Navy Sports

GreatAmerican · February 20, 2008, 8:46pm

For Immediate Release
Sent Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2008
Contact Justin Kischefsky (410) 293-8772

Navy to Host This Week’s Patriot League Swimming and Diving Championship

ANNAPOLIS, Md. - The Naval Academy’s Lejeune Hall will be the host venue for the Patriot League Men’s and Women’s Swimming and Diving Championship, which runs this Thursday through Saturday. The session of trial heats will begin daily at 10:30 a.m., with the finals slated to start at 6 p.m. each night.

Ticket prices are $5 for each morning session and $7 for each evening session, while an all-session pass is $30. All current midshipmen will be admitted free throughout the championship.

Tickets are available at Lejeune Hall prior to each of the six sessions, as well as online through [NavySports.com</a> - Official Athletic Site for Navy Athletics<a href=“go%20to%20one%20of%20the%20swimming%20team%20home%20pages%20for%20a%20direct%20link%20to%20the%20championship%20ticket%20page”>/url</a>.

Live results from the championship will be available through the Gametracker page on <a href=“http://www.navysports.com(%5B/url%5D.)”>www.navysports.com(](<a href=“http://www.navysports.com%5DNavySports.com”>http://www.navysports.com).)</a>

This year marks the sixth time Lejeune Hall will serve as the host site for the league championship meet, the most visits by the league to any venue. The Navy women’s team has competed in the championship meet in each of the five previous times the event has been contested on The Yard, while this will be the third time the Navy men’s team will compete for the championship in its own pool. The Navy women have won titles four times in Annapolis, while the Navy men are attempting to win their third crown in as many visits by the league.

Both Navy teams will be looking to continue their recent success at the championship, with the men’s squad attempting to win their fifth league crown in as many years and the women’s program chasing its second-straight title and league-best 10th championship overall.

“We are excited to begin the championship portion of our season,” said Navy men’s swimming head coach Bill Roberts. “We have enjoyed success at the Patriot League Championship in the past due to a complete team effort. We will need that again in order to reach the goals we have set for ourselves this year. We cannot afford to take any events off or for granted. You have to earn a championship and that only comes through hard work and desire.”

“The difference between winning and losing at this meet is very minute,” said Navy women’s swimming head coach John Morrison. “Our veteran swimmers have been through both and their past experiences as to those differences and how to respond to both being ahead and trailing will be invaluable for us this weekend. We have worked hard all year for this opportunity and we couldn’t be more excited that it is finally here.”

Some of the key performers for the Navy men’s team are Alex Oldenkamp (Jr., Coppell, Texas), Adam Meyer (So., Bethesda, Md.) and Erik Hunter (Fr., Placerville, Calif.).

Oldenkamp is one of the top sprinters in the league and posted a combined record of 11-4 in the 50 and 100 freestyle events during the regular season. Meyer, who won the 400 individual medley at last year’s championship meet, was a combined 8-0 this year in the two IM events while compiling a 12-2 mark in the 200 butterfly. Hunter, meanwhile, proved to be one of the top distance swimmers in the league this year and has the potential to challenge for the titles in both the 500 and 1650 freestyle events.

Also for Navy, Billy Vey (Jr., Huntersville, N.C.) returns one year after winning the 200 backstroke and 200 IM titles at the league meet, while James Lascara (So., Charlotte, N.C.), the 2007 champion in the 500 free, will join Hunter in headlining Navy’s distance swimmers.

Additional past All-Patriot League performers for Navy who also return are Christopher Jenkins (Sr., Chicago, Ill.), Danny Mizelle (Sr., Rockville, Va.), Adam Niekras (Sr., Liverpool, N.Y.), David Guthmann (Jr., Waxhaw, N.C.), Preston Mihalko (Jr., Chesapeake, Va.), Ari Molina (Jr., Arlington, Va.) and Andrew Utama (So., Walnut, Calif.).

Highlighting the Navy women’s team are Katie Griffin (Sr., Ellicott City, Md.), Thuy-Mi Dinh (So., Anaheim, Calif.), Kelly Zahalka (Jr., Richmond, Va.) and Tara Chapmon (So., Virginia Beach, Va.).

Griffin won both diving events at last year’s league championship and, along with Army’s Lindsay Adao, is one of the co-favorites on both boards this year. Griffin completed the 2007-08 regular season with a combined record of 30-0 on the one and three-meter events. Dinh won both sprint freestyle crowns at the 2007 league championship and has posted the fastest times in the league in both events this year. Zahalka was tabbed as the 2007 swimmer of the meet after winning the 200 fly and both individual medley titles at the meet. She holds the Navy and league records in the 200 fly and 200 IM events and has totaled five league titles in relay and individual events. Chapmon, meanwhile, won the 200 free title last year and placed second in the 500 and 1650 events. She holds the Navy record in each of the three events.

Included among the newcomers to watch for Navy is Allison Ranzau (Fr., Alpharetta, Ga.) who has the ability to make her presence felt this weekend. A versatile swimmer, she won at least one race during the regular season in the 200 backstroke, the 200 free and the 500 freestyle events.

Other returning swimmers on the Navy roster who have garnered all-league honors during their respective careers are Rachel Gray (Sr., Latrobe, Pa.), Desiree’ Robison (Jr., Tucson, Ariz.), Jennie Spencer (Jr., Smithburg, W.Va.), Mallory Dietrich (So., Pittsburgh, Pa.) and Sarah Dorenkott (So., Hudson, Ohio).

GreatAmerican · February 20, 2008, 8:48pm

ANNAPOLIS, MD (Wednesday, February 20, 2008) - Navy seniors Donnie Horner and Nick Schwob, along with junior Matt Swezey, were among Eastern States Collegiate Hockey League (ESCHL) players earning major post-season honors, league commissioner Brian Moran announced today.

Horner was a co-recipient of the Sportsmanship Award and was named 2nd Team All-League. The State College, PA native has accumulated just four penalty minutes while playing in all of Navy’s 33 games this season. “DH” has also scored five goals and assisted on 12 others as a defenseman after playing last season primarily as a forward. Thus far in his Naval Academy career, the Political Science major and this year’s team president has accumulated 15 goals and 27 assists for 42 points in 92 games.

Schwob and Swezey joined Horner as 2nd Team All-League honorees.

Early this season Schwob broke into the Navy Hockey program’s prestigious 100 point club and currently has recorded 23 goals and 15 assists for 38 points in 31 games played. In his USNA career, the Buffalo, NY native and assistant team captain has so far racked up 76 goals and 47 assists for 123 points in 105 games.

Swezey has exploded offensively in the second semester after being moved from defense to a forward line. In 32 games played thus far, the Cohoes, New York native has scored 24 goals and assisted on 21 others for a team-leading 45 points. In two previous seasons as a freshman and sophomore, Swezey had scored eight goals and was credited with 15 assists for 23 points in 57 games.

“I am extremely proud of Donnie, Nick, and Matt for their outstanding achievements,” said first year head coach Mike Fox. "I think it’s a tribute to this year’s team, and to the Naval Academy’s hockey program in general, that three of our players were among those honored by the league. When you consider that three of the teams in our league are among the top eight teams nationally, it makes what Donnie, Nick, and Matt accomplished this season even more impressive.

“All in all, I think we had a good first year in this new powerhouse league,” coach Fox added. “While we all certainly would have liked to come up with a few more notches in the win column, we gave eventual league champion Penn State all they could handle in the semi-finals of the playoffs, which we were proud to host in our new facility. It was a great start, and I know the best is yet to come for this program.”

Navy still has four games remaining on its 2007-08 schedule. The Midshipmen face Seton Hall this Saturday in New Jersey, then return home to host the Military Club Hockey Tournament at the McMullen Hockey Arena the weekend of February 29-March 2.

The ESCHL awards announced today are as follows:

The Sportsmanship Award

Defense #3 Keith Jordan, Penn State University

Defense #12 Donnie Horner, United States Naval Academy

Rookie-of-the-Year

Forward #26 Tim O¹Brien, Penn State University

Most Valuable Player

Forward #25 Mike Gardner, University of Delaware

Tournament Most Valuable Player

Forward #27 Mike McMullen, Penn State University

Coach-of-the-Year

Mike DeAngelis University of Delaware

2nd Team All-League

Goalie #35 Andrew Lisi, University of Rhode Island

Defense #4 Matt Swezey, United States Naval Academy

Defense #12 Donnie Horner, United States Naval Academy

Forward #26 Justin Sexton, University of Delaware

Forward #23 Kari Marttineen, University of Delaware

Forward #22 Nick Schwob, United States Naval Academy

1st Team All-League

Goalie #33 Nicholas Signet, Penn State University

Defense #3 Keith Jordan, Penn State University

Defense #6 Joe Baumgartner, University of Delaware

Forward #25 Mike Gardner, University of Delaware

Forward #9 Lukas Delorenzo, Penn State University

Forward #26 Tim O¹Brien, Penn State University

GreatAmerican · February 20, 2008, 8:50pm

For Immediate Release
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Contact: Jonathan Maggart (410) 293-8771

Navy Picked to Win Patriot League in 2008

CENTER VALLEY, Pa. The Navy baseball team has been tabbed to win the Patriot League in this years league preseason poll, it was announced on Tuesday afternoon. The poll was voted on by each schools head coach and sports information contact.

Navy has been picked to win the league in several circles, as Baseball America, CollegeBaseballInsider.com and CSTV.com all have the Midshipmen winning the Patriot League and earning an automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament. The Mids have won the league regular season title eight times and the league postseason tournament on four occasions in their first-15 years in the Patriot League. Navy has advanced to the NCAA Tournament eight times in its program history.

This year, the Midshipmen welcome back 16 letterwinners from a 2007 squad that set a school record for wins with 35 and advanced to the Patriot League Tournament. Under the guidance of third-year Navy head coach Paul Kostacopoulos, the Mids have won 67 games over the past-two seasons, the highest total in school history. The Midshipmen bring back their entire starting weekend rotation from a staff that produced a 3.88 team ERA one season ago. Navy also welcomes back seven positional starters that posted a .960 fielding percentage and hit .287 in Patriot League play.

Navy (35-20, 12-8 PL) claimed four first-place votes en route to leading the Patriot League with 43 points in the preseason poll, edging defending league champion Lafayettes (33-20, 17-3 PL) 42 points and four first-place ballots for second place. Army (25-23-1, 12-7 PL) came in third with two first-place votes and 37 points, followed by Bucknells (16-24, 8-12 PL) two first-place ballots and 29 points, Lehighs (13-30-1, 2-18 PL) 17 points and Holy Crosss (12-23, 8-11 PL) 12 points.

