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Christopher Newport University

Newport News, VA 23606
Virginia Northeast
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Lisa Valentine

Taking the reins in 2016 as just the fourth head coach in program history, Lisa Valentine has made a substantial impact on the Captains and guided the team to a 77-61 record over the last eight seasons. Along the way, Christopher Newport has returned to the national spotlight while securing a trip to the NCAA Tournament and becoming a regular in the IWLCA National Coaches Poll.


During Valentine’s first season in Newport News, the squad climbed to 15th in the national rankings. Since then, the Captains have continued to earn recognition, including a consistent spot in the poll over the past three seasons. Since 2021, the team has spent 13 weeks in the top-25.


Earning national respect, Christopher Newport secured a bid to the NCAA Tournament in 2023 and advanced to the second round of the national playoffs for the second time in program history. Along with their work in the postseason, Valentine’s squads have continued to face and defeat some of the top programs in the country during the regular season as well.


Since 2016, Christopher Newport has knocked off six nationally-ranked opponents, including a victory over No. 10 Catholic in 2016. That stands as the highest-ranked squad ever defeated by the Captains.


Under Valentine’s tutelage, Christopher Newport has also remained one of the most statistically dominant teams in the country. In 2016, the Captains finished atop the NCAA with a .580 free-position percentage. Additionally, the program led the conference in goals-per-game in 2016 and 2018, while the latter squad also ranked 11th in the NCAA in saves.


In addition to the team’s success, Valentine has helped 22 Captains earn All-Conference honors, while 15 players have collected All-Region accolades. Headlining the decorated contingent, four standouts have secured All-American citations from the Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association. Kelsey Winters became the program’s first three-time honoree, including a first-team award in 2023. Meanwhile, Sarah Culver, Meaghan Galvin, and Julia Iapicca also earned top plaudits from the IWLCA during their standout careers.


Equally impressive off the field, Christopher Newport has been recognized as an IWLCA Academic Honor Squad seven times since Valentine arrived on campus. The Captains also earned the IWLCA Community Awareness Award in 2016, which is bestowed upon the program that has made outstanding contributions on the campus and in the community.


Along with her efforts overseeing the Captains, Valentine has remained a key figure in the women’s lacrosse community. She has a vote on the IWLCA National Coaches Poll and serves as the Chesapeake Region chair on the All-American Committee. Additionally, she chairs the Coast-to-Coast Athletic Conference Coaches Committee, is a gold member of the IWLCA Mentoring Program, and has served eight years as a site representative during the NCAA Tournament.


Off the field, Valentine has also made her presence felt around campus in a variety of roles, including her work as an advisor for the Morgan’s Message organization at Christopher Newport.


Prior to arriving in Newport News, Valentine spent five years as the head coach at St. Mary’s (Md.). During her time with the Seahawks, she compiled an overall record of 49-39, including a 22-15 ledger in league action. Along the way, the team reached the semifinals of the CAC Tournament in 2013 and 2015.


During her final year at St. Mary’s, the Kent Island, Maryland native led the Seahawks to a 13-5 record, including a 6-2 mark in the CAC. She also registered a 12-win campaign during her first year at the helm in 2011.


In her time at St. Mary’s, she coached eight All-Region honorees and 15 All-Conference performers. Just as impressive in the classroom, Valentine’s teams were named IWLCA Division III Academic Squads from 2012-14.


Between her time at St. Mary’s and Christopher Newport, Valentine boasts a 126-100 career record. With her success at both locations, she became just the 16th coach in NCAA history to record at least 40 wins at two different Division III institutions.


Prior to her time as a head coach, Valentine served on the coaching staff at Washington College of Maryland from 2008-11. She was an assistant with the Shorewomen in the summer of 2008 before being promoted to Senior Assistant Coach and recruiting coordinator the following summer.


A 2006 graduate of the University of Maryland, she played lacrosse for the Division I powerhouse for four seasons. As a Terrapin, she helped the team reach the NCAA Tournament all four years, including a trip to the Final Four in 2003.


Valentine earned her B.A. in economics from Maryland in May, 2006.

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Rebecca Hartrum

Rebecca Hartrum begins her eighth year on the coaching staff with the Christopher Newport women’s lacrosse program and was promoted to Assistant Head Coach during the summer of 2023.


During her time with the Captains, Hartrum has played an integral role on the coaching staff. She has helped Christopher Newport compile a 68-51 record while climbing as high as 15th in the IWLCA National Coaches Poll. Meanwhile, the team advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament for the second time in program history in 2023. The Captains have also knocked off six nationally-ranked programs under her watch, including four during the 2021 campaign.


Along with the team’s accomplishments, Hartrum has helped mentor 21 All-Conference performers and 15 All-Region selections during her tenure. Additionally, Meaghan Galvin, Julia Iapicca, and Kelsey Winters all earned IWLCA All-American accolades for their efforts.


In addition to her time at Christopher Newport, Hartrum previously served as an assistant coach at Virginia Wesleyan in 2015 and was the head coach at Fox Chapel High School in Pennsylvania in 2019. She also saw time as an assistant at the high school level with West Chester East in Pennsylvania and Cape Henry Collegiate in Virginia Beach. Meanwhile, she spent time as the Director of Coaching at Virginia Rush Athletics from 2013-15 and worked as the Women’s Lacrosse Director at the United Sports Training Center in Downingtown, Pennsylvania from 2012-13.


Prior to joining the professional ranks, Hartrum excelled as a lacrosse player at nearby Old Dominion. From 2009-12, she starred on the attack for the Lady Monarchs and was a team captain during her final two campaigns. A three-year starter, she was the squad’s second-leading scorer as a senior and paced the team in free-position goals.


