Navy Sports

GreatAmerican · March 19, 2008, 6:04pm

For Immediate Release
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Contact: Jonathan Maggart (410) 293-8771

Navy-Belmont Abbey Baseball Game Postponed

ANNAPOLIS, Md. Navys baseball game against Belmont Abbey scheduled for Wednesday afternoon at Terwilliger Brothers Field at Max Bishop Stadium has been postponed due to rain. The game will be played tomorrow, Thursday, March 20, starting at 2:30 p.m.

Live stats for all of Navys home games will be available via GameTracker on <a href=“http://www.NavySports.com(%5B/url%5D.)”>www.NavySports.com(.)</a>

GreatAmerican · March 19, 2008, 6:06pm

Navy vs. Ohio State??
I just got off the phone with Naval Academy athletic director Chet Gladchuk, who said there is no substance to rumors of Navy playing Ohio State in a home-and-home series in football.

Gladchuk said Ohio State athletic officials contacted him about the possibility of playing a game, but that is not unusual. Michigan, LSU and many other high-powered schools have contacted Navy over the years about setting up a football game, Gladchuk said.

Contact and discussion don’t mean that a deal is imminent. In regard to Ohio State, Gladchuk said the rumors, which are detailed enough to have the Buckeyes coming to Baltimore in 2009 and the Midshipmen traveling to Columbus the following year, are baseless.

Navy Depth Chart

Navy just released its football depth chart in advance of spring practice, which begins on Monday.

A quick scan of the depth chart reveals there are a multitude of soon-to-be sophomores listed. For the most part, these are youngsters who played on the junior varsity last season. Some of these sophomores are very talented, while others made the depth largely because there are holes in the senior and junior classes at certain positions.

For instance, sophomores are listed No. 1, 2 and 3 at one of the outside linebacker positions. Travis Sudderth is the starter and is being backed up by Trey Grissom and Kalin Krause. Where are the juniors and seniors at that spot?

Maurice Cumberland, a player I don’t remember writing about during the recruiting process, is No. 2 at right end. He has good size at 6-foot-4 and 265 pounds.

On offense, some of the notable sophomores are Andre Byrd (No. 2 at slot back), Ricky Dobbs (No. 3 at quarterback) and Devan Clark (No. 3 at fullback). I believe all three of those players will blossom into standouts one day.

Byrd is smaller than Reggie Campbell at about 5-foot-5, but is lightning-quick with superb speed and moves. Clark has good size and might be a bit faster and more athletic than recent Navy fullbacks. Dobbs has been discussed in this space before… he has the potential to be the best Navy quarterback of the triple-option era.

There have been a couple position changes with Emmett Merchant moving from defensive back to slot back and Andy Lark flopping over from nose tackle to center. Merchant saw significant time last season in the secondary so I’m not sure why the coaching staff chose to move him. Lark, as big and strong as anybody on the Navy roster, just wasn’t getting it done on defense and needed a fresh start. Hopefully, center will prove the best use of his ability.

It was also interesting to see backup quarterback Jarod Bryant also listed at slot back. Bryant has the ability to play that position and it would be a way to get him on the field more often.

GreatAmerican · March 20, 2008, 7:29am

For Immediate Release
Sent Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Contact Justin Kischefsky (410) 293-8772

Penn Rallies to Post Win Over Navy Tennis Team

ANNAPOLIS, Md. – Penn rallied after dropping the doubles point to Navy by winning the first four completed singles matches to record a 4-3 victory over the Midshipmen, Wednesday afternoon at the Tose Family Tennis Center in Annapolis.

“It was a great college tennis match,” said Navy head coach John Officer. “There was a lot of intensity displayed by both teams.”

Navy swept the three doubles matches from the Quakers to take a 1-0 lead. First off of the courts was the No. 3 match where Navy’s Nick Birger (Fr., Belleville, Ill.) and Jason Hill (Jr., Marietta, Ga.) posted an 8-6 win over Justen Roth and Adam Schwartz. The Mids earned the doubles point with a victory at the No. 2 flight where Alex James (Sr., Visalia, Calif.) and Ramsey Lemaich (So., Danville, Calif.) won a 9-7 decision over Jeffrey Karsh and Joseph Lok. Completing the sweep was Navy’s No. 1 duo of Nate Nelms (Jr., St. Mary’s, Ga.) and Johnny Waters (Jr., Papillion, Neb.), who picked up a 9-7 win over Brandon O’Gara and Jason Pinsky.

The Quakers then won a straight-set singles match and outlasted the Mids in a trio of three-set matches to record the overall victory.

Schwartz put the Quakers on the scoreboard with his 6-1, 6-4 win over Lemaich at No. 4 singles. Pinsky, the ninth-ranked singles player in the Northeast Region, dropped the first set of his No. 1 singles match to Nelms, 6-4, but won the second and third set by scores of 6-2 and 6-1, respectively, to give Penn a 2-1 advantage.

Hill dropped the first set of his No. 3 singles match to Lok in a tiebreaker (7-4), but evened the match at one set apiece with a 6-2 win in the second set. Lok would jump out to a 5-2 lead in the third set before eventually winning the match by the score of 6-4.

Waters won the opening set of his No. 2 singles match against Justin Fox by the score of 6-3, but dropped the last two sets, 6-3 and 6-4, to allow Fox to record Penn’s fourth point of the day.

The Mids won the remaining two singles matches, with James recording a 7-5, 6-7 (4-7), 6-3 win over O’Gara at No. 5 singles and Owen Bullard (Fr., Concord, N.C.) rallying to post a 3-6, 7-5, 7-5 win over Alex Vasin at No. 6 singles.

The doubles matches began at 2:30 p.m., but the last singles match did not finish until nearly 6:30 p.m.

“We played excellent in doubles and gave ourselves chances to win the match at numbers one, two and three singles, but couldn’t get the job done,” said Officer. “We could have done a better job at times of playing more aggressively.”

Penn, who has shared the last two Ivy League titles, defeated Navy 7-0 last year in Philadelphia.

“We didn’t fare too well against Penn last year, so today’s match showed a marked improvement by us from a year ago,” said Officer.

Navy will attempt to bounce back from the loss Saturday when the Mids play host to Richmond. Weather permitting, the match will be played outdoors on the grounds of the U.S. Naval Academy and will begin at 12 Noon.

Penn (8-7) def. Navy (12-7), 4-3
Doubles competition – Navy wins the doubles point (match finish order: 3-2-1)

Nelms / Waters (N) def. O’Gara / Pinsky, 9-7
James / Lemaich (N) def. Jeffrey Karsh / Lok, 9-7
Nick Birger / Hill (N) def. Justen Roth / Schwartz, 8-6
Singles competition (match finish order: 4-1-3-2-6-5)
Jason Pinsky (P) def. Nate Nelms, 4-6, 6-2, 6-1
Justin Fox (P) def. Johnny Waters, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4
Joseph Lok (P) def. Jason Hill, 7-6 (7-4), 2-6, 6-4
Adam Schwartz (P) def. Ramsey Lemaich, 6-1, 6-4
Alex James (N) def. Brandon O’Gara, 7-5, 6-7 (4-7), 6-3
Owen Bullard (N def. Alex Vasin, 3-6, 7-5, 7-5

GreatAmerican · March 20, 2008, 4:44pm

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

Navy’s Dinh Places 38th in First NCAA Race

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Navy’s Thuy-Mi Dinh (So., Anaheim, Calif.) recorded the third-fastest 50-yard freestyle time in Navy history to place 38th in the trial heats of the event at the NCAA Women’s Swimming and Diving Championship Thursday morning at the McCorkle Aquatic Pavilion on the Ohio State campus in Columbus, Ohio.