The Patriot League will expand the postseason tournament to a four-team field this year. The No. 1 seed will host the No. 4 seed and the No. 2 seed will host the No. 3 seed in a best-of-three series on May 10-11. The winners of each of those sets will match up for a best-of-three series at the highest seed on May 17-18 for the Patriot League title and an automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament, starting on May 30.

The Midshipmen will begin the 2008 season this Friday when they head down to the Service Academy Spring Classic in Millington, Tenn., to take on Air Force, starting at 10 a.m. CST (11 a.m. EST).

GreatAmerican · February 20, 2008, 8:53pm

By BILL WAGNER, Staff Writer
Published February 20, 2008

Throughout the four-year tenure of head coach Billy Lange, Navy has been the hunter within the Patriot League. The Midshipmen have always resided in the bottom half of the eight-team league and been chasing such perennial contenders as Bucknell and Holy Cross.

Now, Navy suddenly finds itself in the role of being the hunted. A three-game winning streak has vaulted the Midshipmen into sole possession of second place in the Patriot League with four games remaining in the regular season.

It’s a different position than the Mids are accustomed and it will be interesting to see how the players react to their new-found prosperity. Ever since Saturday’s thrilling, last-second victory at Lafayette, Lange has reminded his charges that the up-and-coming program has not arrived yet.

“I told the team that we can’t look to the finish line right now. We need to continue running the race,” Lange said. “There’s still a long way to the finish and we need to improve and get stronger in order to win.”

Lange’s message rings true because the standings show how tight the Patriot League is this season. American holds first place with an 8-3 record, but it’s basically a logjam among the other seven schools. Navy stands second with a 6-4 mark while Lafayette and Lehigh are tied for third at 5-5. Bucknell and Holy Cross, which have combined to win the last three league championships, are tied with 5-6 marks.

“I feel good about what the team has accomplished so far. The players should take pride in being second in the league at this point in the season,” Lange said. “However, they realize things could change dramatically in a week because the separation between teams is so minimal. We’re two games out of first and two games out of last.”

Navy will seek to solidify its status in the upper echelon of the Patriot League tonight when it hosts defending champion Holy Cross. The Crusaders (14-10, 5-6) are every bit as hot as the Midshipmen, having won three in a row and five of their last seven.

Holy Cross, the preseason pick to repeat as league champ, was riddled with injuries earlier this season with five members of the regular rotation missing multiple games. The Crusaders opened conference play 0-4, suffering an 85-74 home loss to the Midshipmen during that tough stretch.

“Holy Cross has gotten healthier and is playing very good basketball right now,” Lange said. “They are a vastly different team than a month ago. They have won two straight road games and look very much like the defending league champ.”

Navy’s victory in Worcester on Jan. 23 snapped a 16-game losing streak to Holy Cross. The Mids will be seeking a season sweep of the Crusaders for the first time since 2000. Holy Cross has won seven straight meetings in Annapolis, blowing out Navy 60-48 in 2007 and 81-67 in 2006.

“Holy Cross has come into our arena and beaten our butts badly the last two years so this is a big test,” Lange said.

Navy (13-12, 6-4) is two games above .500 in league play for the first time since January, 2002. The Midshipmen are attempting to win four consecutive conference contests for the first time since the 2001 season.

Clearly, the primary reason behind Navy’s current three-game winning streak has been the ability to pull out close games. The Midshipmen lost three games by eight points or less during the first half of the league schedule, but have won their last three games by six points or less.

“We have been in so many close games that have come down to the last few possessions and we are finally gaining the poise that is critical in those situations,” Lange said. “Right now, our guys have a little bounce in their step, a little swagger in their stride. It’s good to see that because it shows this team is beginning to believe in itself.”

Junior guard Kaleo Kina agreed with that assessment and said the team’s collective confidence grows with each narrow victory.

“In this league, every game is a war and you need to know how to fight for the full 40 minutes,” Kina said. “Earlier this season, we had a few games that were very winnable and we had lapses that prevented us from finishing. We’re closing out games much better now because we’ve developed composure and understand what we need to do down the stretch.”

Holy Cross is one of the bigger teams in the Patriot League with six players ranging in height from 6-foot-8 to 6-11. The Crusaders try to take advantage of that size by playing an aggressive, physical zone defense that is extremely difficult to penetrate and forces opponents to shoot from the perimeter.

Senior center Tim Clifford, the preseason Patriot League Player of the Year, leads Holy Cross in scoring with 16.6 points per game. The 6-foot-11, 260-pound block of granite is doing much of his damage close to the basket in shooting 54.7 percent from the field.

Alexander Vander Baan, a 6-foot-9 junior forward, is averaging 8.9 points and a team-high 5.8 rebounds. Sophomore Adam May (6-foot-8) is another key member of a huge front-line rotation that could present some matchup difficulties for Navy.

Senior swingman Greg Sprink continues to lead the Patriot League in scoring at 21.2 points per game and ranks second in rebounding with an average of 6.2. Sprink recorded his ninth double-double of the season against Lafayette.

GreatAmerican · February 21, 2008, 7:19am

Holy Cross 56, Navy 53

For Immediate Release
Sent Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Contact Justin Kischefsky (410) 293-8772

Last Second Shot Rims Out for Navy in Loss

WORCESTER, Mass. - Kalen Kropa’s (Jr., Reidsville, N.C.) three-point attempt at the buzzer hit the rim twice before bouncing out to allow Holy Cross to escape with a 56-53 victory over the Navy women’s basketball team, Wednesday night at the Hart Center in Worcester, Mass.

Holy Cross held a 49-45 lead with just under four minutes left to play before Kropa made one of two free throw attempts followed by a three-point field goal, sandwiched around a Holy Cross missed field goal attempt, to tie the game at 49-49 with 2:25 left on the clock.

Kathy Gruzynski then was found alone underneath the basket for a layup to give the Crusaders a two-point advantage with two minutes left to play. Cassie Consedine (Fr., Bartlesville, Okla.) missed a three-point attempt for Navy, but K.C. Gordon (So., Vienna, Va.) was fouled while trying for the offensive rebound and was sent to the free throw line with 1:29 to play. She missed the front end of the bonus and Laura Alosi grabbed the rebound for Holy Cross.

Briana McFadden missed a shot in the lane for Holy Cross and Consedine rebounded to return the ball to Navy with 1:05 left on the clock. Angela Myers (Fr., San Antonio, Texas) would drill a three-pointer on the ensuing Navy possession to give the Mids a 52-51 lead with 48 seconds left.

Bethany O’Dell would miss a jumper for the Crusaders, but Gruzynski grabbed the offensive carom and fed Elizabeth Campbell in the lane for an easy bucket to give Holy Cross a 53-52 lead with 26 seconds remaining in the game.

Navy rushed the ball down the court and called timeout with 26 seconds left on the clock. Myers first had trouble receiving the inbounds pass in front the Navy bench, then overthrew Gordon and sent the ball out of bounds on a turnover with 17 seconds left.

The Mids fouled McFadden right after the ball was inbounded and she made both ensuing free throws to make it a 55-52 game with 14.9 seconds left to play. Kropa drove the lane and her attempt went over the basket, but Gordon was fouled while going for the ball with 8.3 seconds left in the game. She made the first attempt to cut the margin to two points, but missed the second. McFadden gathered in the loose ball and she was fouled with 7.1 seconds left in the game. She would miss the first attempt but nail the second to give the Crusaders a 56-53 lead.

Kropa received the inbounds pass and quickly rushed the ball down the court. She stopped just in front of the three-point line and the top of the key and let fly her game-tying attempt just before the buzzer. The ball hit the front of the rim, softly hit the back of the rim and fell out to end the game.

“This is historically a difficult place to play, and to take the game down to the last few seconds is a great effort on our part,” said Navy head coach Tom Marryott. "We gave ourselves a great opportunity to come away with a win.

“While we have a lot to be proud of tonight, this once again shows how important every possession is throughout the 40 minutes of the game.”

Navy executed very well on both ends of the floor at the start of the game in building a 16-6 advantage. The Navy lead was still 10 points at 20-10 following a jumper from Gordon with 10:40 left to play in the half. It would be the last field goal made by the Mids until a Whitney Davidson (Jr., New Oxford, Pa.) three-pointer with 2:25 left in the game. The triple by Davidson tied the score at 23-23 and the Mids would eventually go into halftime holding a 26-25 advantage.

Holy Cross would take a lead of as many as six points midway through the second half at 38-32 before Navy rallied to tie the game at 39-39.

Both teams made 19 field goals in the game and the Mids held a 6-2 advantage on three-pointers made, but Holy Cross converted 16-of-20 attempt from the foul line while Navy was 9-of-13 from the charity stripe.

Navy held a slim 34-33 lead in rebounds, but turned the ball over 21 times and forced Holy Cross into only 14 turnovers.

Consedine led all players in the game with 17 points and 11 rebounds to notch her 11th double-double of the season. Davidson added 10 points for Navy, Gordon scored nine points and Myers contributed three points, nine rebounds and six assists.

Campbell led Holy Cross with 13 points.

Navy falls to 6-20 on the year and 2-9 in the Patriot League with the loss, while Holy Cross improves to 15-11 on the season and 8-3 in the league with the victory.

Navy will next play Saturday at Army in the Star Game between the two programs. The game will begin at 11 a.m. and will be carried live on WNAV-AM 1430.

GreatAmerican · February 21, 2008, 7:20am

Sprink, Harris Fuel Navy Past Holy Cross, 72-66

ANNAPOLIS, Md. – Navy outscored Holy Cross, 29-17, in the final 12 minutes to rally for a 72-66 win over the Crusaders on Wednesday night in Alumni Hall. The win was Navy’s fourth in a row and pushes its record to 14-12 overall and 7-4 in the Patriot League. Holy Cross, which had won three in a row entering the game, fell to 14-11 overall and 5-7 in league play.

The four-game Patriot League winning streak is the longest for the Navy program since the 2000-01 season and keeps the Mids within a game-and-a-half of front-runner American (9-3) in the Patriot League standings.

In addition, coupled with Navy’s 85-74 win over Holy Cross on Jan. 23, the Mids have swept Holy Cross for the first time since the 1999-2000 season, and move three games over .500 in league play for the first time since the 2000-01 season.

