LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- Mason Bellinger, Daniel Siaton, and Jamie Smith were all recognized as Scholar All-Americans by the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association, while the entire Christopher Newport men's lacrosse squad received the National Academic Team Award after excelling both athletically and academically throughout the 2026 campaign.

Headlining the honorees, Bellinger, Siaton, and Smith became the first Captains to earn Scholar All-American honors since 2024. In order to receive the recognition, student-athletes must be an award-winning senior member of the team while boasting a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher. Overall, 22 Captains have now earned the award in program history.

Meanwhile, CNU also picked up the National Academic Team Award for the sixth straight season. The prestigious honor is bestowed upon programs that have attained a team GPA of 3.0 or higher.

In addition to their academic success, the Captains also advanced to the NCAA Quarterfinals for the sixth straight season this spring. Remarkably, Christopher Newport is the only program from any level of the NCAA that has reached the Quarterfinals and earned the National Academic Team Award during each of the past six years.

One of the most decorated players in program history, Bellinger concluded his career as a unanimous first-team All-American after securing top accolades from USILA, IMLCA, and USA Lacrosse Magazine. The fourth-year phenom was also named the IMLCA National Defensive Player of the Year and the USILA National Goalie of the Year for his performance in the crease.

During his senior campaign, Bellinger established the single-season school record and ranked third in the NCAA with 286 saves. He also set a new program standard with a .593 save percentage. Along the way, he broke the single-game saves record with 26 stops during a 12-9 win over No. 6 Salisbury on April 18. Overall, he pocketed at least 10 stops in 16 of his appearances, including nine against nationally-ranked competition.

Solidifying his spot as one of the most accomplished short-stick defensive midfielders in school history, Siaton earned second-team All-American honors from USA Lacrosse Magazine while garnering honorable mention recognition from USILA. Along with his national honors, he also picked up first-team All-League nods for his performance during the spring.

Seeing action in all 22 games, Siaton ranked first among all SSDMs in the Coastal Lacrosse Conference with 40 ground balls. Tormenting the opposition, he also caused 14 turnovers and had at least one strip in 11 of his appearances. Equally effective in transition, he helped the Captains rank fifth in the NCAA with a .904 clearing percentage. On an individual level, he pitched in with seven points, including six assists.

A lethal force on the offensive end, Smith was a consensus All-American after picking up first-team honors from USA Lacrosse Magazine and third-team citations from USILA. He was also a first-team All-Conference selection and a second-team All-Region pick after matching his own single-season school record with 84 total goals.

Just the third player in Division III history to lead the country in goals in back-to-back seasons, he also slotted fourth in the nation with 12 man-up tallies. Overall, his 96 total points marked the fifth-most by a Captain in program history. Consistently effective, he scored at least once in all 22 games and had 19 multi-goal efforts, including 16 hat-tricks. The fourth-year phenom also deposited a league-high nine game-winning tallies.

In the end, Christopher Newport advanced to the NCAA Quarterfinals while compiling an 18-4 record during the spring. The squad eventually finished the year ranked fifth in the final USILA National Coaches Poll.

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