The first Navy and Patriot League women’s swimmer to attain an ‘A’ cut time for any event at the championship, Dinh was seeded 14th in the trial heats with her qualifying time of 22.37. Dinh had a great opening 25 yards of the race Thursday as her clocking of 10.91 ranked 16th in the field of 69 entrants, but her closing 25-yard time of 12.00 dropped her to 38th place in the event with an overall time of 22.91.

California’s Madison Kennedy won the trial heats with a pool record time of 21.87. A time of 22.23 was needed to finish in eighth place in the trial heats and advance to the championship final, while a clocking of 22.46 was needed to place 16th and qualify for tonight’s consolation final.

Dinh’s time ranks third in Navy history behind her school and Patriot League-record clocking of 22.37, as well as her second-best time of 22.57. The latter time was recorded in the trial heats of the 50 free at the recent Patriot League Championship, while her former time was recorded during her victorious effort in the event finals at the meet.

“Thuy-Mi was a little disappointed in her time and her place, but for racing at this meet and against this level of competition for the first time, it was a good performance,” said Navy head coach John Morrison. “She approached the meet well and raced hard. Now that this first event is out of the way, she knows she can put together a better performance Saturday. She has learned a lot already. This is just step one in her development as a nationally-recognized swimmer.”

Dinh will take Friday off from competition at the championship before returning to the pool Saturday to compete in the 100 freestyle.

GreatAmerican · March 20, 2008, 7:09pm

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

Speciale Leads Mids to 11-9 Win Over Belmont Abbey

ANNAPOLIS, Md. Navy leadoff hitter Michael Speciale (So./Pearland, Texas) went 4-for-5 with a home run, five RBIs and a stolen base to lead the Midshipmen to an 11-9 victory over Belmont Abbey on Thursday afternoon at Terwilliger Brothers Field at Max Bishop Stadium. The Midshipmen improved to 10-7 on the year, while the Crusaders saw their mark dip to 23-11.

Speciale, who was hitting in the leadoff spot for the first time in 2008, became the third Navy hitter this season to record a four-hit performance, joining Jonathan Wright (Fr./Arden, N.C.) and Mike Guadagnini (Fr./Virginia Beach, Va.) on the list. Speciales five RBIs are a career high and the most by a Navy hitter since Mitch Harris (Sr./Mt. Holly, N.C.) knocked in five at Maryland-Eastern Shore on March 11, 2006.

Michael did a great job for us today, stated Navy head coach Paul Kostacopoulos. We really needed his clutch performances today to get the win. He played with his typical competitive nature, which always could lend himself to having a great game.

Speciale delivered what proved to be the games deciding runs in the bottom half of the seventh, as his fourth hit of the day hooked around the foul pole down the right-field line for a two-run shot to put the Mids ahead 11-7.

The two teams both scored a run in the first before Navy took a 2-1 lead in the second inning, as Speciale came through with a two-run, RBI-single to left. However, Belmont Abbey plated three unearned runs in the third before Navy again tied the contest, this time at four apiece. Speciale keyed the frame with a two-run single to center.

The Midshipmen re-took the lead in the fifth and would not relinquish their advantage during the remainder of the contest. With the bases loaded and one out, Belmont Abbey reliever Trey Summerlins pickoff throw to first sailed high and went out of play to allow two runs to score. Navy scored its third run of the inning on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Renaldo Hollins (Sr./Virginia Beach, Va.).

Navy crossed the plate twice in the sixth, courtesy of a Steven Soares (So./Coral Springs, Fla.) two-out, two-run single back through the box before Speciales two-run shot in the seventh.

Belmont Abbey would not go quietly, as it scored three times in the seventh, once in the eighth and ninth innings. However, Navy reliever JD Melton (So./Myrtle Beach, S.C.) picked up the final-three outs of the game to earn his third save of the year and the 12th of his Navy career. His 12 career saves while donning the Navy Blue & Gold topped the previous program record of 11 held by Ryan Hefner between 2003 and 06.

Joining Speciale in the multi-hit department on Thursday were Jonathan Berkowitz (So./Parkland, Fla.), Soares and Kendall Bolt (So./Stockton, Calif.). Berkowitz, making his first start of the year, went 3-for-4 with a RBI and a run scored. Soares came in as a defensive replacement in the fifth inning and concluded his day with a 2-for-3 showing at the dish with a double and two RBIs. Bolt reached base safely four times in the contest, as he went 2-for-3 with two walks and two runs scored.

As a team, I think we made a lot of mistakes today, said Kostacopoulos. We were a step slow on too many plays and committed far too many mental errors. Thankfully, Michael, Steven and Jonathan gave us solid performances.

Its always good to see guys come off the bench and contribute right away. Certainly, Jonathan did that today.

Navy starter Wes Olson (Fr./Indianapolis, Ind.) gave up just one earned run over four-plus innings with four strikeouts in his second-career start, a 93-pitch afternoon. Relief pitcher Kevin Heasley (Sr./Cincinnati, Ohio) backed up Olson in a tough spot during the fifth inning and picked up his first win of the season. With runners on the corners and nobody out and the game tied at four, Heasley induced a double play while holding the lead runner at third and forced a groundout to escape the inning unscathed. Heasley yielded just one hit with one strikeout over 2.1 innings on the hill.

Kevin had a great get-out in the fifth, stated Kostacopoulos. It was a turning point in the game and built our momentum off that two-batter sequence.

I truly thought Wes threw the ball well. We just have to make the plays behind him. He really competed out there today.

Navy will continue its homestand with a four-game set against Princeton (6-6), starting with a single contest tomorrow at 3:30 p.m.

GreatAmerican · March 21, 2008, 9:54am

Navy Hits Road For First Time Saturday at Colgate

ANNAPOLIS, Md. – The Navy women’s lacrosse team looks to extend its season-opening winning streak to seven games on Saturday as it takes to the road for the first time as an NCAA Division I member with a key matchup at Colgate. The first draw control is slated for 1:00 pm at Tyler’s Field in Hamilton, N.Y. The Mids are 6-0 overall and 1-0 in Patriot League play, while Colgate enters with a 3-6 overall mark and is 1-0 in the Patriot League.

Game Preview
Navy is riding a six-game winning streak to open its Division I era, which includes five routs and one tight game … the Mids won their first five games by an average of 15.0 goals per game, before needing a late goal against Holy Cross to hold off a Crusader rally on Saturday, 12-11 … the Navy defense has also been tough, holding foes to just 6.33 goals per game, the third-lowest total in the country.
As of Thursday morning, the Mids are one of four teams (Northwestern, Princeton, Old Dominion and Navy) to be undefeated … in addition, Navy’s six-game win streak is second nationally to Northwestern’s 27-game streak … the Mids are the lone Patriot League unbeaten.
Navy ranks in the NCAA top ten in points per game, scoring offense, scoring defense, scoring margin, draw controls per game and ground balls per game … in addition, six Mids rank in the top 50 of the individual leaderboards 20 different times.
Colgate enters the contest with a 3-6 overall record and a 1-0 Patriot League mark … the Raiders defeated Marist, 15-12, on Wednesday afternoon … Brie Moran scored five points (4 g, 1 a) against the Red Foxes, and leads the team with 27 points … reserve Meghan Lawler also scored five points … Sara Drexler has seen the majority of the time in goal, posting a GAA of 14.15 and a .321 save percentage.