“I was proud of how we responded even when we didn’t shoot well. We are learning how to execute down the stretch and gut out close wins and that is the sign of our mauturity,” said Navy head coach Billy Lange. "We talked about all week not looking at the finish line, but just looking at the game directly ahead of us.

“We have so much respect for Holy Cross and the program they are that we have learned from them and what it takes to win,” said Lange. “I thought we made some big plays down the stretch, led by Greg Sprink.”

Sprink led the Mids with 25 points, seven rebounds and three assists, and scored many key baskets for the Mids down the stretch. He moved into a tie for third place with Kevin Sinnett (1,687 points) on the Navy career scoring list.

“It’s been a long journey so far, but tonight was a testament to the way we want to win and the way we want to play,” said Sprink. “Holy Cross in the past years has taught us how to win, and to finish it tonight when we didn’t shoot that great, says a lot about our team.”

The Mids started fast, jumping out to a 16-7 advantage six minutes into the game. However, Holy Cross tightened its defense and after an early 4-of-4 shooting performance, Navy finished the half connecting on just six of its last 23 shots, while the Crusaders took a 30-29 halftime lead.

Holy Cross would increase the lead to 49-43 with 12 minutes to play, behind the play of Tim Clifford. The 6-11, 260-pound center scored a career-high 34 points, including 15 of Holy Cross’ first 19 points of the second half.

“Clifford is a great player and we knew we were going to have our hands full with him,” said Lange. “We were matched up with young guys on him and he took advantage. But I thought we did a great job on the other guys and didn’t get so overextended on him that we got burned on the outside.”

Navy would embark on a 17-4 run over the next seven minutes to grab a 60-53 lead with 4:57 to play.

Holy Cross cut the lead to two points twice in the final three minutes, the last time coming at 68-66 with 56 seconds left. After a Kaleo Kina miss, Holy Cross had the chance to tie or take the lead, but Pat Doherty missed a driving lay-up and Mark Veazey (Lilburn, Ga.) corraled the rebound.

Sprink and Chris Harris connected on a pair of free throws each in the final nine seconds to ice away the victory.

The Mids won despite shooting just 35.0 percent (21-of-60) from the field, but shot 92.0 percent (23-of-25) from the free throw line and forced Holy Cross into 19 turnovers, while committing just 11 themselves.

Chris Harris added 23 points and career highs in rebounds (7) and steals (5), while shooting 10-of-10 from the free throw line. He also set the Navy single-season three-pointers made record, currently with 79.

The win allowed Navy to stay within a game-and-a-half in the Patriot League standings with American.

“Its hard to understand how to be a champion without having been a champion,” said Lange. “I thought we have always played with great intensity, but this year we are becoming more poised and focused. We know that we have to be focused on one game at a time down the stretch run. We just want to be playing our best basketball as we enter March.”

Kaleo Kina would add 12 points, three assists and three steals and freshman Romeo Garcia scored 10 points with three assists.

The Mids will travel to Army for the annual Star Game on Saturday for a 2:00 pm tip-off at West Point’s Christl Arena. The Black Knights defeated the Mids, 69-67, on Jan. 27 in Annapolis.

“We understand the importance of the Army game, but we also understand that it is just one game in a long Patriot League season,” said Lange.

“It’s just another game in our learning process,” said Sprink. “We aren’t looking ahead, just one game at a time, and we feel confident that if we can play Navy basketball, we will be in good shape. We don’t want our emotion to get in the way of execution as we go down the stretch.”

GreatAmerican · February 21, 2008, 9:10am

By Jennifer Toland TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF
<a href="mailto:jtoland@telegram.com">jtoland@telegram.com</a>

WORCESTER After Saturday¹s emotional and important win over Bucknell, Holy Cross coach Bill Gibbons feared a game like last night’s against Navy.

The Crusaders had a lackluster start against the Midshipmen the Patriot League¹s seventh-place team and a team HC beat by double-digits earlier in the year fell behind by 10 early and never got into the flow of their offense, but played good defense down the stretch and held on for a 56-53 win before 1,055 fans at the Hart Center.

“We did not come in with the same intensity that we had for the Bucknell game,” Gibbons said, “but we grinded it out and found a way to win. That’s the sign of a good team.”

Holy Cross (15-11, 8-3) remained in a first-place tie with American and Lehigh. American defeated Army last night, while Lehigh beat Colgate. Holy Cross plays at American on Saturday.

Angela Myers’ 3-pointer from the corner gave Navy (6-20, 2-9) a 52-51 lead with 47 seconds to play. At the other end, sophomore guard Bethany O’Dell missed a jumper in the paint, but junior Kathy Gruzynski came down with the rebound and passed to freshman Elizabeth Campbell, who scored to give Holy Cross the lead for good.

After a Navy timeout with 24 seconds left, the Mids set up to take the final shot. The Crusaders went to a halfcourt trap, forcing Myers to throw the ball away out of bounds to the Navy bench and with 16 seconds to go HC sophomore Briana McFadden made a pair of free throws.

“They weren’t ready for (the halfcourt trap),” Gibbons said.

Campbell scored a team-high 13 points and blocked five shots. O¹Dell added 12 points and McFadden and Gruzynski 10 each.

It was a rough night for HC’s talented guard trio of O’Dell, McFadden and senior Laura Aloisi, who were a combined 7 for 27 from the field. The Crusaders were 0 for 7 from 3-point range in the first half and 2 for 14 for the game.

O’Dell, though, scored seven straight points late in the second half with four straight free throws and a 3-pointer, which put Holy Cross ahead, 48-45.With the score tied at 49-49 with two minutes to play, Gruzynski tossed in a nice-looking hook shot, then came down with a big rebound in the closing seconds.

“The ball was out there for anyone and I tried to get there as fast as I could,” Gruzynski said. “Elizabeth was standing right under the basket with nobody on her. She’s doing a great job as a freshman playing big minutes.”

Gruzynski lost her starting job to Campbell, but has given the Crusaders some important minutes off the bench the last two games. She scored eight points in the Bucknell win.

“I can’t say enough about her,” Gibbons said. “We don’t win the Bucknell game without her, and we don’t win this game without her.” The Crusaders have won 10 straight against Navy.

Freshman center Cassie Consedine scored a game-high 17 points and pulled down 11 rebounds to lead the Mids. Whitney Davidson added 10 points.

Holy Cross shot just 37 percent, but held Navy in check at 38 percent and the Mids committed 21 turnovers.

“If you play defense, you’re going to be in every game, even when they take your best scorers out,” Gibbons said.

Navy jumped to a 16-6 lead with a 10-0 run. Emily Cordle and Consedine hit back-to-back 3-pointers and Davidson scored four straight points with the help of three Navy offensive rebounds on a pair of free throws and a jumper.

The Crusaders got it going midway through the first half as Whitney Fremeau started HC on a 13-0 spurt. During the run, Aloisi ripped down the rebound of a Davidson miss and in one motion threw the ball ahead to O¹Dell, who made an easy layup.

Aloisi followed with a jumper and Campbell scored inside off a pass from Alyssa May. May¹s free throw put HC up, 23-20, with 3:16 to go until halftime. Navy led, 26-25, at the break.

The second half was back and forth. Holy Cross led by as many as five after McFadden spun in for a layup to cap a 6-0 HC run with 14:18 to play, but Navy regained the lead, 41-39, on K.C. Gordon¹s steal and layup with 8:52 left.

“We knew they were going to come in here and play their hardest,” Aloisi said. “We were lucky at the end. We had some spurts, but they definitely gave us a great game.”

GreatAmerican · February 21, 2008, 10:18am

CSTV to air Army-Navy wrestling tape delayed

For Immediate Release
Thursday, Feb. 21, 2008
Wrestling Contact: Stacie Michaud (410) 293-8773

CSTV to Air Army-Navy Wrestling on Tape Delay, Navy All-Access Shows Match Live

ANNAPOLIS, Md. - Friday’s Army-Navy wrestling match slated for 7:00 pm at Alumni Hall in Annapolis will be televised by CSTV tape delayed on Monday, Feb. 25 at 8:00 pm. Additionally, CSTV will air the match on Feb. 26 at 12:00 am, 3:00 am, 8:00 am and 12:00 pm, Feb. 29 at 1:00 am and March 2 at 6:00 pm.

Fans unable to attend the match can watch it live via Navy All-Access at <a href=“http://www.NavySports.com(%5B/url%5D.)”>www.NavySports.com(.)</a> While viewers will be able to watch the match in real time, there will be no commentary except for the announcements made by the public address announcer.

The Midshipmen, who own a commanding 41-5-5 series advantage over Army, are looking to push their winning streak to eight in a row against the Black Knights. Navy owns an incredible 23-1-3 advantage in matches held in Annapolis.

Additionally, Navy will have the opportunity to clinch the year-long Star Series with Army on Friday night. Navy owns a 12-6 record against the Black Knights in all varsity competitions this year, including an 11-3 advantage in Star Games. Navy needs just one more win to seal the series for 2007-08. In addition to the wrestling match, Navy’s men’s and women’s basketball teams will be in action against the Black Knights this weekend. The women’s team faces Army on Saturday at West Point beginning at 11:00 am, followed by the men’s game at 2:00 pm and will be televised nationally on CBS.

GreatAmerican · February 21, 2008, 10:22am

Navy (0-0) vs. Air Force (0-0)
Friday-Saturday, February 22-23, 2008
11 a.m. EST (both days)
Millington, Tenn. (USA Stadium)
GameTracker on [NavySports.com</a> - Official Athletic Site for Navy Athletics](<a href=“http://www.NavySports.com%5DNavySports.com”>http://www.NavySports.com)

Navy (0-0) vs. Arkansas State (0-0)
Sunday, February 24, 2008
2 p.m. EST
Millington, Tenn. (USA Stadium)
GameTracker on [NavySports.com</a> - Official Athletic Site for Navy Athletics](<a href=“http://www.NavySports.com%5DNavySports.com”>http://www.NavySports.com)

Navy (0-0) vs. Georgetown (0-0)
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
2 p.m.
Annapolis, Md. (Terwilliger Brothers Field at Max Bishop Stadium)
GameTracker on [NavySports.com</a> - Official Athletic Site for Navy Athletics](<a href=“http://www.NavySports.com%5DNavySports.com”>http://www.NavySports.com)

Navy (0-0) vs. Dartmouth (0-0)
Saturday-Sunday, March 1-2, 2008
11 a.m. (Sat.-DH), 11:30 a.m. (Sun.)
Annapolis, Md. (Terwilliger Brothers Field at Max Bishop Stadium)
GameTracker on [NavySports.com</a> - Official Athletic Site for Navy Athletics](<a href=“http://www.NavySports.com%5DNavySports.com”>http://www.NavySports.com)

PREVIEWING THE ACTION AHEAD
The Navy baseball team will kick off its 2008 season with the Service Academy Spring Classic at USA Stadium in Millington, Tenn. The Midshipmen will open with service academy foe Air Force on Feb. 22-23 at 11 a.m. EST, before rounding out the weekend with Arkansas State on Feb. 24 at 2 p.m. EST. Navy will make the flight back to the East Coast and host Georgetown in the home opener at Terwilliger Brothers Field at Max Bishop Stadium in Annapolis on Feb. 26. The Midshipmen will remain home for the first of four-straight weekends on March 1-2 when former EIBL foe Dartmouth comes into town for a three-game set.

