COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- After excelling both in the classroom and on the field throughout the 2025 campaign, nine members of the Christopher Newport field hockey team were named to the NFHCA National Academic Squad, which was announced by the National Field Hockey Coaches Association on Wednesday morning.
Earning the accolade for the third straight year,
Kendall Gibson,
Caroline Hughlett,
Courtney Hughlett, and
Lindsey Loar headlined the honorees. Meanwhile,
Avery Mast and
Gigi Stephan picked up the recognition for the second consecutive season, while
Brylee Johnston,
Anna Mosciano, and
Kelly Via secured the prestigious award for the first time.
Overall, Christopher Newport's nine honorees equaled the fourth-most in program history and matched the highest total since 2020.
In order to receive the recognition, student-athletes must have a cumulative GPA of 3.50 or higher through the fall semester.
Since CNU was first represented on the National Academic Squad in 2006, 55 different Captains have earned the award. Of those, 36 have received multiple accolades, including 12 three-time honorees and nine four-time recipients.
As a result of their academic and athletic achievements, Loar and the Hughlett twins added their names to an exclusive list of standout student-athletes. They joined CNU Hall of Famer
Marlene Lichty and former legends Abby Asuncion and Rachel Cooke as the only Captains to earn NFHCA All-American honors and National Academic citations in the same season.
Courtney Hughlett also joined Asuncion and Lichty as the only players to accomplish the feat twice.
Along with the three All-Americans, Gibson, Mast, and Via were All-Region selections for their efforts. Additionally, Stephan saw action in all 20 games, Johnston ranked second among freshmen in minutes, and Mosciano made four appearances in the cage while helping the team rank first in the nation with a 0.39 goals-against-average.
In the end, CNU advanced to the Final Four for the second time in school history while producing a 19-1 record in the fall. Along the way, the Captains picked up eight wins against nationally-ranked competition and spent seven weeks slotted first in the NFHCA National Coaches Poll.
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