On the NCAA Charts
The Navy women’s lacrosse team is well-represented on the NCAA’s second leaderboard, released on March 18 … the Mids are tops in the country in points per game (26.7) and win percentage (1.000 / with three other teams) … in addtion, the Mids rank in the top five in five other categories, including scoring offense, scoring defense and draw controls … six individuals rank in the top 50 nationally 20 different times in the NCAA’s individual categories.

Mids in Elite Company
Playing in its first season in school history, not many people knew what to expect of the Navy women’s lacrosse team. However, if the first six games are any indication, a special year could be in the making … through Wednesday, March 19, the Mids are just one of four undefeated teams (Northwestern, Old Dominion and Princeton) … Navy’s six wins are tied for the sixth most nationally and are the second most for an undefeated team nationally behind Northwestern’s seven wins … in addition, Navy’s six-game winning streak is the nation’s second-longest streak, behind Northwestern’s 27-game streak.

Home Sweet Home
Playing in what is perhaps the finest facility in the nation, Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, the Mids are enjoying a definite home-field advantage … all six of Navy’s games so far this year have been played in Annapolis, and Navy has won all six by an average margin of 12.7 goals per game … coupled with the men’s team success at home, this year’s two Navy lacrosse teams are 10-0 at home … that bodes well for the Midshipmen women’s program, which will host 11 of their 16 games at the facility.

Racking Up The Honors
The history of Navy women’s lacrosse spans just four weeks, but the program is already racking up the awards … five different Navy players have won six weekly awards, dealt out in the last four weeks by the Patriot League … two Navy sophomores have won the last two Patriot League Player of the Week awards, as Mary Ruttum won it on March 4 and Erin Rawlick won the award on March 11.

The Last time out
Caitlin Mandrin Hill’s goal with 2:57 to play gave Navy a 12-11 victory over Holy Cross in the Mids’ first Patriot League contest ever … Navy jumped out to a 5-1 lead with 11:15 to play, before the Crusaders cut the lead to 6-5 early in the second half … the Mids responded with five of the next six goals for an 11-6 lead with 18 minutes to play … however, Holy Cross answered with five straight goals to tie the game at 11, before Mandrin Hill’s heroics won the contest … Erin Rawlick and Meg Decker led the Mids with four points each, while Katrina Nietsch and Mandrin Hill scored twice … Natalie Blandon equaled a career high with nine saves in goal … the Mids outshot Holy Cross, 30-24.

Fast Facts
Navy players have already accumulated 23 hat tricks on the season, coming from eight different players … Meg Decker and Erin Rawlick lead the team with five hat tricks.
The Mids were held to a season-low 12 goals, while giving up a season-high 11, against Holy Cross … Navy had just one assist against Holy Cross … in the previous five games, Navy had at least seven assists in every game.
Navy is 27-of-28 (.964) on clears over the last two games.
Navy has outshot every team this year, as well as picked up more ground balls in every game.
Erin Rawlick has scored at least four points in every game this year.
Meg Decker, Katrina Nietsch, Erin Rawlick and Amanda Towey have scored a goal in every game this year.
Freshmen have accounted for 42 of Navy’s 114 goals this year … sophomores have scored 44 of Navy’s goals this year … combined, the two classes have accounted for 86 of Navy’s 114 goals (.754) … in the win over Holy Cross, freshmen and sophomores scored 12 of Navy’s 13 points (11 g, 1 a).

GreatAmerican · March 21, 2008, 10:00am

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

Navy Selected as League Favorite This Spring

CENTER VALLEY, Pa. The Navy mens track & field team has been tabbed as the team to beat at this years Patriot League Outdoor Track & Field Championship in Annapolis this spring, it was announced in the leagues preseason poll on Thursday. The preseason poll was voted on by the leagues head coaches and sports information contacts.

Navy, which won its third Patriot League Indoor Track & Field Championship within five years in convincing fashion last month, claimed 12 of the 16 first-place ballots cast to lead the way with 95 points. Army, the 16-time defending outdoor league champion, grabbed two first-place votes and 82 points to edge third-place Bucknells 81 points and two first-place ballots.

American was picked fourth with 48 points, followed by Colgates 45 points, Lehighs 44 points, Lafayettes 38 points and Holy Crosss 15 points.

Navy finished in a close third at last years league outdoor championship after placing second over each of the three-previous years. The Midshipmen joined the Patriot League in 2004.

The Midshipmen already started their outdoor season last weekend when they topped the field of three teams at the Point Loma (Calif.) Invitational. The Mids spent the week out on the West Coast training and transitioning from the indoor season to the outdoor slate.

This weekend, Navy will host Patriot League foes American and Lehigh, as well as local schools George Mason and Maryland in a five-team meet at Ingram Field in Annapolis tomorrow at 11 a.m. The Midshipmen will remain home one week later, when they host Colgate and Princeton in a tri-meet on Saturday, March 29, at 11 a.m.

GreatAmerican · March 21, 2008, 8:03pm

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

Navy Picked Third in League Preseason Poll

CENTER VALLEY, Pa. The Navy womens track & field team has been tabbed to finish third at this years Patriot League Outdoor Track & Field Championship in Annapolis this spring, it was announced in the leagues preseason poll on Thursday. The poll was voted on by the leagues head coaches and sports information contacts.

Four-time defending Patriot League champion Bucknell was picked as the league favorite again this spring, claiming 12 first-place ballots and 96 points. Lafayette grabbed the four other first-place votes to land second with 86 points.

Navy came in third with 74 points, while service academy rival Army placed fourth with 64 points. Lehigh was selected fifth with its 49 points, followed by Holy Crosss 34 points, Colgates 28 points and Americans 17 points.

At last years outdoor league championship, Navy nearly knocked off Bucknell for the Patriot League title with its second-place score of 187 points. The Midshipmen have placed second at each of the last-two league outdoor championships and last won the conference crown in 2003.

Navy will open its outdoor campaign this Saturday at 12:15 p.m., when it plays host to Patriot League members American and Lehigh, as well as regional foes Maryland and VCU. One week later, the Midshipmen will make the short drive over to College Park, Md., to compete at the Maryland Invitational on Saturday, March 29.

GreatAmerican · March 21, 2008, 8:38pm

By BILL WAGNER, Staff Writer
Published March 20, 2008

In the ideal scenario, Naval Academy senior Ed Prendergast will be standing atop a podium in an arena located a few miles from his home with some 35 friends and relatives cheering wildly.

Prendergast can accomplish that goal by winning the heavyweight division at the 78th NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships, being held today through Sunday at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Mo.

It will be a homecoming for 6-foot-4, 275-pound behemoth, who grew up in south St. Louis and attended DeSmet Jesuit High. John and Mary Lou Prendergast will be in attendance along with three of their five other children.

“This is a great opportunity and hopefully I can make the most of it. It’s special to be able to finish out my career in front of family and friends in my hometown,” said Prendergast, whose boyhood home is about a 10-minute drive from the Scottrade Center.

Prendergast is seeded third in the heavyweight division behind Dustin Fox of Northwestern and J.D. Bergman of Ohio State. He has an opening-round bye and will face unseeded Jon May of Nebraska this evening.