AIR FORCE … A CLOSER LOOK
The Air Force Falcons will open their 2008 season at the Service Academy Spring Classic this weekend, looking to improved on their 8-44 overall, 0-23 Mountain West record last year. Air Force will be relying on several underclassmen, as 16 freshmen and 11 sophomores make up nearly 80 percent of its team roster. The Falcons hit .272 as a team last spring, but will be without the services of Karl Bolt, who was drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies last June. Chay Derbigny tops the returning cast of hitters, as he hit .301 with three home runs, 13 RBIs and 16 stolen bases. On the mound, Jake Petro led the team in wins (three) and starts (15) and will anchor the rotation in 2008. The Falcons will look to improve upon their 8.36 team ERA and .354 opposition batting average.

ARKANSAS STATE … A CLOSER LOOK
Arkansas State makes the trip to Millington, Tenn., following a 2007 season in which it posted a 23-32 overall, 13-17 Atlantic Sun mark. Brandon Eller led the Indians with a .347 batting average with four home runs, 26 RBIs. Ryan Hudgins also returns with pop in the middle of the order, as he belted 11 home runs with 45 RBIs while hitting .330 last spring. Jett Jones is the lone weekend starter returning for the Indians, as he went 2-4 with a 5.66 ERA and 57 strikeouts in 2007.

GEORGETOWN … A CLOSER LOOK
Georgetown will have played three games in Davidson, N.C., before making the short drive to Annapolis on Tuesday before heading to Viera, Fla., to take on the Washington Nationals in an exhibition game. Last season, the Hoyas pitching staff did a decent job against the opposition, posting a 4.50 team ERA. However, the offense was only able to hit at a .257 clip and produced 4.69 runs per game. Ultimately, Georgetown finished the year 21-34 overall and 8-19 in Big East play.

DARTMOUTH … A CLOSER LOOK
Dartmouth will be opening its 2008 season in Annapolis on March 1-2, before heading down to Bradenton, Fla., for its spring trip. Last season, the Big Green posted a 8-29-1 overall record and 5-15 Ivy League mark. One of the bright spots for Dartmouth this season will be Nick Santomauro, who was named to the preseason Brooks Wallace Award Watch List following a freshman season in which he hit .395 with 23 RBIs. In order to up the win total in 2008, Dartmouths pitching staff will need to improve on its 7.04 team ERA from 2007.

NAVY ALL-TIME AT SERVICE ACADEMY SPRING CLASSIC
Navy will be playing in the 17th-annual Service Academy Spring Classic at USA Stadium in Millington, Tenn., on Feb. 22-24 to open the 2008 season. The Midshipmen, who have played in each of the last-16 years, own an all-time record of 25-28 at the event. The Midshipmen have had significant success under third-year head coach Paul Kostacopoulos at the event, going 5-1 and winning the 2006 title. Last year, Navy went 2-1 to finish third among the six-team field.

NAVY AMIDST BEST STRETCH IN SCHOOL HISTORY
Navy won 67 games between the 2006 and 07 seasons, the highest win total over a two-year span in program history. The previous record stood at 60 wins between the 1982 and 83. The Midshipmen are on pace to smash the three-year win total record this season, as the 1981-83 Navy baseball squads totaled a program-best 84 victories.

NAVY AIMING FOR BACK-TO-BACK-TO-BACK 30-WIN SEASONS
The Navy baseball team will aim for its third-consecutive 30-win season in 2008. The Midshipmen set a school record with 35 wins last year and recorded 32 victories in 2006. In fact, prior to the 2006 season, Navy had won only 30 games in a year on three occasions.

NAVYS SCHOOL-RECORD 35 WINS IN 2007
The Navy baseball team set a school record with 35 victories last season, topping the previous mark of 34 triumphs by the 1995 squad.

NAVY PRESEASON PATRIOT LEAGUE FAVORITE IN MANY CIRCLES
The Navy baseball team has been tabbed to win the Patriot League Championship and earn an automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament by a slew of preseason predictions. The Midshipmen were picked to finish first in the Patriot League by the leagues coaches and sports information contacts in the preseason poll. The Mids claimed 43 points and four first-place ballots to lead the way, while Lafayette came in a close second with 42 points and four first-place votes. Navy has also been picked to win the Patriot League according to Baseball America, CollegeBaseballInsider.com and CSTV.com. In CSTV.coms preseason prediction, the Midshipmen will advance to the NCAA Tournament and compete in the Columbia, S.C., regional against No. 8 national seed South Carolina.

HISTORY OF SUCCESS IN THE PATRIOT LEAGUE
The Navy baseball team has enjoyed significant success since joining the Patriot League in 1993. Over that span, Navy has gone 180-122 (.596) in league play and advanced to the NCAA Tournament four times. The Midshipmen have won the league postseason title five times, more than any other school in the league.

NAVY IMPRESSIVE IN NON-LEAGUE ACTION
The Midshipmen have won 47 non-Patriot League games over the last-two years, the highest mark in school history. Navy won 23 non-league games last year and a program-record 24 contests in 2006. Prior to the start of Patriot League play, the Mids won 18 games last year and a school-record 19 ballgames in 2006.

KOSTACOPOULOS LOOKING FOR WIN NO. 600 THIS YEAR
Navy head coach Paul Kostacopoulos will aim for his 600th career victory in his 19th year as a head coach in 2008. The third-year Navy skipper needs just 29 more victories to reach the mark, as he owns a career record of 571-373-3 (.605). Kostacopoulos has won 30-plus games in each of his last-seven seasons and 11 times in his career.

KOSTACOPOULOS GOES FOR CAREER WIN NO. 100 WITH NAVY
Navy head coach Paul Kostacopoulos will go for another milestone mark in 2008, attempting to become the fourth Navy coach to earn 100 career victories with the Mids. Over his first-two plus seasons in Annapolis, he owns a career mark of 67-41-1 (.619). Kostacopoulos would need to go an impressive 33-7 this spring to match the amount of games Max Bishop reached the 100-win mark, the fastest in school history. A strong 33-16 mark would tie him for second fastest to 100 wins with Joe Duff.

HOME SWEET HOME
Navy is scheduled to play 33 games on its home field, Terwilliger Brothers Field at Max Bishop Stadium, this spring. The 33 home games would tie the school record for most in a season, as the Midshipmen went 22-11 in their 33 ballgames in Annapolis last season. Since the installation of FieldTurf at Terwilliger Brothers Field at Max Bishop Stadium before the start of the 2006 season, Navy has gone 38-22-1 (.631) in its 61 home games.

POWER OUTAGE IN ANNAPOLIS
While the Midshipmen have produced a stellar mark at home since 2006, they havent been doing so with the use of the long ball. Last season, Navy and its opposition combined to hit just six home runs in 33 games inside the pitcher-friendly confines of Terwilliger Brothers Field at Max Bishop Stadium. Among those six long balls, only one came off the bat of a Navy hitter – a Mitch Harris opposite-field blast on Feb. 18, 2007, against Iona. Navy has hit 18 home runs in its last 135 home games, dating back to the start of the 2002 season.

THE YOUNG MIDS
Navys 2008 roster is comprised of a combined 31 freshmen and sophomores out of its 40 roster spots. The Midshipmen boast the youngest squad in the Patriot League with 15 freshmen and 16 sophomores, while Lehigh follows in a close second with its 13 freshmen and 12 sophomores.

THE JOE DUFF INDOOR HITTING & PITCHING FACILITY
The Navy baseball program will dedicate its new, state-of-the-art indoor hitting & pitching facility after longtime Navy skipper Joe Duff on Saturday, April 12, prior to the start of the 12 noon doubleheader against service academy foe Army.
Duff served as the head coach of the Navy baseball team from 1962-93 and won a school-record 595 games in the process. His teams combined to win six league titles and advanced to the NCAA Tournament on three occasions. Prior to becoming the head coach of the baseball program, he served as the plebe baseball coach and an assistant basketball coach for 10 years at Navy.
In spring 2007, the Midshipmen opened one of the finest indoor hitting & pitching facilities in the nation. A 5,000-square foot, heated indoor hitting facility was constructed, enabling the Midshipmen to work on their skills, rain or shine. The 50-foot wide, 100-foot long, 16-foot high indoor facility features two pitching mounds and a state-of-the-art hitting screen. The Pro Batter Professional PX2 Video Pitching Machine allows hitters to bat against a simulated pitcher with several different pitches and a wide range of velocities.
The roof of the hitting & pitching facility has been surfaced with railings surrounding its perimeter, serving as a hospitality venue that provides an outstanding view of the entire ballpark and the Naval Academy.

MIDS GETTING IT DONE IN THE CLASSROOM, TOO
Being a member of a league that prides itself on maintaining high academic standards while pursuing athletic success, Navy ranks among the Patriot Leagues top-three schools in the NCAAs Academic Progress Rates (APR) for baseball.
The Midshipmen earned a mark of 980, which also places them among the nations top-10th percentile in baseball. Navys athletic program also ranks among the premier institutions in each sport across the board. The Midshipmen boasted a mark higher than the Division I average in 22 of their 23 NCAA sports, including the nations highest score in seven sports (each with a perfect 1,000).
The APR is the fulcrum upon which the entire academic-reform structure rests. Developed as a more real-time assessment of teams academic performance than the six-year graduation-rate calculation provides, the APR awards two points each term to student-athletes who meet academic-eligibility standards and who remain with the institution. A teams APR is the total points earned by the term at a given time divided by the total points possible.

