COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- Following a remarkable season both on the field and in the classroom, Christopher Newport junior Caroline Hughlett was recognized as the NFHCA National Scholar-Athlete of the Year, which was announced by the National Field Hockey Coaches Association on Thursday morning.

One of the most prestigious honors in the nation, the award is presented annually to the first-team All-American with the highest cumulative grade-point-average through the fall semester. It is reserved for the student-athlete who has achieved the highest combined success in both their athletic and academic pursuits.

Hughlett became the first Captain in program history to receive the NFHCA award. Meanwhile, across all sports at Christopher Newport, she became just the second student-athlete to be named a National Scholar-Athlete of the Year. In that club, she joined women's soccer legend and CNU Hall of Famer Gabby Gillis, who was recognized by the United Soccer Coaches Association in 2018.

Boasting a pristine 4.0 GPA as an accounting major, Hughlett has stockpiled awards for her academic achievements. Earlier this year, she was named an NFHCA Scholar of Distinction for the third time in her career while garnering a spot on the organization's National All-Academic Team. Additionally, she has been a perennial Academic All-Conference and All-District performer.

During the fall campaign, the Charlottesville, Virginia native was also a finalist for the NCAA Elite Scholar-Athlete Award, which is annually bestowed upon the student-athlete with the highest cumulative GPA at the Final Four.

Along with her scholarly success, Hughlett was equally impressive on the field for the Captains. During her junior season, she secured first-team All-American accolades while solidifying her spot among the nation's top standouts. A dynamic threat on the offensive side of the ball, she finished the year with 23 points. In addition to scoring seven goals, she dished out nine assists, which established a new career-high and equaled the 13th-most by any player in program history.

Providing some of the most exciting highlights during a season filled with memorable moments, Hughlett was the epitome of a prime-time player. Stepping up in clutch situations, she scored the game-winning goal with less than one second left in double-overtime to seal a 2-1 win over No. 3 Salisbury on October 8. One month later, she assisted on the lone tally during a 1-0 triumph against the same squad in the NCAA Quarterfinals on November 16.

In addition to her work against the Sea Gulls, she also landed the clinching blow in wins over New Paltz on October 14 and Mary Washington on October 29. Meanwhile, she converted a high-stakes, make-or-break penalty stroke during an overtime shootout against Messiah on September 20, which helped ice a thrilling 1-0 victory.

Stuffing the stat sheet throughout the year, Hughlett opened the season with four assists against Bridgewater on August 29, which equaled the second-highest total in program history. She also posted her third career multi-goal effort with a pair of strikes against St. Mary's (Md.) on October 22 after notching a similar four-point performance at Montclair State on September 27.

Overall, Hughlett contributed at least one point in nine of her appearances and collected two or more on seven occasions. Among her high-volume outbursts, she had three points, including a penalty stroke, during a 2-0 win at No. 13 York (Pa.) on October 4.

Just as effective on the other side of the ball, Hughlett saw action on the squad's vaunted penalty corner defense, which successfully handled 94 percent of the opposition's attempts during the year. Among her individual efforts, she blocked a shot in the second half of a nationally-ranked duel at No. 11 Williams on October 12 after brushing aside another on-target rip against Ohio Wesleyan on September 13.

Hughlett's defensive efforts helped the Captains hold their opposition to a combined .068 shooting percentage during the season, which was the lowest in program history and the second-finest mark in the entire NCAA. Eventually, CNU finished the year with the country's top-ranked scoring defense, which allowed just 0.39 goals per game. That was the ninth-best rate in Division III history.

Aided by her work during the year, Hughlett concluded her junior season ranked fifth in program history with 22 career assists and nine game-winning goals. Additionally, her seven penalty strokes stand second on the school's all-time leaderboard. 

A mainstay on the field, Hughlett has started all 57 games over the past three seasons, which equals the eighth-longest "Iron Man" streak in program history.

In addition to her All-American citation in the fall, Hughlett is also a two-time All-Conference, All-State, and All-Region honoree. 

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