“I feel confident I can wrestle with anyone in the country at my weight. I’m going there to win a national championship that is the only goal,” said Prendergast, who boasts a 34-2 record with 14 pins.

Winning a national championship in wrestling is one of the most difficult challenges in all of collegiate sports. Navy’s tradition-laden program has produced just two national champs - Pete Blair (191 pounds in 1954 and '55) and Dan Muthler (142 pounds in 1973).

“You have to win five matches and at least four of those will be close,” Navy head coach Bruce Burnett said. “Every man in the bracket is tough, competitive and capable or else they wouldn’t be at nationals.”

Prendergast, who repeated as Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association champion two weekends ago, is among five Navy wrestlers to qualify for nationals. Senior captain Matt Stolpinski (38-6) is seeded seventh at 174 pounds and will be seeking to become a two-time All-American by finishing eighth or better for the second straight year. Senior Joe Baker (25-10 at 133 pounds), senior Spencer Manley (25-11 at 157) and freshman Bryce Saddoris (35-10 at 149) are all unseeded.

Prendergast, a two-year starter at heavyweight, went 2-2 at last year’s nationals - unwittingly wrestling his last two matches with a severe knee injury suffered during an 8-3 loss to West Virginia’s Dustin Rogers. He underwent surgery to repair a torn meniscus in April and was off the mat for nearly six months.

Not surprisingly, Prendergast was not at the top of his game when this season started in late October and actually lost to teammate Scott Steele three times - in the Blue-Gold Challenge matches along with the finals of both the Eastern Michigan Open and the Navy Classic.

Prendergast defeated Steele during wrestle-offs in late November and Burnett thought he finally rounded into top form while winning the prestigious Reno Tournament of Champions in mid December.

Prendergast has not lost since falling to Missouri’s Mark Ellis at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational on Dec. 1. He enters nationals on a 24-match winning streak with 10 of those wins coming by fall.

“I’m wrestling as well as I ever have during my career. I’m completely healthy and in tip-top shape. I feel very good going into this tournament,” Prendergast said.

Part of Prendergast’s confidence stems from the fact he’s had two close matches with Fox, who has been ranked No. 1 most of the season. Fox beat Prendergast 8-6 in the finals of the Eastern Michigan Open and 6-3 at the Northwestern Duals.

“Ed is one of the biggest, strongest and most powerful heavyweights in the nation, but he’s also very sound technically. He possesses good takedown moves, is equally strong riding or coming off the bottom and knows how to finish in a pinning situation. He can beat an opponent in a lot of ways,” Burnett said.

Prendergast, who owns a career record of 101-28, is the latest in a long line of nationally ranked Navy heavyweights that includes Steve Kovach and Tanner Garrett. He learned how to compete at the collegiate level while backing up two-time NCAA qualifier Garrett as a freshman and sophomore. He has been pushed the past two years by Steele, who could easily have qualified for nationals himself.

Prendergast began wrestling at the age of 5 and initially didn’t like it. He quit for a couple years, but resumed in seventh grade due largely to the influence of an older brother. Jim Prendergast was an NCAA All-American after placing sixth at 158 pounds in 1993 while competing for Southwest Missouri State.

Jim Prendergast will be in attendance this weekend as will two of Ed’s other siblings - twin sister Meghan and younger brother Alec, a Marine who will head for Iraq in September.

Prendergast was the Missouri state champion in heavyweight class as a senior, compiling a 46-0 record that included 37 pins. He had a couple scholarship offers, but chose the Naval Academy for the academic and career opportunities.

“I do not regret that decision one bit. It’s been a tough road at times, but I’ve enjoyed my experience here and look forward to fulfilling my commitment,” said Prendergast, who has chosen surface warfare and has been assigned to the USS Gonzalez, a guided missile destroyer based in Norfolk, Va.

GreatAmerican · March 21, 2008, 8:46pm

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

Navy Defeats Princeton in Series Opener, 6-3

ANNAPOLIS, Md. Navy starting pitcher Oliver Drake (So./Gardner, Mass.) scattered four hits over seven-plus innings to lead the Midshipmen to a 6-3 victory over Princeton in the first of a four-game baseball set at Terwilliger Brothers Field at Max Bishop Stadium on Friday afternoon. With the win, Navy improved to 11-7 on the year and 7-2 over its last-nine games. Princeton fell under the .500 mark at 6-7 with the setback.

This was a good college baseball game both teams played very well, stated Navy head coach Paul Kostacopoulos. The big difference today came with us getting some two-out hits. Another key came in the third inning, when we scored three runs without making real solid contact and the ball not leaving the infield.

Drake upped his mark to 3-1 on the year, as he allowed two earned runs over the seven frames and struck out four. The Navy right-hander fired 116 pitches on Friday, 71 of which went for strikes.

Oliver had some good stuff, but his command seemed to leave him at a couple of times today, said Kostacopoulos. He had a few rough spots, but was able to battle and work his way out of the jams. The bottom line he allowed only three runs today.

Reliever Drew Carlson (So./Boca Raton, Fla.) stepped in for Drake and delivered two scoreless innings with a strikeout to earn his first-career save. Carlson has not allowed an earned run over his five appearances this year, a span of 11.1 innings.

Drew did a very good job in another tough spot, Kostacopoulos said. He was able to get ground ball outs that is him. He can and will give up some hits, but he will also take some of those away with the double plays he gets. Its nice to see him continually emerging and is developing into a third option for us in the bullpen.

Navys top-three hitters in the lineup combined to go 8-for-14 with four runs scored and three RBIs. Thomas Hamilton (Sr./Houston, Texas) went 3-for-4 with a run scored and one driven in, while Jonathan Wright (Fr./Arden, N.C.) crossed the plate twice in a 3-for-5 effort at the plate and Michael Speciale (So./Pearland, Texas) went 2-for-5 in his second-straight game at the leadoff spot.

The top part of the lineup did exactly what it needed to do, Kostacopoulos stated. We are beginning to see the order stretching out a little bit more than before. We need to keep working on it to become more consistent offensively.

The Mids out-hit the Tigers, 11-5, on Friday afternoon and struck out just three times while reaching base via a walk three times and hit by pitch once.

Only striking out three times really makes us as a coaching staff smile, said Kostacopoulos. We did a much better job of getting on base with two strikes against us.

The Midshipmen struck first in the third inning, scoring three runs. With runners on second and third with nobody out, Wright knocked in the first run of the game on an infield single. One out later, Mitch Harris (Sr./Mt. Holly, N.C.) brought home a run on a fielders choice, as Princeton first baseman Adrian Turnham fielded the ball and initially went to first, but instead tried to gun down the runner, Speciale, heading home and the throw came too late. Wright would touch home on a Jonathan Berkowitz (So./Parkland, Fla.) RBI groundout.

Princeton chipped away with a run in the fourth and tied the game at three in the fifth. With a runner on second and one out in the fifth, Hollins made a spectacular running catch at the warning track in left-center to take away a sure extra-base hit and Drake induced a groundout to get out of the precarious spot.

The Tigers again had an opportunity to take the lead in the top half of the seventh, as its leadoff hitter singled, advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt and moved to third on a groundout to second. Drake again beared down and delivered in the clutch, as he got the final out of the inning with a strikeout swinging on a 3-2 count.

Navy carried that momentum into the bottom half of the frame, this time using a little two-out magic. Wright laced a triple down the right field line before Hamilton, who fell into a 0-2 count, ripped a single to right. Hamilton would come home to score on a Harris triple to right.

