AUSTIN, Texas -- Wrapping up an unforgettable first season with the Christopher Newport women's soccer team, sophomore midfielder Hanna Heaton was named a third-team Academic All-American by the College Sports Communicators on Wednesday afternoon. After excelling both on and off the pitch for the nationally-ranked CNU women's soccer team, Heaton becomes just the second player in program history to receive the prestigious award. 

Heaton joins an exclusive list of just 14 Christopher Newport student-athletes to earn Academic All-American honors. She joins three-time honoree Carson Pokorny as the only women's soccer players to receive the recognition. 

Regarded as one of the most prestigious honors in collegiate sports, the Academic All-American program was founded in 1952 and recognizes standouts from all sports across all divisions of the NCAA. In order to be eligible for the award, student-athletes must have at least a 3.50 cumulative GPA while serving as a starter or key reserve on their team. 

The Captains' leading scorer in 2023, Heaton hauled in first team All-Region plaudits in her first season wearing the royal blue and silver. After transferring into the program following her freshman year at UNC Wilmington, Heaton made an immediate impact to the fifth-ranked Captains with her outstanding play moving the ball forward. She led CNU in all three major offensive categories with 20 points on seven goals and six assists while also taking a team-high 34 shots on-goal. 

Heaton scored four game-winning goals and was an integral piece of the CNU attack on restarts. She led the team in corner kick attempts, taking 50 over the course of the season, and often served on free kicks. She started 20 of her 21 games played and was named a first team All-Conference player. 

Off the field, Heaton posted a 4.0 cumulative GPA while majoring in Cybersecurity. She was the only sophomore selected to the Division III Academic All-American teams in 2023 and one of only five sophomores across the NCAA including Divisions I, II, and III to earn the honor. The Gloucester, Va. native is the first Academic All-American since 2019 and was one of five CNU players to garner Academic All-District honors in 2023. 

With the help of Heaton on the field, the Captians finished 19-0-3 and captured the Coast-To-Coast Athletic Conference regular season and tournament championships. CNU advanced to the NCAA Division III National Quarterfinals before falling in a PK shootout, 4-3, to eventual national champion Cal Lutheran.