AUSTIN, Texas -- Adding another prestigious accomplishment to a growing mantel of individual achievements, Christopher Newport junior standout Hanna Heaton was named a First Team Academic All-American by the College Sports Communicators on Wednesday afternoon. 

Following in field hockey legend Abby Asuncion's stead just a few short months prior, Heaton becomes only the second Christopher Newport student-athlete in any sport to garner first team All-American and first team Academic All-American honors. The duo stand alone amongst the roughly 8,000 student-athletes who have competed at Christopher Newport and the 18 Academic All-Americans in Captains lore. 

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 College Sports Communicators, formerly known as CoSIDA, the College Sports Information Directors Association, have been honoring the nation's top student-athletes for decades. 

It is the second time that Heaton has hauled in the esteemed certificate after earning third team Academic All-American plaudits in 2023. She is now one of only seven Captains to earn the recognition multiple times in her career, joining Asuncion, Dylan Rice (Men's Lacrosse), Carson Pokorny (Women's Soccer), Casey Taylor, Zoe Stauffer, and Adrianna DeSantis (Track & Field). 

The 2024 CSC Academic All-Americans were announced at Noon on Wednesday with 33 total NCAA Division III players being recognized. Heaton was one of only three juniors on the first team after posting a 3.97 cumulative GPA through her first two years in the Royal Blue and Silver while studying toward a degree in Cybersecurity. 

On the field, Heaton established herself as a record-setting soccer star in her second season, recording 45 total points on 14 goals and 17 assists. She joined elite company as only the second player ever to reach 45 points in a single season as she is now paired with only all-time leading scorer Riley Cook on the scoring charts. She found the back of the net 14 times and shattered the program record for assists in a season with 17, besting the previous mark by four. 

The Gloucester, Va. native was named the Coast-To-Coast Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Year and went on to collect her second straight first team All-Region certificate. She carried the load for CNU offensively, playing a role in 31 of 68 total scores during the year including six goals in the NCAA Tournament. Through her first three years of collegiate soccer, Heaton ranks 10th among active players in Division III with 0.52 assists per game; that mark leads CNU all-time and she has already climbed to sixth all-time at Christopher Newport with 23 career helpers. 

Last season, Heaton was the only sophomore selected to the Academic All-America team and continues to set a new standard of success at Christopher Newport through her second year. 

With the help of Heaton on the field, the Captains finished 19-2-2 overall and reached the NCAA Division III National Semifinals for the third time in program history. CNU and the Captains led the postseason tournament in scoring before falling to eventual national champion and top-ranked Washington University (Mo.) in the final four. 

For a complete list of the 2024 College Sports Communicators Academic All-Americans, click here.