The Midshipmen tacked on an insurance run in the eighth. Steven Soares (So./Coral Springs, Fla.) drew his second walk of the game to lead off the inning. After a sacrifice and a single moved him to third, Speciale smacked a single to center to bring in Soares and make the score 6-3.

The two teams will meet again tomorrow for a noon doubleheader before closing out the series with a single-game, noon ballgame on Sunday. Live stats for all of Navys home games will be available via GameTracker on <a href=“http://www.NavySports.com(%5B/url%5D.)”>www.NavySports.com(.)</a>

GreatAmerican · March 22, 2008, 5:47am

Three Mids garner All-America recognition

For Immediate Release
Friday, March 21, 2008
Wrestling Contact: Stacie Michaud (410) 293-8773

Prendergast, Baker and Stolpinski Earn All–America Recognition, Mids Stand 20th

ST. LOUIS, Mo. - For the first time in better than 40 years, Navy will have three wrestlers stand proudly on the placewinner stand as seniors Ed Prendergast (St. Louis, Mo.) and Matt Stolpinski (Westfield, Mass.), along with junior Joe Baker (Poway, Calif.) will wrestle Saturday in the medal rounds at the 78th NCAA Wrestling Championship at the Scottrade Center in St.Louis, Mo. Prendergast, the hometown favorite, can finish as high as third, while both Stolpinski and Baker will battle for seventh place. Action will begin Saturday at 10:00 am CDT/11:00 am EDT.

It’s just the fourth time (1942, 1947, 1967) in program history and first since 1967 that three wrestlers have garnered All-America recognition in the same season. Gary Burger (123), John Kent (160) and Pete Vanderlofske (145) stood atop the podium in 1967 as the last Navy trio to gain All-America kudos. Meanwhile, Stolpinski became just the 14th wrestler in school history to be named an All-American multiple times and the first since Mark Conley in 2001 and '02. He joins an elite list that includes two-time National Champion Peter Blair (1954, 1955) and Olympian Lloyd Keaser (1971, 1972).

“Wow, it was a day full of highs and lows,” said Navy head coach Bruce Burnett. "We had a terrific middle portion of the day and got caught in a few really tough matches to end the night. The positive side to all of this is that we’ve got three All-Americans. I’m sure proud of them. They’ve carried the Navy banner extremely well out here over the last few days. It has raised a few eyebrows out here and that’s a great step for our program.

“I’m just really proud of the way all five of our wrestlers competed this week. We’d really like to come back tomorrow and finish out the tournament strong.”

Baker opened the day matched up against No. 1-ranked and third-seeded Coleman Scott of Oklahoma State at 133 pounds. Though Scott took the early lead with a takedown, Baker took the lead mid-way through the opening period before Scott evened the match with an escape. Following an injury timeout by Scott, the Oklahoma State standout earned a double-leg takedown with only seven seconds remaining in the opening period to take a 5-3 lead and never trailed again in the match. With riding time, Scott took the match, 9-4, sending Baker to the consolation bracket.

After a scoreless opening period, Baker opened the second period on the bottom where he broke free for the escape and took a 1-0 lead over Boise State’s Cory Fish. Fish, though, knotted the score at one apiece when just 10 seconds into the final stanza, he earned the point for an escape. Fish shot at Baker in an attempt to earn the deciding points, however, Baker was able to counter the move and with 26 seconds to go in the match, he was awarded the takedown. Not only did Baker claim the match, he also became the first Navy wrestler Friday afternoon to assure himself of All-America recognition.

Baker went on to face seventh-seeded Mike Grey in the sixth round of the consolation bracket. Baker opened up a 4-1 lead after the first period and pushed the advantage to 6-1 early in the second with a takedown. Grey fought his way back into the match and trailed by just one at the end of two. He tied the match at 7-7 with an escape to begin the final period. Though tied, Baker had the advantage with riding time in his favor. However, a counter shot by Grey not only resulted in a takedown for the Cornell standout, but he was also able to get Baker on his back and turned in the pin with less than 30 seconds remaining in the match.

Baker will battle Iowa State’s Nick Fanthorpe, seeded fifth, in the seventh-place match Saturday morning.

Like Baker, Stolpinski also stumbled in the quarterfinals Friday morning, dropping a 6-2 decision to fourth-seeded Steve Luke of Michigan. Luke scored a takedown just 30 seconds into the match and never looked back as he owned a 4-1 advantage through one, a 4-2 edge through two and held Stolpinski scoreless in the third en route to the win.

Stolpinski faced Northern Illinois’ Ryan Duke Burk in the 174-pound consolation bracket and found himself down early in the match. Burk struck first with a takedown, however, Stolpinski was able to escape just before the end of the period. Burk, though, built more than a minute of riding time before Stolpinski was able to break free. Stolpinski evened the match after beginning the second period down. He took his first lead of the match with a takedown shortly thereafter and after riding Burk hard, he was able to get Burk’s riding time under one minute. Burk narrowed Stolpinski’s advantage to one, 4-3, with an escape to start the final period, but it would not be enough as Stolpinski became Navy’s first two-time All-American since Mark Conley earned the honor in 2001 and again in '02.

But awaiting Stolpinski in the consolation sixth round was Cornell’s Steve Anceravage, whom Stolpinski defeated in sudden victory to win the EIWA crown just two weeks ago. After a scoreless opening period, Anceravage rode Stolpinski hard, eventually getting the two-point nearfall to take a 2-0 lead at the end of two. Anceravage extended his lead to five after an escape to start the third, followed by a takedown. Stolpinski finally got on the board with an escape, however, Anceravage iced the match away with riding time for a 6-1 victory.

Stolpinski will meet sixth-seeded Alton Lucas of Hofstra in the seventh-place match Saturday morning.

Prendergast paved his way to the heavyweight semifinals by earning a 9-3 victory over seventh-seeded Kyle Massey of Wisconsin just after the noon hour. Following a scoreless first period, Prendergast began his rout in the second with an escape, followed by a takedown. A bad shot by Massey with time running out in the period led to a three-point nearfall by Prendergast, who owned a 6-0 advantage heading into the final period. Massey scored a reversal to open the third period, but Prendergast broke free and then took Massey down to lead 9-2. Massey did fight free to narrow the score to 9-3, but it was Prendergast who would become Navy’s third All-American of the day and advance in the championship bracket.

Prendergast jumped out to a 2-0 lead after second-seeded JD Bergman of Ohio State attempted to throw Prendergast only leading to the Navy senior on top. Bergman, though, was able to reverse the move and knotted the score at 2-2 by the end of the first period. Bergman went on to take a 3-2 lead via an escape before extending that lead to 5-2 with a takedown halfway through the period. Prendergast made his way out of the hold to get within two by the close of the second stanza. He opened the final period with an escape to trail 5-4, however, Prendergast would suffer his first setback of the tournament, sending him to the consolation bracket where his hopes for a third-place finish remain alive.

Prendergast will open Saturday with a match against four-seeded Matt Fields of Iowa. The winner of that match will move on have the opportunity to wrestle for third place, while the loser will drop down to the fifth-place battle.

Meanwhile, senior 157-pounder Spencer Manley (Chattanooga, Tenn.) bowed out of the championship following a 4-0 loss to Oklahoma State’s Newly McSpadden in the afternoon.

