ASHLAND, Va. -- Six Christopher Newport student-athletes were named to the 2023-24 Virginia Sports Information Directors (VaSID) Academic All-State team this year, headlined by repeat selections for CNU Field Hockey legend Abby Asuncion and CNU Women's Soccer academic stalwart Natalie Swarm. Four female and two male student-athletes were recognized by the statewide organization this year, including five seniors and one graduate student.  

Joining Asuncion and Swarm on the Academic All-State squad in 2024 are Carter Applewhite (Football), Daniel Ferrante (Men's Cross Country/Track & Field), Tessa Trate (Women's Tennis), and Alyssa Wilkinson (Cheerleading).  

Following outstanding efforts both in and out of the classroom during the 2023-24 school year, the six CNU student-athletes were joined by over 200 others representing 36 colleges and universities from around the Commonwealth named to the All-State squad. In order to be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be at least a sophomore academically while maintaining a 3.25 cumulative grade point average. Each institution in Virginia is eligible to nominate up to six athletes for the All-State award.

(CNU All-State picks in alphabetical order by last name...)
 
Carter Applewhite - Senior - Football - Sandston, Va.
 
Applewhite enjoyed a breakout season during his senior year with the Captains and recorded 20 total tackles with one interception. The veteran defensive back finished with 10 solo and 10 assisted stops including a season-high five tackles both at Rowan and at home against Montclair State. At Dickinson, Applewhite snagged his first career pick and returned the interception for eight yards. 
 
During his senior year, he helped lead the Captains to the first New Jersey Athletic Conference Championship in program history and a return to the NCAA Tournament. The Captains finished with a 7-4 overall record including a 5-1 mark in NJAC action. CNU In the 11th postseason appearance for CNU football, Applewhite and the Captains battled against nationally-ranked Randolph-Macon on the road before suffering a 28-20 loss to end the season.

Abby Asuncion - Graduate Student - Field Hockey - Ashburn, Va.
 
Honored as the Virginia State Player of the Year for the third straight season, Asuncion punctuated her career with an incredible haul of individual and team accolades. A four-time first team All-State selection, she wrapped up the most decorated career in program history after stockpiling awards during her final year with the Captains. During the fall, she was named a first-team All-American by the NFHCA and was named the Region VI and C2C Player of the Year. 

On the field, Asuncion led the league with 33 points, while her 14 goals placed her second in the conference and equaled the eighth most by a Captain. She recorded at least one point in 13 of her 17 appearances, including four multi-goal efforts. Eight of her points came against top-20 competition, including a second-half rocket against No. 6 Salisbury in the league championship on November 4. She is a three-time All-American and four-time first team All-Conference, All-State, and All-Region selection.  

Daniel Ferrante - Senior - Men's Cross Country/Track & Field - Sterling, Va.
 
Celebrated as an Academic All-District selection for a third consecutive year, Ferrante became just the fourth track & field standout in school history to earn three career All-District nods from the College Sports Communicators. He continued to dominate as one of Christopher Newport's top distance runners in 2023-24 as he picked up All-Conference and All-Region honors in cross country while qualifying for the national championships for the second straight year. After transitioning to the track, he secured All-League accolades in the indoor mile and outdoor 1500 while ranking 49th nationally in the latter event. 

Ferrante continues to stockpile awards for his work both in and out of the classroom as he also was honored as a USTFCCCA National All-Academic selection for the fourth time in his career. The Computer Science major is a perennial Academic All-Conference selection and carries a GPA north of 3.8 with over 150 credits completed at Christopher Newport. 

Natalie Swarm - Senior - Women's Soccer - Potomac Falls, Va.

Concluding one of the top academic careers in CNU athletics history, Natalie Swarm wrapped up her tenure with a perfect 4.0 GPA and acceptance into one of the most prestigious medical schools in the country. Her spectacular career as a student-athlete was punctuated with a degree in Cellular, Molecular, and Physiological Biology with a pre-med track as a four-time Conference All-Academic team selection. She earned College Sports Communicators Academic All-District honors in 2023 and plans to study for a Masters of Science in Anesthesia from the Indiana University School of Medicine. 

On the pitch, Swarm was an impact player in the top-ranked Captains offense while playing all 22 games in her final season. She scored three goals and added two assists for eight total points and was named the Coast-To-Coast Athletic Conference Scholar-Athlete of the Year for women's soccer. During her tenure, the CNU women's soccer never lost a game, posting an impressive 60-0-7 overall record. 

Tessa Trate - Senior - Women's Tennis - Boone, N.C.
 
A precedent-setting student-athlete for the nationally-ranked Christopher Newport women's tennis program, Trate earns her first career Academic All-State selection after a dominant senior season that saw her become just the second player in program history to compete in both the NCAA Division III Singles and Doubles National Championships. With another standout season on the court, Trate became the first player in CNU Women's Tennis history to garner first team All-Conference honors in both singles and doubles in all four years of her career. 

With playing partner Raine Weis, Trate was named the C2C Doubles Team of the Year and finished the season ranked No. 11 in the nation. The duo put together one of the historically great careers as a partnership, ranking third all-time in career doubles victories at Christopher Newport. They continuously made history, becoming the first tandem in program lore to qualify for nationals and earning the highest national ranking for a doubles team ever, at No. 9 in the ITA computerized rankings this Spring. 

Alyssa Wilkinson - Senior - Cheerleading - Chesterfield, Va.

A staple on the sidelines during Christopher Newport football and basketball games throughout her career, Wilkinson has been a consistent member of both the sideline and competition cheerleading squads over the last three years. A flyer from Chesterfield, Va., Wilkinson established herself as a leader both on and off game day for the Captains.  She served as team captain during her senior year and was a member of the President's Leadership Program and the CNU Honors Program. She graduated with a perfect 4.0 GPA while earning a degree in Cellular, Molecular, and Physiological Biology, has been accepted and will begin medical school this Fall. 

Wilkinson and the rest of the CNU Competition Cheerleaders had a memorable debut at the program's first National Cheerleaders Association (NCA) National Championship appearance. The Captains put together a pair of routines with zero deductions to run away with the first ever NCA national title and the fifth championship in program history. Wilkinson helped lift CNU to a win of the Intermediate All-Girls Division III category which featured 19 of the top programs from around the nation.