PITMAN, N.J. -- Earning a pair of first-place votes, the Christopher Newport men's lacrosse team eventually finished second overall in the Coastal Lacrosse Conference Preseason Coaches Poll, which was announced by the league office on Wednesday afternoon.
The Captains hauled in 22 total points in the rankings, which slotted them just behind Salisbury, who collected 24 points and four first-place votes. Following the top-two teams, Kean placed third overall, Mary Washington and Stockton tied for fourth, and Warren Wilson rounded out the standings.
Christopher Newport has now earned at least one first-place vote and finished second overall in each of the league's three preseason rankings since the CLC was founded in 2024.
In addition to the conference rankings, CNU previously earned high marks in the
USA Lacrosse Magazine National Preseason Poll. Last week, Christopher Newport was slotted second in the publication's initial release. That equaled the highest preseason ranking ever attained by the Captains.
Last year, CNU posted an 18-4 record, including a 4-1 mark in conference play. The squad eventually dropped an overtime thriller in the league championship before making a run to the Elite Eight in the NCAA Tournament as an at-large selection. Along the way, the Captains were ranked in the top-10 nationally throughout the season before finishing sixth in the final USILA National Coaches Poll.
Christopher Newport welcomes back six players who earned All-League accolades last year, including three first-team honorees.
Mason Bellinger,
Mark Davison, and
Kevin Miller were all top award-winners last year and earned first-team
USA Lacrosse Magazine Preseason All-American honors this spring.
Colin DeGrassi,
Jackson Platner, and
Jamie Smith were also second-team All-CLC selections in 2025.
In addition to Bellinger, Davison, and Miller, CNU boasts four other Preseason All-Americans. Smith was a second-team selection, while DeGrassi,
Rory Keverline, and
Daniel Siaton hauled in honorable mention nods. The seven honorees marked the highest total in program history and equaled the most by any team in the country this year.
Overall, Christopher Newport's current roster features a dozen players who appeared in all 22 games last season, including nine starters. The team's veteran contingent includes four of the program's top-five scorers from 2025 as well as Davison, DeGrassi, and
Brett Kelley, who comprised the starting defensive unit during the team's postseason run.
CNU will kick off the season on Saturday when the Captains host Elizabethtown at noon.
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