As a team, Navy stands 20th with 24 points and with three wrestlers still active in the tournament, the Mids can move up. Northern Iowa is just two points ahead of Navy in 19th and it has just one remaining competitor, while Stanford has two remaining wrestlers in the tournament and it is four points ahead of the Midshipmen. Navy finished last year’s tournament in 18th place, its best finish since turning in a 13th-place showing in 1990. Iowa holds a commanding 31-point lead over second-place Ohio State and will have seven wrestlers in action on the final day of competition.

NAVY WRESTLERS AT THE 78th NCAA WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIP
First-Round Matches
133 - #11 Joe Baker dec Kyle Hutter (Old Dominion), 12-5
149 - #6 Bubba Jenkins (Penn State) major dec Bryce Saddoris, 5-15
157 - #1 Gregor Gillespie (Edinboro) tech fall Spencer Manley, 0-16
174 - #7 Matt Stolpinski dec Tyler French (Air Force), 8-1
HWT - #3 Ed Prendergast WBF Jon May (Nebraska), 5:22

Second-Round Matches
133 - #11 Joe Baker dec #6 Lou Ruggirello (Hofstra), 3-1
174 - #7 Matt Stolpinski dec #10 Mike Letts (Maryland), 5-4 TB
HWT - #3 Ed Prendergast dec Dustin Rogers (West Virginia), 5-1 TB

Consolation Matches
149 - Trevor Chinn (Lehigh) dec Bryce Saddoris, 1-6

Quarterfinals Matches
133 - #3 Coleman Scott (Oklahoma State) dec #11 Joe Baker, 4-9
174 - #4 Steve Luke (Michigan) dec #7 Matt Stolpinski, 2-6
HWT - #3 Ed Prendergast dec #7 Kyle Massey (Wisconsin), 9-3

Semifinals Matches
WT - #2 JD Bergman (Ohio State) dec #3 Ed Prendergast, 4-5

Consolation 3rd Round Matches
157 - Newly McSpadden (Oklahoma State) dec Spencer Manley, 0-4

Consolation 5th Round Matches
133 - #11 Joe Baker dec Cory Fish (Boise State), 3-1
174 - #7 Matt Stolpinski dec Ryan Duke Burk (Northern Illinois), 4-3

Consolation 6th Round Matches
133 - #7 Mike Grey (Cornell) WBF #11 Joe Baker, 6:40
174 - #11 Steve Anceravage (Cornell) dec #7 Matt Stolpinski, 1-6

Updated Records
133 - Joe Baker; 28-12 Season, 61-27 Career
149 - Bryce Saddoris; 35-12 Season, 35-12 Career
157 - Spencer Manley; 25-13 Season, 59-43 Career
174 - #7 Matt Stolpinski; 41-8 Season, 140-43 Career
HWT - #3 Ed Prendergast; 37-5 Season, 104-29 Career

GreatAmerican · March 22, 2008, 10:52am

IMPORTANT STRETCH FOR NAVY: The Midshipmen defeated Bucknell in overtime, 4-3, in a Patriot League game on Wednesday. A victory against Colgate (4-3, 1-0) tomorrow at noon in Hamilton, N.Y., would give Navy (7-1, 4-0) a strong chance to host the conference tournament. It’s no small advantage: The Midshipmen have not lost a conference game at home.

Bucknell had a good game plan against the Midshipmen. It used an unusual matchup zone defense in which the longstick defenders followed the ball; when the ball was up top, the longsticks were there. When it went behind the net, the longsticks flowed to that part of the field.

The way to beat that defense is with cross-field passes. The rainy conditions Wednesday made those passes difficult, though it was on such a pass that senior Nick Mirabito found sophomore Tim Paul for the winning goal in overtime.

Navy starting goalkeeper Matt Coughlin, a junior, is questionable after he left the game against the Bison with a hamstring injury. Junior Tommy Phelan would start in Coughlin’s place.

– Christian Swezey

GreatAmerican · March 22, 2008, 5:22pm

Three Mids garner All-America recognition

For Immediate Release
Saturday, March 22, 2008
Wrestling Contact: Stacie Michaud (410) 293-8773

Prendergast, Stolpinski Conclude Wrestling Careers with Win

ST. LOUIS, Mo. - Navy’s three All-Americans concluded the 2008 season on Saturday at the 78th NCAA Wrestling Championship held at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Mo., including seniors Ed Prendergast (St. Louis, Mo.) and Matt Stolpinski (Westfield, Mass.) who each capped off their careers by winning their final match.

“After all of the adversity we seemed to deal with over the course of the season, I couldn’t be happier with how we ended the year,” said eighth-year Navy head coach Bruce Burnett. "It was a tournament filled with highs and lows, but to have three guys become All-Americans is so gratifying. It’s a terrific way to end the year, but also a great way to get ready for next year with all the talent we have in our wrestling room.

“If not the support of the alumni and the administration at the Academy that gives us the opportunity to prepare and bring in some fantastic young men, we wouldn’t be able to be here today and represent such a great institution. The way all five of our wrestlers competed and represented the Naval Academy was exceptional. I think we’ve gained a great deal of respect and generated a number of fans who supported us throughout the tournament even if they didn’t have a wrestler in the match. It really gives our program a boost.”

Prendergast opened the day by facing Iowa’s Matt Fields, the fourth seed who was dropped to the consolation bracket after dropping a decision to fifth-seeded Jared Rosholt of Oklahoma State in the quarterfinals. Navy took the early lead by scoring a takedown early in the first period. Fields trimmed Prendergast’s lead to one by the end of the period. Prendergast pushed his lead back to two by opening the second period with an escape. Though Fields once again narrowed the lead to one with an escape to begin the final period, he would get no closer as Prendergast earned the 3-2 decision and advanced to the third-place match.

For the second consecutive season, Prendergast was matched up against Jared Rosholt in the NCAA Tournament. A year ago, the two met in the four round of the wrestlebacks, a day after Prendergast suffered what turned out to be a ligament tear in his knee. Despite the injury, Prendergast pinned Rosholt, ending the Oklahoma State standout’s season. This year, the two were battling for third place. Prendergast jumped out to a 2-0 lead and later a 3-0 advantage through two periods. Rosholt finally got on the board by opening the final stanza with an escape, but it was too little, too late as Prendergast ended his collegiate career with a pair of wins Saturday in front of his hometown friends and family.

With his third-place finish, Prendergast is Navy’s highest finisher in the national tournament since Scott Schleicher placed second in 1990. Prendergast, who is a first-time All-American, finished his career with a 39-5 record in 2008 and a four-year mark of 106-29. It’s the fifth-most wins in a single season by a Navy wrestler, while the 106 wins are the ninth most in program history.

“Ed really competed well all week,” said Burnett. “He came into the tournament seeded third and finished third which is no easy feat at the NCAA Championship. I’m excited that he was not only able to finish off his career in this fashion, but to do it in his hometown is pretty special.”

Seeded seventh, Stolpinski faced sixth-seeded Alton Lucas of Hofstra in the seventh-place match. The two met earlier in the year with Lucas handing Stolpinski one of his eight losses this season, by claiming a 7-4 decision at the Southern Scuffle. In Saturday’s match, the two opened up with a scoreless first period. Stolpinski scored the first point with his escape to start the second stanza. Lucas dropped Stolpinski with a nice single-leg takedown to take a 2-1 advantage, however, Stolpinski countered with a reversal (3-2) which led directly to a win by fall for Stolpinski at 4:07.