ACCELERATING THEIR LIFE AFTER GRADUATION
Each of Navys seven seniors on this years baseball team are going to serve their country in a variety of roles following commissioning in May. Graduates from the United States Naval Academy will begin their military careers as either an Ensign in the United States Navy or a 2nd Lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps. This year, each of Navys seniors will be commissioned as Ensigns in the United States Navy, entering the Surface Warfare, Aviation, Submarine (Nuclear) and Supply Corps communities.

JONATHAN JOHNSTON 06 IN THE OAKLAND AS MINOR LEAGUE CAMP
Former Navy baseball catcher Jonathan Johnston 06 is currently participating in the Oakland Athletics minor league spring training camp. Last June, Johnston was selected in the 43rd round of the MLB First-Year Player Draft by the Athletics, becoming the first position player and just the third player in school history to be drafted.
While most players find out by watching the results in one form or another, Johnston was aboard the USS Peleliu in the western Pacific Ocean. The gunnery officer in charge of eight sailors heard the news when he called his mother, Glory, from the ship.
The USS Peleliu is an amphibious assault ship based out of San Diego, as well as the U.S. Military All-Stars team that Johnston played on. It was his time with that team, alongside his four-year playing career in Annapolis, that caught the attention of Oakland As area scout Craig Weissman.
While donning the Navy blue and gold with the Midshipmen baseball squad, Johnston played in 145 games and set the school record for career stolen bases with 59 swipes. As a senior in 2006, Johnston earned Second-Team All-Patriot League honors while batting .317 with 51 runs scored and a program-record 35 stolen bases.

MITCH HARRIS … 29TH BEST COLLEGE PROSPECT BY BASEBALL AMERICA
Navy baseball right-handed pitcher Mitch Harris has been tabbed as the nation’s 29th-best college prospect for the 2008 MLB First-Year Player Draft, it was announced by Baseball America. The rankings were compiled by Baseball America through discussions with scouts and represent overall future potential.
Harris ranks as the second-highest collegiate prospect among seniors in this year’s draft class. Only Georgia senior right-handed pitcher Joshua Fields placed ahead of Harris, coming in at 27th on the list.
In the 2007 MLB First-Year Player Draft last June, Harris was selected in the 24th round by the Atlanta Braves organization. This past summer, he played in the prestigious Cape Cod League with the Bourne Braves. Facing some of the nation’s best collegiate hitters, he started seven contests and boasted a 3.94 ERA in 29.2 innings with 25 strikeouts. With the help of the Navy right-hander, Bourne won the Western Division regular season title with a 25-17-2 record.
Harris was selected Second-Team All-Patriot League as both a starting pitcher and a designated hitter last May, becoming the first player in school history to earn all-league accolades at two different positions within the same year. One month later, he became the first player in school history to earn ABCA all-region accolades multiple times during his career, as he was first-team selection in 2006 and a second-team member in 2007.
Prior to the start of the 2008 season, Harris was selected as a candidate for the 2008 Brooks Wallace Award, which is awarded to the nation’s top-collegiate player. Last year’s Brooks Wallace award went to Vanderbilt pitcher, David Price. Price was the first overall pick in the 2007 First-Year Player Draft and is pitching in the Tampa Bay Rays organization. The 2006 winner was standout pitcher/designated hitter Brad Lincoln of Houston. Nebraska’s Alex Gordon, currently with the Kansas City Royals, took home the 2005 trophy. The inaugural award was given in 2004 to Kurt Suzuki of Cal State Fullerton, who is now catching for the Oakland A’s.

ARMY-NAVY SERIES NAMED TOP RIVALRY IN THE NORTH
With both teams participating in last years Patriot League Tournament and predicted to do so once again in 2008, the Army-Navy series has been billed as the No. 1 rivalry in the North Region by Baseball America. The two teams are slated to meet in Annapolis on April 12-13, with Navy owning a 100-84 advantage over Army in the all-time series. In each of the last-two years, the first game of the series has been televised nationally on CSTV.

NAVYS HOME SELECTED AS LEAGUES FAVORITE ROAD STADIUM
Navys home field, Terwilliger Brothers Field at Max Bishop Stadium, was voted as the favorite road stadium in the Patriot League, voted by the leagues coaches on CollegeBaseballInsider.com.
This does not particularly comes as a surprise, as the $2.5-million renovation process at Terwilliger Brothers Field at Max Bishop Stadium commenced in October 2005 and featured a variety of upgrades that make the home of Navy baseball one of the finest facilities in the East to play and watch a game. The multi-million dollar baseball facility is named after the longtime baseball coach Max Bishop (1937-61) and the Terwilliger family for their generous support of the Naval Academy and the Naval Academy Athletic Association.
The facilitys biggest improvement was the installation of a new playing surface, as the natural grass was dug up and 124,000-square feet of FieldTurf was put in January 2006. FieldTurf is the same surface used by Major League Baseball’s Minnesota Twins, Tampa Bay Rays and Toronto Blue Jays, as well as Navy’s Jack Stephens Field at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium.
Terwilliger Brothers Field became only the third field in college baseball to feature FieldTurf over the entire playing surface, with the exception of the pitcher’s mound and home plate.
In spring 2007, a 5,000-square foot, heated indoor hitting and pitching facility was constructed, enabling the Midshipmen to work on their skills, rain or shine. The 50-foot wide, 100-foot long, 16-foot high indoor facility features two pitching mounds and a state-of-the-art hitting screen. The Pro Batter Professional PX2 Video Pitching Machine allows hitters to bat against a simulated pitcher with several different pitches and a wide range of velocities.
The roof of the hitting and pitching facility has been surfaced with railings surrounding its perimeter, serving as a hospitality venue that provides an outstanding view of the entire ballpark and the Naval Academy.
Concurrent with the field transformation, 1,000 chair-back seats have been installed with brick archways surrounding the stadium. Behind the left field fence, one can find a state-of-the-art LED matrix scoreboard with a video screen. Additionally, a concession stand located on the concourse level behind home plate and a patio area help create an intimate surrounding to watch and enjoy a Navy baseball game.

GreatAmerican · February 21, 2008, 10:26am

Hoop dreams: Baltimore college basketball awakens from four-year slumber (Baltimore Examiner - Feb. 21, 2008)

Hoop dreams: Baltimore college basketball awakens from four-year slumber
Feb 21, 2008 3:00 AM (6 hrs ago) by Ron Snyder, The Examiner

BALTIMORE (Map, News) - Randy Monroe and Billy Lange wanted to prove they could be Division I head mens basketball coaches.

Pat Kennedy wanted to prove he could take another team to the NCAA Tournament.

Jimmy Patsos wanted to step out of a coaching legends shadow.

Each coach took a separate path to achieve his goal, but all ended in the same place: the Baltimore area. In a span of six weeks during the spring of 2004, each took over a downtrodden team that had reached its lowpoint, making college basketball an afterthought in Charm City.

Today, the Baltimore area is in the midst of a renaissance that has rejuvenated college basketball in a city that hasnt had a local school qualify for the NCAA Tournament in a decade.

Consider:

» At UMBC, Monroe has led the Retrievers (18-7) to first place in the America East entering last tonights game at Albany not bad for a school that has never qualified for the postseason in its 22-year history as a Division I school.

» At Navy, Langes Midshipmen were 13-12 and in second place in the Patriot League entering last nights game, which is quite a feat for team that hasnt had a winning season in seven years.

» At Towson, Kennedys Tigers were 9-15 overall and 5-9 in the highly competitive Colonial Athletic Association entering last nights game at Hofstra. Still, the Tigers have exceeded expectations this season, as they could finish as high as sixth after being predicted to finish last in the 12-team league.

» At Loyola, Patsos has the Greyhounds at 16-12 and in a four-way tie for first in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference. Four years ago, Loyola went 1-27.

Getting into the NCAA Tournament would bring lots of attention to the mid-major programs in Baltimore, Patsos said. If one of us makes it, it really helps everybody.

GOLDEN RETRIEVERS

Monroe has been through all of the highs and lows at UMBC the past 14 years. He arrived at the Catonsville school as an assistant under coach Earl Hawkins in 1994 and remained on the staff when Tom Sullivan was hired a year later. In 2004, Sullivan resigned just before the conference tournament leaving Monroe in charge of a team that lost 21 of 28 games during the 2003-04 season.

After three mediocre seasons, Monroe found the recipe for success. He combined the best players he recruited Jay Greene and Brian Hodges with three stellar transfers Ray Barbosa and Cavell Johnson (both from James Madison) and Darryl Proctor (Coppin State). The result: a team that has made mens basketball relevant at a school known for its lacrosse teams.

Its important to be upbeat throughout all of the ups and downs in the rebuilding process, Monroe said. Building a program does not happen overnight. You have to have a great deal of patience.

Monroes work hasnt gone unnoticed. UMBC and its high-scoring offense that averages 75.1 points per game has fans packing the RAC Center. A crowd of 3,492 the third-largest in school history attended Sundays win over Boston University. This season, the Retrievers average attendance is 2,530, about 50 percent more than the 1,648 the team averaged four years ago.

The crowd is phenomenal, Monroe said, When you can look over to the Dawg Pound and see it packed and you have a bunch of enthusiastic fans who are really into the game and make a difference. Our guys get juiced with that crowd. The atmosphere is euphoric.

MIDS SAILING ALONG

Lange knows he likely will never get a Michael Beasley, Kevin Love, O.J. Mayo or any of the countrys top recruits to play at a school that places turning boys into military leaders over winning games. But just like the Academys football coaches, Lange, a former assistant at Villanova, casts a large net across the country looking for players willing to sacrifice a five-year postgraduate commitment to the Navy for a chance to play Division I.

Navy was an afterthought at seasons outset, predicted to finish seventh in the eight-team Patriot League after starting guard Corey Johnson quit to play football and center Trey Stanton transferred. But Navy has proven its critics wrong, as it entered last nights game against Holy Cross having won three straight league games its longest streak in six years. Navy guards Chris Harris, Greg Sprink and Kaleo Kina combine to average nearly 50 points per game, enabling the Midshipmen to set their sights on their first Patriot League Tournament title since 1998 after going 5-23 the year before Lange arrived.

Program development takes a long time, Lange said. We havent turned the corner yet, but I can see us approaching it. I feel like weve come a long way in four years. Its a lot different taking over a program that already has the players in place compared to one that hasnt won in a while.