Equally impressive in high school, she was a decorated member of the Springfield (Pa.) lacrosse team, which captured the PIAA District I Championship while posting a perfect 21-0 record during her junior year. That squad was eventually inducted into the Springfield Athletics Hall of Fame.


A communications major with a marketing minor, Hartrum graduated with honors from ODU in 2012.

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Riley Rafterry-Lee

Assistant Coach

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Mikey Thompson

During his time with the Christopher Newport men’s lacrosse program, Mikey Thompson has helped the Captains establish a new standard of success while building the program into a consistent power on the national stage.


After spending four seasons as an assistant coach with the Captains beginning in the fall of 2011, Thompson was elevated to head coach in 2016. During his time in Newport News, he has helped CNU earn five NCAA Tournament berths, climb to the top of the USILA National Coaches Poll, and shatter nearly every conceivable program record.


Since taking the reins of the team in 2016, he has compiled a 106-35 record, including a 30-11 ledger in conference action. Meanwhile, the Captains have also made their mark on the national stage, winning eight games in the NCAA Tournament, including trips to the Final Four in 2021 and 2023.


For his efforts on the sidelines, Thompson is a six-time Virginia State Coach of the Year after securing the honor in 2016, 2018, 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023. He was also celebrated along with his assistants as the IMLCA Region 3 Coaching Staff of the Year following the 2021 and 2022 campaigns.


Rounding out his honors, he was selected as the Coast-to-Coast Athletic Conference Coach of the Year after leading the Captains to the regular season league championship and the NCAA Quarterfinals in 2022.


Among the highlights during his tenure as the head coach, Thompson has led the Captains to 23 victories over nationally-ranked opponents, including a triumph over No. 1 Salisbury in 2022 and No. 1 RIT in 2023. However, arguably his finest performances have come during the national playoffs.


After leading the squad to the NCAA Sweet 16 in 2018, he topped that performance with a remarkable run three years later. During the 2021 playoffs, Thompson guided Christopher Newport to a 10-5 win at No. 12 Stevenson before an epic 12-11 overtime triumph against No. 4 Lynchburg in the NCAA Quarterfinals.


Incredibly, since 1990, no Division III men’s lacrosse team has gone from its inaugural season to the national semifinals quicker than the Captains did after Thompson helped Christopher Newport reach the Final Four in only the program’s 15th year of existence.


Following the team's incredible performance in 2021, Thompson’s crew continued to shine under the bright lights with trips to the Elite Eight in 2022 and a return to the Final Four in 2023.


Earning respect for the program’s success, Christopher Newport broke into the USILA National Coaches Poll for the first time in 2016. Since then, the squad has been a mainstay in the rankings. Over the past six seasons, the Captains have been ranked in the top-20 in 67 USILA polls, including five weeks as the No. 1 team in the country in 2022 and 2023.


Statistically, Christopher Newport has also consistently ranked among the top programs in the NCAA. Under Thompson’s tutelage, the Captains have slotted in the top-20 nationally in almost every statistical category, including faceoff percentage, scoring offense, and scoring defense. The program also stood first in the country in caused-turnovers-per-game in 2019 and 2022.


In addition to the team’s success, he has also mentored some of the top individual talents in program history. Under Thompson, Christopher Newport Hall of Famer Randy Foster became the team’s first All-American after earning honorable mention accolades in 2016 and 2017. Since then, 18 other players have collected national plaudits, including some of the highest individual honors in the NCAA.


In 2022, Max Wayne was named the USILA National Player and Defenseman of the Year, while Campbell Pozin was selected as the National Short-Stick Defensive Midfielder of the Year. In 2023, Ryan Young was named the National Defenseman of the Year, and Andrew Cook was celebration as the National Midfielder of the Year while also earning a spot on the prestigious Tewaaraton Award Watch List.


Rounding out the top honorees, Alex Brendes was named the Inside Lacrosse National Freshman of the Year for his efforts in 2020.


Along with the national awards, the Captains have earned 53 All-Conference honors, 48 All-State accolades, and 25 All-Region plaudits since Thompson took over as head coach in 2016. Equally successful in the classroom, his program has produced 16 USILA Scholar All-Americans, including seven in 2023. That equaled the fourth-highest single-season total by any school in the history of the award.


Prior to taking the reins of the program, Thompson was an integral part of the coaching staff since 2011. As an assistant coach, he helped lead CNU to its first-ever NCAA Tournament berth in 2013 and a successful transition to the vaunted Capital Athletic Conference the following year.


During Thompson’s time as an assistant, the Captains established themselves as a contender in the CAC and one of the up-and-coming lacrosse programs in the region. During CNU’s first year in the Capital, the squad registered a 10-6 overall record, including a victory over No. 2 Salisbury on April 2, which marked the Sea Gulls’ first regular season conference loss since 2011.


One year later, Thompson helped lead Christopher Newport to an 11-5 mark in 2015. Along the way, the Captains finished third in the regular season conference standings after compiling a 6-2 record in league action.


Arriving at CNU in the fall of 2011, Thompson brought championship-level experience as both a player and coach from his days at the University of Virginia. Coming from one of the most storied programs in the nation, he competed collegiately with the Cavaliers and also served as a student-assistant coach.


During his time in Charlottesville, Thompson served as one of Virginia’s three captains during the team’s 2010 ACC title run. The following year, after transitioning to the sidelines, he kicked off his coaching career during UVa’s national championship campaign in 2011.


Following his time with the Cavaliers, Thompson was selected in the 2011 Supplemental Draft by the Denver Outlaws of Major League Lacrosse before arriving at CNU. He returned to the professional ranks as an assistant coach in 2023 after joining the Cannons Lacrosse Club of the Premier Lacrosse League.

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