Stolpinski, who placed fourth at last year’s NCAA wrestling tournament, is only the 14th wrestler in school history be named an All-American multiple times and the first since Mark Conley in 2001 and '02. He joins an elite list that includes two-time National Champion Peter Blair (1954, 1955) and Olympian Lloyd Keaser (1971, 1972). Stolpinski finished the 2008 campaign with a 42-8 record, turning in the fourth most wins in school history. He is the first wrestler in the program’s history to reach 40-plus wins twice and one of only three wrestlers to reach 40 wins in school history. Posting a 4-2 record in the championship, Stolpinski finishes his career with a 141-43 record, smashing the previous record for career wins set by Greg Gingeleskie who amassed 127 from 1996-99. Additionally, Stolpinski owns four of the top five single-season wins totals at 174 pounds with 44 (06-07), 42 (07-08), 30 (05-06) and 25 (04-05).

“I’m so proud of the way Matt came back and wrestled hard today,” added Baker. “He gave us a bonus point win and that speaks volumes about our team captain. To finish his career with a pin at the national tournament is fantastic and to be a two-time All-American is an impressive achievement.”

Three-time NCAA qualifier Joe Baker came up just short in his effort to finish the season with a win, dropping a 7-6 decision to fifth-seeded Nick Fanthorpe of Iowa State. In a match riddled with blood and bandages, the two put everything they had on the line in what would be the final match of the 2008 campaign for both wrestlers. Baker put forth a valiant effort, as he overcame a three-point deficit after the second period to knot the match up midway through the final stanza. Fanthorpe, however, picked up the win, as we was able to wriggle free of Baker for the escape and the win.

“Joe really had a tough battle with the Iowa State kid today,” said Burnett. “It was a hard fought match that left both wrestlers bloodied. I know he was disappointed to lose, but he really competed well and I am happy he was able to get on that podium. I’ve known the talent has been there all along, it was just a matter of putting everything together and peaking at the right time.”

Like Prendergast, Baker is a first-time All-American, finishing eighth in the tournament. Baker finished the season with a 28-13 record and will enter his senior campaign a year from now having the opportunity to become a two-time All-American.

It’s just the fourth time (1942, 1947, 1967) in program history and first since 1967 that three wrestlers have garnered All-America recognition in the same season. Gary Burger (123), John Kent (160) and Pete Vanderlofske (145) stood atop the podium in 1967 as the last Navy trio to gain All-America kudos.

“I need to acknowledge the job that my two assistants, Brian Antonelli and Scott Owen, have done in preparing our wrestlers. They have been phenomenal and they deserve a lot of the credit. Additionally, our athletic trainer Jim Berry has done a great job in keeping our wrestlers healthy. It’s a full-time job and I can’t thank him enough.”

Team standings were unavailable heading into the Saturday’s title bouts, however, Navy opened the day in 20th with 24 points. No doubt Prendergast’s two wins and Stolpinski’s pin will help the Mids’ effort in moving up in the standings. Northern Iowa owned just a two-point lead over Navy in 19th and had just one remaining competitor, while Stanford had two wrestlers in action with a four-point lead over the Midshipmen. Navy finished last year’s tournament in 18th place, its best finish since turning in a 13th-place showing in 1990.

NAVY WRESTLERS AT THE 78th NCAA WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIP
First-Round Matches
133 - #11 Joe Baker dec Kyle Hutter (Old Dominion), 12-5
149 - #6 Bubba Jenkins (Penn State) major dec Bryce Saddoris, 5-15
157 - #1 Gregor Gillespie (Edinboro) tech fall Spencer Manley, 0-16
174 - #7 Matt Stolpinski dec Tyler French (Air Force), 8-1
HWT - #3 Ed Prendergast WBF Jon May (Nebraska), 5:22

Second-Round Matches
133 - #11 Joe Baker dec #6 Lou Ruggirello (Hofstra), 3-1
174 - #7 Matt Stolpinski dec #10 Mike Letts (Maryland), 5-4 TB
HWT - #3 Ed Prendergast dec Dustin Rogers (West Virginia), 5-1 TB

Consolation Matches
149 - Trevor Chinn (Lehigh) dec Bryce Saddoris, 1-6

Quarterfinals Matches
133 - #3 Coleman Scott (Oklahoma State) dec #11 Joe Baker, 4-9
174 - #4 Steve Luke (Michigan) dec #7 Matt Stolpinski, 2-6
HWT - #3 Ed Prendergast dec #7 Kyle Massey (Wisconsin), 9-3

Semifinals Matches
HWT - #2 JD Bergman (Ohio State) dec #3 Ed Prendergast, 4-5

Consolation 3rd Round Matches
157 - Newly McSpadden (Oklahoma State) dec Spencer Manley, 0-4

Consolation 5th Round Matches
133 - #11 Joe Baker dec Cory Fish (Boise State), 3-1
174 - #7 Matt Stolpinski dec Ryan Duke Burk (Northern Illinois), 4-3

Consolation 6th Round Matches
133 - #7 Mike Grey (Cornell) WBF #11 Joe Baker, 6:40
174 - #11 Steve Anceravage (Cornell) dec #7 Matt Stolpinski, 1-6

Consolation 7th Round Matches
HWT - #3 Ed Prendergast dec #4 Matt Fields (Iowa), 3-2

3rd-Place Match
HWT - #3 Ed Prendergast dec #5 Jared Rosholt (Oklahoma State), 3-1

7th-Place Match
133 - #5 Nick Fanthorpe (Iowa State) dec #11 Joe Baker, 7-6
174 - #7 Matt Stolpinski WBF #6 Alton Lucas (Hofstra), 4:07

GreatAmerican · March 22, 2008, 5:23pm

For Immediate Release
Sent Saturday, March 22, 2008
Contact Justin Kischefsky (410) 293-8772

Navy Tennis Team Nearly Sweeps Richmond

ANNAPOLIS, Md. – The Navy tennis team put on a strong performance Saturday to record a 6-1 victory over Richmond at the Tose Family Tennis Center in Annapolis. The Mids swept the three doubles matches and won five singles matches in straight sets.

In the five singles victories recorded by Navy, the Mids won four sets by the score of 6-0 and an additional three sets by the tally of 6-1. The remaining three sets won by the Mids saw Navy lose a combined nine games.

“We played a good, solid match today,” said Navy head coach John Officer. “This was the type of performance we wanted to have today.”

Navy’s Nick Birger (Fr., Belleville, Ill.) and Jason Hill (Jr., Marietta, Ga.) recorded an 8-3 victory over Sami Belakhlef and David Berry at No. 3 doubles, then the No. 1 tandem of Nate Nelms (Jr., St. Mary’s, Ga.) and Johnny Waters (Fr., Acworth, Ga.) posted an 8-3 win against Drew Crank and Mike Sommer to give the Mids a 1-0 lead after the conclusion of the doubles matches.

Hill was also the first player off of the courts in singles as he did not lose a game in defeating Belakhlef at No. 3 singles. Finishing next for Navy was Owen Bullard (Fr., Concord, N.C.) at No. 6 singles as he picked up a 6-1, 6-1 win over Crank. Alex James (Sr., Visalia, Calif.) then tallied the winning point for Navy with his 6-0, 6-2 victory over Rafael Arana at No. 5 singles.

The next match to finish was the No. 1 contest where Nelms posted a 6-3, 6-1 win over Doug Banker, then the last victory of the day for Navy came at No. 4 singles when Ramsey Lemaich (So., Danville, Calif.) recorded a 6-4, 6-0 victory over Will Minter.