TIGERS ON THE PROWL

No local team perhaps has a tougher road to being competitive than Towson.

The Tigers have not had a winning season in 12 years, but unlike Navy, Loyola and UMBC, they play in one of the nations toughest conferences: the Colonial Athletic Association. The 12-team CAA is ranked 14th out of 32 Division I conferences according to the latest Ratings Percentage Index. By comparison, the Patriot League is 16th, followed by the MAAC (20th), America East (27th) and the MEAC (30), which includes Morgan State and Coppin State.

But Kennedy is confident he can return Towson, which last made the NCAA Tournament in 1991, to contention much like he did at Florida State, DePaul and Montana before arriving in Baltimore County.

The two previous seasons, Towson has won 16 league games compared to five during the two years before Kennedys arrival. Kennedy believes next year will be Towsons season to make a jump in the standings, as seven new players will be in the mix to play alongside with returnees Junior Hairston (12.4 ppg) and Josh Thornton (11.9 ppg). And theres reason to be optimistic: Towson plays in a league that features George Mason and Virginia Commonwealth, which were relative unknown teams until George Mason made the Final Four in 2006 and Virginia Commonwealth knocked off Duke in the first round of last years NCAA Tournament.

To really fix a program, it takes four or five years if you want to do it right, Kennedy said. Next years class will be the most important for us, as well finally have all the pieces in place. Weve seen a great commitment from the university and I think were right on track.

GREYHOUNDS SEEKING GOLD

Patsos knew he was going from one extreme to another when he arrived at Loyola.

In 2002, he was an assistant at Maryland under Gary Williams, which had just won an NCAA title. Now, he was at a school that had won just one game the year before and hadnt made the NCAA Tournament since 1994.

Patsos immediately tried to generate excitement for Loyola basketball at a school known for soccer and lacrosse. First, he brought in some Maryland swagger by hiring former Terrapin players Terrell Stokes and Matt Kovarik as assistants. Then, two players from College Park guard Andre Collins and forward Hassan Fofana transferred to play for him.

Patsos next step was stopping out-of-state teams from signing the Marylands top recruits. He landed guard Marquis Sullivan from Spalding in 2005 the same year Providence transfer Gerald Brown, a Baltimore native, came to Evergreen. The result: Brown is the MAACs third-leading scorer (18.9 ppg.) and the Greyhounds are on the verge of ending their 14-year postseason drought.

The hardest leap we are trying to make is the one right now where we are trying to win a tournament title, Patsos said. The groups that came before us four years ago didnt have the vision that the coaches have here now. Myself coming from Maryland, Billy coming from Villanova, Pat coming from Florida State and Randy coming from La Salle and Vanderbilt, we all understand big-time basketball and how we can have that here.

Four years later

UMBC

» Coach: Randy Monroe (fourth season, 50-63)

» 2007-08 record/average attendance: 18-7 (10-2 first place America East); 2,530.

» Record/ average attendance in year before arrival (2003-04): 7-21 (lost to Stony Brook in America East Tournament first round); 1,868.

NAVY

» Coach: Billy Lange (fourth season, 47-64)

» 2007-08 record/ average attendance: 13-12 (6-4 second place in Patriot League); 2,157.

» Record/ average attendance in year before arrival (2003-04): 5-23 (lost to Lehigh in Patriot League quarterfinals); 1,828.

TOWSON

» Coach: Pat Kennedy (fourth season, 43-71)

» 2007-08 record/average attendance: 9-15 (5-9 eighth place in CAA); 1,907.

» Record in year before arrival (2003-04): 8-21 (lost to Virginia Commonwealth in CAA quarterfinals); 1,203.

LOYOLA

» Coach: Jimmy Patsos (fourth season, 54-60)

» 2007-08 record/average attendance: 18-9 (11-5 first place in MAAC), 1,481.

» Record/average attendance in year before arrival 2003-04: 1-27, lost to Rider in MAAC Tournament first round; 1,070.

GreatAmerican · February 21, 2008, 11:28am

ANNAPOLIS, Md.-The Navy Sports Magazine Show, presented by Comcast, will air tonight at 6:30 p.m. on 1430 WNAV in Annapolis. The weekly 30-minute show is hosted by Bob Socci and will feature interviews with Navy student-athletes and coaches.

The Navy Sports Magazine Show will also air on 1050 WFED ([FederalNewsRadio</a> - WFED: Home Page](<a href=“http://www.federalnewsradio.com%5DFederalNewsRadio”>http://www.federalnewsradio.com)) in Washington, D.C. at 12 noon on Saturday. Navy All-Access will also archive the show and it will be available for subscribers every Friday ([NavySports.com</a> - Default - Official Athletic Site for Navy Athletics](<a href=“http://navysports.cstv.com/)%5DNavySports.com”>http://navysports.cstv.com/)).

Head wrestling coach Bruce Burnett, head men’s basketball coach Billy Lange and head women’s lacrosse coach Cindy Timchal will be featured this week.

The Navy wrestling team plays host to Army on Friday night at 7 p.m. at Alumni Hall, the men’s basketball team travels to West Point to take on Army in a 2 p.m. tilt that will be regionally televised by CBS, while the women’s lacrosse team will play host to Longwood at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium on Saturday at 1 p.m. in Navy’s first-ever Divsion I contest.

GreatAmerican · February 21, 2008, 11:31am

Boxing on Friday night is at 8 p.m. and not 7 p.m.

GreatAmerican · February 21, 2008, 11:42am

By Chris Courogen SPECIAL TO THE TELEGRAM & GAZETTE

ANNAPOLIS, Md. It would be hard to blame Holy Cross coach Ralph Willard if he was in a bit of a foul mood after his team dropped a 72-66 decision at Navy last night.

Up by six points on the road in the second half, the Crusaders had Navy on the ropes. With 6-foot-10 center Tim Clifford virtually unstoppable in the post and Navy¹s usually sharp-shooting guards struggling to connect, Holy Cross (14-11, 5-7 Patriot) seemed to have the Midshipmen (14-12, 7-4) where it wanted them.

Then came a stretch of just over three minutes that cost the Crusaders the game, and quite likely their shot at hosting a first-round game in the Patriot League tournament.

“We made some dumb plays down the stretch,” said Willard, pointing in particular to a missed runner in the lane by Pat Doherty with 11 seconds to go.

Down by two, 68-66, the Crusaders got a big stop with 25 seconds left, giving them a chance to at least send the game to overtime. During a timeout, Willard drew up a pick-and-roll play for Clifford, who had hit 14 of his 18 shots to that point. But Clifford never got the ball and Holy Cross never got the tying bucket.

“Pat thought he had a seam off the pick and roll,” Willard said. “He was supposed to dump it back to Tim.”

Don’t for a second, though, think it was one play that cost the Crusaders the game. They would never have been in that position if not for the four turnovers they committed about five minutes earlier.

Up, 51-45, with 9:23 to go after Clifford scored his 17th point of the second half and 27th of the game, the Crusaders seemed to be in control. Even when Navy cut the lead to 51-50 on a 5-0 Greg Sprink spurt, the Crusaders seemed to have the answer, going back to Clifford to push the lead back to three.

Then came the 3:18 stretch that cost Holy Cross the win. In that brief span, the Crusaders only missed one shot. The problem was, that was the only shot they got. Four other possessions ended with turnovers, three of which Navy converted into points. It was a quick 10-0 run that gave the Midshipmen a 60-53 lead with 4:57 to play, a margin that proved enough to give Navy its fourth straight win.

“Instead of stretching it and getting some separation, we let them get back in the game,” Willard said.

Four of Navy’s points during the run came from the free-throw line, where the Mids seemed to spend most of the second half. Holy Cross held Navy to 35 percent shooting from the field (21 of 60) and limited it to seven 3-pointers on 26 tries. But the Mids got to the foul line 25 times, knocking down 23, including 17 of 19 in the second half.

“They outscored us, 23-8, from the free-throw line. It’s tough to win when you are outscored, 23-8,” Willard said.

It is also tough to win when you give up 16 offensive rebounds. The Kaleo Kina layup that tied the game during that run came after Chris Harris missed a three, but Navy came up with the carom, something that happened over and over, despite being something Willard emphasized to his team before the game.

“It wasn’t the 3-point shooting that killed us. It was the offensive rebounds off the missed threes,² Willard said. ³We made a point going into the game that you can¹t give up the second shots off the missed threes and they got them. That was the difference in the game.”

The win keeps Navy in the hunt for the regular-season title with three conference games remaining. The Midshipmen can finish first for the first time since 1997 if they win out.

GreatAmerican · February 21, 2008, 12:30pm

For Immediate Release
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Contact: Jonathan Maggart (410) 293-8771

Navy Aims For Patriot League Championship This Weekend

ANNAPOLIS, Md. - The Navy men’s track & field team will head to Gerhard Field House in Lewisburg, Pa., in hopes of winning its third Patriot League Championship within the last-five years this Friday through Sunday.

Navy’s last visit to Bucknell’s Gerhard Field House last came in 2004 for the Patriot League Championship. In that meet, the Midshipmen won the league crown with head coach Stephen Cooksey earning the first of two Patriot League Coach-of-the-Year honors during his career.

Coming into the indoor season, Navy was picked to tie for the Patriot League title with defending champion Army. Three weeks ago in Annapolis, the Midshipmen defeated the Black Knights, 95-86, to capture the N-Star for a program-record seventh-consecutive year.

In order to win the Patriot League title, the Midshipmen will have to rely on their top performers and depth in several key events. The Mids currently own the league’s best mark in eight of the 20 events that will be contested over the three-day championship.

Perhaps Navy’s strongest area will be in the middle distance events, where it owns the fastest times in the 500-meter and 800-meter runs. Paul Harris (Sr./Fairburn, Ga.) paces the league in both events, as he has completed the 500-meter run in 1:01.80, the fifth-fastest time in school history, and the 800-meter run in 1:49.29, the third-best time in program history. His top showing in the 800-meter run provisionally qualified him for the NCAA Championship and currently ranks as the 13th-best time in the nation. The Midshipmen aren’t limited in to him in these events, as Craig Meekins (Sr./Baldwin, N.Y.) and Lucas Burke (Sr./Bakersfield, Calif.) are both IC4A qualifiers. Last weekend at the Iowa State Classic, Meekins finished the 800-meter run in 1:51.87, followed by Burke’s 1:53.39 showing.

