Region, and All-American accolades and was one of only three Division III players in the nation selected to the Tewaaraton Award Watch List.

During his senior campaign, Cook led all midfielders in the country with 95 points, while his 65 goals placed him 20th among all players on the national charts. Pouring in points with regularity, he scored at least once in all 22 games while notching 10 hat-tricks, including a nine-goal eruption at No. 20 Stevenson on February 25. That marked the second-highest output in program history and the finest effort against a nationally-ranked foe.

Equally decorated on the back end, Young was named the USILA National Defenseman of the Year and was a consensus first-team All-American. He also garnered first-team All-League and All-Region accolades and was named the Coastal Lacrosse Conference Defensive Player of the Year for his performance.

Suffocating the competition, Young ranked 16th in the NCAA with 47 caused turnovers. That also marked the sixth-highest total in school history. He forced at least one miscue in 21 contests, including all six playoff games and each of the program's 10 battles against nationally-ranked teams. Additionally, he stood third among the league's defensemen with 57 ground balls while also tallying three points, including a goal in the Final Four at No. 2 Salisbury on May 21.

A second-team All-American and first-team All-Conference and All-Region selection, Auslander led all midfielders in the NCAA with 54 assists. That total also established a new program record and marked the 10th-most among all players in the country. The fourth-year phenom also drove home 28 goals and extended his streak to 50 consecutive games with at least one point dating back to 2021. That stands as the longest run in program history.

One of the nation's leading attackmen, Brendes was a third-team All-American and first-team All-Conference and All-Region selection. Torching the back of the net, he ranked fourth in the conference with 90 points and fifth with 58 goals. During his senior campaign, he scored at least once in 19 appearances and had 15 multi-goal efforts, including three in the NCAA Tournament. Meanwhile, his 32 assists were the ninth-most by a Captain in school history.

Enhancing his reputation as one of the country's top faceoff specialists, Cabaniss pieced together another All-American campaign while earning first-team All-Conference and All-Region nods. Controlling possession throughout his second year in Newport News, he set new program records with 225 ground balls, 317 faceoff victories, and a .666 winning percentage. Incredibly, he ranked in the top-15 nationally in all three categories as well.

Starring in the crease, Hanway earned third-team All-American plaudits for his fantastic work between the pipes. Also garnering All-Conference and All-Region citations, he set a new school record and ranked 17th in the NCAA with 246 saves. Meanwhile, he also established a new program standard with 19 wins while pocketing at least 10 stops in 14 of his appearances, including 17 saves in the league championship at No. 2 Salisbury on May 7.

Lethal on the offensive end, Jackson picked apart opposing defenses while earning All-American accolades for his work on the attack. As a sophomore, he produced 66 goals, which ranked second in school history and 17th on the national charts in 2023. His 13 man-up tallies also set a new program standard and placed him sixth in the NCAA. He eventually landed 11 total hat-tricks, including a school-record 10 goals against Catholic on March 4.

One of the most versatile contributors on the attack, Miller was named an All-American after collecting 82 points, which marked the fifth-highest total in program history. Showcasing his skill set, he deposited 44 goals while ranking fifth in the league with 38 assists. His .411 shooting percentage also placed him first on the conference charts. Overall, the senior sensation had at least two points in 19 of his outings, including all four games during the NCAA Tournament.

Polishing off a historic career, Pozin remained one of the country's top short-stick defensive midfielders while earning All-American nods for the second straight year. Also a first-team All-Conference and All-Region honoree, he ranked third on the team with 47 ground balls while adding seven takeaways and five points. In his career, he finished seventh in school history with 190 rollers, while his 62 caused turnovers were the most by a short-stick specialist.

Adding a fitting punctuation mark to his All-American tenure with the Captains, Widhelm remained a dominant presence on the back line while anchoring the defensive unit. During the year, he garnered All-Conference honors after ranking fifth in the league with 32 caused turnovers. That also marked the 10th-most in program history. A consistent contributor, he forced multiples miscues in 10 of his appearances, including twice in the national playoffs.

Earning recognition for his work at the helm of the program, Thompson continued to bolster his résumé as one of the finest lacrosse coaches in the NCAA. In his eighth year as the head coach of the Captains, he led the team to 19 victories, including the 100th of his career. Along the way, his squad knocked off seven nationally-ranked opponents and advanced to the NCAA Final Four for the second time in program history.

Spending the entirety of the season near the top of the USILA National Coaches Poll, Christopher Newport climbed to first in the rankings in the middle of the year and wrapped up 2023 slotted third in the country. Thompson's crew eventually finished the season ranked eighth in the NCAA in points, ninth in shooting percentage, and 10th in both assists and ground balls.

2023 VaSID All-State Men's Lacrosse Team
Player of the Year: Andrew Cook, Christopher Newport
Defensive Player of the Year: Ryan Young, Christopher Newport
Rookie of the Year: Weston Hammond, Roanoke
Coach of the Year: Mikey Thompson, Christopher Newport
 

1st Team
Attack	Alex Brendes	Christopher Newport
Attack	Brett Jackson	Christopher Newport
Attack	Luke Kammerman	Roanoke
Attack	Hudson Pokorny	Washington and Lee
Midfield	Andrew Cook	Christopher Newport
Midfield	Riley Mitchell	Lynchburg
Midfield	Coby Auslander	Christopher Newport
Defense	Harris Hubbard	Washington and Lee
Defense	Ryan Young	Christopher Newport
Defense	Nick Morgan	Hampden-Sydney
Long Stick	Chris Darminio	Lynchburg
Face Off	Warner Cabaniss	Christopher Newport
Goalie	Zac Hanway	Christopher Newport
2nd Team
Attack	Drew Miller	Christopher Newport
Attack	Hillis Burns	Washington and Lee
Attack	Jack Smith	Randolph-Macon
Midfield	Jake Rust	Lynchburg
Midfield	Campbell Pozin	Christopher Newport
Midfield	Gaines Weis	Hampden-Sydney
Defense	Burke Widhelm	Christopher Newport
Defense	Cole Nestor	Lynchburg
Defense	Weston Hammond	Roanoke
Long Stick	Keegan Shipe	Mary Washington
Face Off	Will Bou	Washington and Lee
Goalie	Tyler Hadley	Lynchburg

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