Navy’s 4x400-meter relay team also boasts the league’s fastest time this winter, as the quartet of Will Ricks (Sr./Hopewell, Va.), Meekins, Vince Carpentier (So./Branchburg, N.J.) and Harris combined for a time of 3:15.27 at the Penn State National Open on Jan. 26.

Another area of strength for the Midshipmen could arise from their corps of throwers. Navy owns the top-two places in the weight throw this spring, as Christopher Bordino (Jr./Gastonia, N.C.) leads the way with a season-best toss of 58’8" (17.88 meters), while Mark Van Orden is second with his 55’1" (16.79 meters) showing one month ago. In the shot put, Navy holds the first- and third-best distances in the league, both of which are IC4A marks. Darryl Hunter (Sr./Des Moines, Iowa) tops all throwers with a season-best toss of 55’11" (17.04 meters) and Andre Barber’s (Sr./Carrollton, Texas) 52’11" (16.13 meters) mark is third on the list.

Multi-event athlete Ron Belany (Sr./Haiku, Hawai’i) may provide the Mids with scoring in several events this weekend, as he ranks among the Patriot League’s top-four performers in four events. Belany owns the top performances in both the heptathlon (5,218 points) and the 60-meter hurdles (8.13 seconds, converted from 55-meter hurdles). The Navy senior also ranks second in the long jump with a distance of 23’4-1/2" (7.12 meters) and fourth in the pole vault with a height of 15’5" (4.70 meters). He has qualified for the IC4A Championship in the heptathlon, 60-meter hurdles and long jump.

This season, the Midshipmen have racked up a total of 25 IC4A Championship entries among 16 different events. In addition to surpassing the qualifying standard, those who win an event at the Patriot League Championship will also receive an automatic entry to the IC4A Championship.

Following this weekend’s league championship, the Midshipmen will head up to Boston for the IC4A Championship on March 8-9.

GreatAmerican · February 21, 2008, 12:33pm

For Immediate Release
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Contact: Jonathan Maggart (410) 293-8771

Mids Head to Patriot League Championship This Weekend

ANNAPOLIS, Md. - The Navy women’s track & field team will head to Bucknell’s Gerhard Field House this Friday through Sunday for the Patriot League Championship.

Prior to the start of this year’s indoor season, Navy was picked to finish second at this year’s Patriot League Championship. Only league championship host and six-time defending champion Bucknell placed ahead of the Midshipmen in the preseason poll. The Mids were the last team to outscore the Bison at the league championship, as they scored 196 points to win the 2001 title in Annapolis.

For the third-consecutive indoor season, Navy finished the regular season with a perfect record in dual-scored meets. The Midshipmen posted a 7-0 record and claimed the N-Star with a 93.5-87.5 victory over service academy foe Army in Annapolis three weeks ago. The Mids have won 23-straight indoor dual-scored meets, spanning back to the start of the 2005-06 indoor slate.

In order to win its second Patriot League crown in program history, Navy will look to its deep group of talented middle distance/distance runners to lead the way on the track. Vicki Moore (Sr./Burke, Va.) owns the Patriots Leagues fastest time in the 1,000-meter run with a 2:56.4 clocking, ranks fifth in the 800-meter run with a time of 2:18.14 and sixth in the mile run with a 5:06.87 showing. Amy Watson (So./Hampstead, Md.) is second in the league with a 10:09.48 clocking in the 3,000-meter run and fifth in the 5,000-meter run with a time of 18:12.29.

The Midshipmen also come into this weekends championship with the fastest 4x800-meter relay time this winter. The group of Abby Gesecki (So./Nanticoke, Pa.), Maureen Dooley (Jr./Durham, Conn.), Allie Moreland (Jr./Ocean City, N.J.) and Moore combined for a 9:26.56 clocking during the Star Meet against Army.

Navy could also rely on scoring from its 60-meter hurdles competitors this weekend. Sabrina Gambill (Sr./Bridgewater, Mass.) holds the Patriot Leagues top time in the event with a converted time of 8.57 seconds (8.0-second hand time in the 55-meter hurdles), while Angelique Martin (Jr./Lexington, Md.) ranks fourth with an 8.97-second converted clocking.

In the field events, Navys top performances may come from its pole vaulters. Jacqui Charnigo (Sr./Medina, Ohio) has battled this winter to break the school record in the event and top the Patriot League with her height of 1211-1/2 (3.95 meters). Her clearance provisionally qualified her for the NCAA Championship, which also ranks 35th nationally. Teammate Jessica Schlaegel (So./Nashport, Ohio) surpassed the 1011-3/4 (3.35 meters) bar against Army and ranks sixth in the league.

Following this weekend’s league championship, the Midshipmen will head up to Boston for the ECAC Championship on March 8-9. In addition to surpassing the ECAC qualifying standard, each event champion in this weekend’s league championship will earn an automatic entry to the ECAC Championship.

GreatAmerican · February 21, 2008, 12:34pm

ANNAPOLIS, Md. – Saturday’s 108th meeting of the Army-Navy series will be televised to a regional audience by CBS, marking the 13th straight year that the network will carry the storied men’s basketball rivalry. The contest will be this year’s “Star Game” as Navy is looking for its fifth straight “Star Game” victory over the Black Knights in the battle for the Alumni Trophy. The game will be played at West Point’s Christl Arena, tipping off at 2:00 pm.

Kevin Harlan will call his first Army-Navy contest and will be joined by Dan Bonner, who has called several Army-Navy tilts. The contest will be carried regionally by by CBS affiliates in Albany, N.Y. (WRGB), New York (WCBS), Washington, D.C. (WUSA), Baltimore, Md. (WJZ), Salisbury, Md. (WBOC), Richmond, Va. (WTVR) and Norfolk, Va. (WTKR).

Navy fans that live in markets showing the Arkansas at Kentucky will not be left out as CBS Sports and CSTV Networks’ CSTV.com will provide video streaming for the broadcast. The game will be streamed online at [NavySports.com</a> - Official Athletic Site for Navy Athletics](<a href=“http://www.navysports.com%5DNavySports.com”>http://www.navysports.com) and [CSTV.com:</a> #1 in College Sports](<a href=“http://www.cstv.com%5DCSTV.com:”>http://www.cstv.com) for annual All-Access subscribers only. Monthly Navy All Access subscribers will have to purchase the game separately.

In addition, the game will be broadcast on the airwaves on WNAV (1430 AM) with Bob Socci calling the action. Coverage begins at 1:45 pm (ET) with the Navy basketball pregame show. Army’s website, [GoArmySports.comThe</a> Official Web site of Army Athletics](<a href=“http://www.goarmysports.com%5DGoArmySports.com%C2%97The”>http://www.goarmysports.com), will provide live scoring.

Navy has won 24 of the last 27 Star Games between the two teams and lead the Star Game series. Navy has won five straight Star Games between the two rivals. Army won this year’s first meeting, 69-67, in Annapolis on Jan. 27.

The Mids enter the game with a 14-12 overall record and are in second place in the Patriot League at 7-4. Army is 11-14 overall and 4-7 in league play.

GreatAmerican · February 21, 2008, 1:20pm

by Ron Snyder, The Examiner

Annapolis (Map, News) - Defending Patriot League champion Holy Cross out-shot and out-rebounded host Navy last night at Alumni Hall.

However, in the end the visiting Crusaders couldn’t outscore the Midshipmen, as Navy held on for a 72-66 win in front of 2,257 fans at Alumni Hall.

Senior guard Greg Sprink scored 25 points and had 7 rebounds and sophomore guard Chris Harris finished with 23 points, tied a career-high with 5 steals and grabbed a career-best 7 rebounds for Navy (14-12, 7-4 Patriot League), which has now won four straight conference games for the first time in more than seven years.

“I’m proud of our guys because it was a night when we didn’t shoot really fell,” Navy coach Billy Lange said. “We needed to play tough to beat the defending champions in our league and I thought our guys learned a lot about how to execute and how to gut out a victory and that’s what the season has been for us.”

Navy stormed out to an 18-11 lead following a jumper from junior guard Clif Colbert with 10:38 left in the first half. However, Holy Cross responded with a 19-11 spurt to take a 30-29 lead at intermission.

Holy Cross then opened the second half strong as the Crusaders eventually built a 51-45 lead following a basket from senior center Tim Clifford. But, Navy then scored 18 of the next 22 points to take a 63-55 lead following a three-pointer from Kina with 4:26 remaining.

The Crusaders eventually pulled within 68-66 following a tip-in by sophomore forward Eric Meister with 56 second left. Harris and Sprink then closed out the game by making four free throws in the final nine seconds to secure Navy¹s first season sweep of Holy Cross in eight years. For the game, Navy made 23-of-25 free throw attempts and forced Holy Cross into 18 turnovers.

Clifford finished with a game-high 34 points, including 23 in the second half, for Holy Cross (14-11, 5-7), which had its three-game winning streak snapped.

“Games with Navy are always hard-fought,” Clifford said. “They are tough to play against because of that and unfortunately we didn¹t come away with a win. It’s very disappointing and disheartening.”

Navy next plays at 2 p.m. Saturday at Army in a nationally televised game on CBS. The Midshipmen go into that game with dual motivation as they are in second place in the Patriot League, 1 12 games behind American (17-10, 9-3), which beat Army last night, 49-40.

“To sweep Holy Cross is a testament to how we want to win, and the way we learned how to win by being beaten by championship teams like Holy Cross in the past,” Sprink said.

<a href="mailto:rsnyder@baltimoreexaminer.com">rsnyder@baltimoreexaminer.com</a>

GreatAmerican · February 21, 2008, 2:59pm

For Immediate Release
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Contact: Jonathan Maggart (410) 293-8771

Navy, Parrott Recognized by the ECAC

CENTERVILLE, MASS. - In winning the All-Academy Championship for the first time in program history, the Navy gymnastics team has been distinguished as the ECAC Honorary Team of the Week, it was announced by the conference on Wednesday night. Navy’s Dylan Parrott also played a key role in claiming the title, and for his efforts, was named the ECAC Rookie of the Week.

Navy (8-3) tallied 330.85 points to finish 8.05 points ahead of Air Force’s (3-5) 322.8-point, second-place total. Army (2-7) placed third with 318.7 points. The Midshipmen boasted the highest score on the floor exercise (57.4 points), pommel horse (50.95 points), parallel bars (54.3 points) and high bar (54.25 points).

Parrott topped all gymnasts with a combined score of 82.95 points among the six events. The Navy freshman delivered a stellar 15.25-point performance on the floor exercise to win the event. He also placed third on the parallel bars with a score of 13.65 points.

The product of Rockwell, N.C., has been named the ECAC Rookie of the Week in back-to-back weeks. He also was recognized as the USAG Collegiate Division National Gymnast of the Week after winning the all-around against Army in the Star Meet with an 84.55.

The Midshipmen will return to action on Friday, Feb. 29, when they host William & Mary in Macdonough Hall, starting at 7 p.m.

GreatAmerican · February 21, 2008, 3:00pm

For Immediate Release
Sent Thursday, Feb. 21, 2008
Contact Justin Kischefsky (410) 293-8772

Pair of Navy Records Set Thursday Morning at Swimming Championship

ANNAPOLIS, Md. – Navy’s Thuy-Mi Dinh (So., Anaheim, Calif.) and Tara Chapmon (So., Virginia Beach, Va.) broke their own school records in the 50 and 500 freestyle events, respectively, to highlight the Navy efforts Thursday morning during the opening session of the Patriot League Swimming and Diving Championship at Lejeune Hall.

Chapmon began the day by posting a time of 4:49.42 in the 500 free, a clocking that breaks her own school record of 4:54.70 set last year. Additionally, her time was the fastest posted by any swimmer during the trial heat portion of the event and was an NCAA ‘B’ cut qualifying time.

Joining Chapmon in tonight’s ‘A’ final of the 500 free will be Allison Ranzau (Fr., Alpharetta, Ga.), who recorded a time of 4:52.79 during the trial heats. It was the third-fastest time posted by any swimmer in the event Thursday morning.

Dinh was the fastest swimmer in the 50 free Thursday morning thanks to her clocking of 22.57. The time not only broke her own Navy, Patriot League and Patriot League Championship record time of 23.03, it also established a new Lejeune Hall record (22.88, Ann Marie Botek) and was an NCAA ‘A’ cut qualifying time. Any swimmer who posts a time of 22.62 or better in the 50 free this year automatically qualifies for the NCAA Championship Meet, which is slated to be held March 20-22 in Columbus, Ohio.

Dinh becomes not only the first Navy women’s swimmer to record an NCAA ‘A’ cut time since the program began competing on the Division I level in 1992, she also will join Julia Mason as the only Navy swimmers to compete at the national championship.

Rounding out the efforts of the Navy women’s team was Kelly Zahalka (Jr., Richmond, Va.), who recorded the second-fastest qualifying time in the 200 individual medley. The defending league champion in the event, Zahalka’s time of 2:06.92 was second during the trial heats to the clocking of 2:05.43 recorded by Colgate’s Erin McGraw.

The Mids have a great chance to accrue points in the event tonight as both Tessa Snow (Fr., Hamlin, N.Y.) and Natalie Albertson (Fr., St. Paul, Minn.) will join Zahalka in the final. Snow’s time of 2:09.24 tied for fifth place Thursday morning, while Albertson’s time of 2:10.10 placed eighth.

On the men’s side, Navy advanced at least two swimmers into the ‘A’ final of each of the three individual events to be contested this evening.

J.J. Helms (Fr., Conroe, Texas), Andrew Hetzner (So., Riverside, Calif.) and David Guthmann (Jr., Waxhaw, N.C.) will compete in the ‘A’ final of the 500 freestyle, Nathan LeRoy (Arlington Heights, Ill.) and Billy Vey (Jr., Huntersville, N.C.) qualified for the championship final of the 200 individual medley, and the trio of Alex Oldenkamp (Jr., Coppell, Texas), Alex Buck (Lisle, Ill.) and Nathan Durham (Jr., Greensboro, N.C.) will contend for the 50 freestyle title.

Oldenkamp’s time of 20.39 in the 50 free was the fastest recorded during Thursday’s trial heats.

The three-day championship runs through Saturday, with trial heats held each morning starting at 10:30 a.m. and the session of finals beginning at 6 p.m. each evening. Live scoring from each of the sessions is available through the Gametracker feature found on the home page of <a href=“http://www.navysports.com(%5B/url%5D.)”>www.navysports.com(.)</a>

Navy Qualifiers for Thursday Night Finals
Women
500 Freestyle – A Final – Tara Chapmon (1st, 4:49.42), Allison Ranzau (3rd, 4:52.79)
– B Final – Heather Klein (14th, 5:12.29)
200 Individual Medley – A Final – Kelly Zahalka (2nd, 2:06.92), Tessa Snow (T-5th, 2:09.24), Natalie Albertson (8th, 2:10.10)
– B Final – Allison Aichele (15th, 2:12.62)
50 Freestyle – A Final – Thuy-Mi Dinh (1st, 22.57)
– B Final – Rachel Gray (T-10th, 24.56), Kristin Lowd (13th, 24.68)
Men
500 Freestyle – A Final – J.J. Helms (3rd, 4:34.08), Andrew Hetzner (6th, 4:38.06), David Guthmann (8th, 4:38.73)
– B Final – Dan Warner (10th, 4:39.54)
200 Individual Medley – A Final – Nathan LeRoy (5th, 1:54.80), Billy Vey (6th, 1:55.43)
– B Final – Kyle Abner (9th, 1:55.91), Andrew Utama (14th, 1:56.74), Tedd Torgesen (15th, 1:57.03)
50 Freestyle – A Final – Alex Oldenkamp (1st, 20.39), Alex Buck (5th, 21.22), Nathan Durham (6th, 21.23)
– B Final – Joe Unruh (10th, 21.41)

GreatAmerican · February 21, 2008, 11:33pm

By BILL WAGNER, Staff Writer

Navy took another big step forward in its development as a championship contender last night.

Navy stood toe-to-toe and traded punches with perennial Patriot League powerhouse Holy Cross and came away with a win.

Senior swingman Greg Sprink scored 25 points while sophomore point guard Chris Harris netted 23 to lift the Midshipmen to a gutsy 72-66 victory over the defending champion Crusaders before an energized crowd of 2,257 at Alumni Hall.

Junior guard Kaleo Kina came alive down the stretch and finished with 12 points for Navy (14-12), which improved to 7-4 in the Patriot League and further solidified its hold on second place.

Perhaps the most impressive aspect of the victory was the fact Navy beat Holy Cross at its own game. The Crusaders used their size and aggressive zone defense to create a rough-and-tumble contest that did not have the type of tempo or flow the Midshipmen prefer.

“I’m proud of our guys because this was a night when we didn’t shoot the ball really well and we needed to play tough to defeat the defending champion of our league,” Navy head coach Billy Lange said. “I thought our guys learned a lot about how to execute and how to gut out a victory.”

Freshman forward Romeo Garcia added 10 points for Navy, which swept the season series with Holy Cross for the first time since 2000. It was the fourth straight victory for the Midshipmen, who also snapped a seven-game home losing streak to the Crusaders.

“Our program has so much respect for Holy Cross and we have learned a lot about how to win by playing against them the last four years,” Lange said. “One of the things we’ve learned is how their seniors have always made the little plays and I thought tonight that Greg Sprink made some plays that keyed the victory for us.”

Holy Cross head coach Ralph Willard thought Navy won the game at the foul line and who could argue. Sprink, Harris and Kina led the way as the Mids drained 23 of 25 free throws while the Crusaders were just 8-for-11 from the charity stripe.

“They outscored us 23-8 from the free throw line. It’s tough to win when that happens,” said Willard, who was unhappy that Navy was allowed to gather 16 offensive rebounds.

Senior center Tim Clifford, the preseason Player of the Year, poured in a career-high 34 points to lead Holy Cross (14-11, 5-7), which had a three-game winning streak snapped. Clifford, a 6-foot-11, 260-pounder, was unstoppable down low in sinking 14 of 18 field goal attempts.

Holy Cross used a physical zone defense to make it difficult for Navy to execute its offensive formula that involves dribble penetrating then kicking the ball outside for open 3-pointers. The Crusaders succeeded in closing down the lane then recovering to contest jump shots.

Harris had a tough shooting night, going 5-for-16 from the field (including 3-for-12 from 3-point range). However, the gritty youngster compensated by getting to the foul line and making all 10 of his attempts. He established a career-high with seven rebounds and equaled a career-high with five steals.

Sprink also struggled from the field to the tune of 8-for-18 shooting. Challenged hard on the perimeter, the 6-foot-5, left-hander took the ball strong to the basket and hit several shots with a high degree of difficulty. The California native is now tied with Kevin Sinnett for third on Navy’s all-time scoring list with 1,687 career points.

“It’s been a long journey so far and we’ve been through it all, but tonight was a testament to the way we have learned how to win,” Sprink said.

Navy jumped to a 16-7 lead six minutes into the game, but Holy Cross came storming back to take a 30-29 halftime lead. It was the lowest scoring first half of the season for the Mids, who shot 6-for-23 over the final 14 minutes.

Clifford took over in the second half, overpowering Navy freshman center Mark Veazey inside for a series of easy layups en route to scoring 15 of his team’s initial 19 points. Clifford’s interior dominance helped Holy Cross build a 51-45 lead with 9:23 remaining.

Navy began swarming Clifford with multiple defenders and that succeeded in slowing him down. “They finally decided to put two and three guys in my area and to not let me move. They did a good job of getting in my way,” he said.

Holy Cross was held scoreless on five straight possessions and that enabled Navy to seize control. Sprink drained a 3-pointer from NBA range and scored off an acrobatic driving layup to spark a 15-2 run that gave the Mids a 60-53 lead at the 4:47 mark.

Clifford re-asserted himself with a couple inside baskets to help Holy Cross get back within striking distance down the stretch. A tap-in by Eric Meister cut the deficit to 68-66 with 56 seconds left and the visitors had a chance to tie after Kina missed a jumper on the other end. However, Navy mounted a strong defensive stand and Pat Doherty missed a jumper under pressure with 11 seconds left that would have tied the score.

American defeated Army last night to improve its first place record to 9-3. However, Lafayette and Lehigh, which were tied for third place in the Patriot League, both lost and dropped to 5-6. As a result, Navy now holds a two-game lead over Bucknell (6-6).

“It’s hard to understand how to be a champion without having been a champion,” Lange said. “I thought we have always played with great intensity, but this year we are becoming more poised and focused. We know that we have to be focused on one game at a time down the stretch run. We just want to be playing our best basketball as we enter March.”

Navy Sports

CONNECT WITH US