The last contest to be completed was the No. 2 match between Waters and Sommer. Waters was down 3-0 and a break of serve in the first set before winning the next six games to win the set and take a 1-0 lead. Sommer broke Waters’ serve to begin the second set, then broke him again to take a 4-1 lead before winning the set by the score of 6-2 and evening the match at one set apiece. The duo then played a tiebreaker instead of a complete set to determine the outcome of the match.

Waters trailed 3-1 at the start of the tiebreaker before winning the next four points to take a 5-3 lead. The duo traded the two ensuing points to give Waters a 6-4 advantage, but Sommer scored the next six points to win the tiebreaker by the score of 10-6.

Of the 16 points played during the tiebreaker, the player serving the point won only five points.

The win boosted Navy’s record on the year to 13-7, while Richmond, winners of four of the last six Atlantic 10 Conference titles, fell to 3-13 on the season.

Four of Navy’s remaining six matches are against Patriot League opponents, with this closing stretch beginning next weekend when the Mids play at Colgate Saturday and at Bucknell the following day.

“We have a lot of confidence heading into the heart of our league schedule,” said Officer. “We know we are going to have to play well against all of our league opponents.”

Navy (13-7) def. Richmond (3-13), 6-1
Doubles competition – Navy wins the doubles point (match finish order: 3-1-2)

Nelms / Waters (N) def. Crank / Sommer, 8-3
James / Lemaich (N) def. Banker / Minter, 8-4
Nick Birger / Hill (N) def. Belakhlef / David Berry, 8-3
Singles competition (match finish order: 3-6-5-1-4-2)
Nate Nelms (N) def. Doug Banker, 6-3, 6-1
Mike Sommer (R) def. Johnny Waters, 3-6, 6-2, 1-0 (10-6)
Jason Hill (N) def. Sami Belakhlef, 6-0, 6-0
Ramsey Lemaich (N) def. Will Minter, 6-4, 6-0
Alex James (N) def. Rafael Arana, 6-0, 6-2
Owen Bullard (N) def. Drew Crank, 6-1, 6-1

GreatAmerican · March 22, 2008, 5:25pm

For Immediate Release
Sent Saturday, March 22, 2008
Contact Justin Kischefsky (410) 293-8772

Navy’s Dinh Closes Out Her Efforts at NCAA Championship

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Navy’s Thuy-Mi Dinh (So., Anaheim, Calif.) closed out her first appearance at the NCAA Women’s Swimming Championship by placing 64th in the trial heats of the 100-yard freestyle event, Saturday morning at the McCorkle Aquatic Pavilion in Columbus, Ohio.

Dinh entered the day seeded 56th in the 100 free with her Navy and Patriot League record time of 49.91. She posted a time of 50.50 Saturday morning, which is the third-fastest time recorded by a Navy swimmer in the event.

A time of 48.54 was needed to qualify for tonight’s 100 free championship final, while a clocking of 48.72 was required to compete in the event’s consolation final.

In her first event at the championship, Dinh posted the No. 3 time in school history in the 50 free (22.91) to place 38th in Thursday’s preliminary round of racing for the event.

“Thuy-Mi approached her race today much better than she did Thursday,” said Navy women’s swimming head coach John Morrison. "She has set the standard for herself pretty high so she wasn’t completely pleased with either her time or her placing, but this was a very good performance, especially with this being the first time she has competed at the national championship.

“This whole week has been a step in the right direction for both herself and our program.”

Dinh will now focus her training towards the U.S. Olympic Trials where she is one of four current or former members of the Navy men’s and women’s swimming program to qualify for the trials. Dinh will compete in the 50-meter freestyle at the event, which is slated to be held in Omaha, Neb., in late June and early July.

GreatAmerican · March 22, 2008, 5:40pm

HAMILTON, N.Y. – The Colgate women’s lacrosse team outscored Navy, 12-4, in the second half to hand the Mids their first loss as an NCAA Division I member, 19-10, on Saturday afternoon. The Mids, which opened the season with six straight wins, fall to 6-1 overall and 1-1 in Patriot League play, while Colgate improves to 4-6 and 2-0.

The two teams alternated goals in the first eight minutes as Sarah Bushong, Meg Decker and Erin Rawlick all scored goals to help Navy to a 3-3 tie moments into the contest. However, Colgate scored the game’s next four goals over a 10-minute span to grab a 7-3 lead with 11:44 to play.

Navy would score the game’s next three goals, including two by Decker and one by Katrina Nietsch, both freshmen, to cut the halftime lead to 7-6.

The Raiders would blow the game open in the first seven-plus minutes of the second half, tallying the first five goals of the half for a 12-6 cushion. Navy would cut the lead to 12-9 on three straight goals, the last coming by leading scorer Erin Rawlick with 15:34 to play.

But Colgate would end the game scoring seven of the last eight goals of the contest, including three in the last 2:09 for a 19-10 decision.

The loss snaps Navy’s six-game win streak, the second-longest streak in the country. It was the first road game of the season for the team.

Decker and Rawlick each scored three goals for the Midshipmen, the sixth hat trick in seven games for both players. The duo have scored a combined 50 goals (Rawlick - 27, Decker - 23) so far this year.

Bushong, Nietsch, Brittany Amerau and Amanda Towey each scored one goal. Mary Ruttum dished out Navy’s lone assist. The Mids have just two assists on 22 goals in Patriot League play so far this year.

Natalie Blandon stopped a career-high 10 saves in the cage.

Colgate outshot the Mids, 38-27, becoming the first team to outshoot the Mids this year. The Raiders also won 19-of-31 draw controls and forced the Mids into 20 turnovers.

Navy will host Canisius in a non-conference battle on Tuesday, March 25, at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, beginning at 4:00 pm. The Mids sport a 6-0 record at home this year. Admission is free.

GreatAmerican · March 23, 2008, 7:23am

For Immediate Release
Saturday, March 22, 2008
Contact: Jonathan Maggart (410) 293-8771

Navy Splits Saturday Twinbill Against Princeton

ANNAPOLIS, Md. Navy starting pitcher Mark McCoy (Sr./Parkland, Fla.) went the distance in the opener as the Midshipmen rallied in the late innings to earn a split with Princeton during a Saturday baseball doubleheader at Terwilliger Brothers Field at Max Bishop Stadium. The Midshipmen won the opener in eight innings, 2-1, before the Tigers came back with a 20-4 victory in the nightcap. Navy moved to 12-8 on the year, while Princeton saw its record go to 7-8.

McCoy fired eight innings of one-run baseball with no walks and six strikeouts in the first game of the day. He used just 97 pitches on the day to record his 24 outs, 66 of which went for strikeouts. With the win, McCoy improved to 3-1 this season and moved into a tie for eighth place on the career wins list with 18.

This is the time of the year in which Mark really starts to come on, stated Navy head coach Paul Kostacopoulos. Hes really getting his command going and threw pretty well. He was certainly the key to our victory today.

Princeton jumped out to an early 1-0 lead against McCoy in the first, as Adrian Turnham delivered a one-out, run-scoring single. After Jack Murphy singled to right, McCoy settled in and retired the next-15 batters in order, stretching into the sixth inning.

Meanwhile, Princeton starter David Hale was just as effective as his counterpart on the mound. Hale set down the first-10 batters he faced and had his no-hitter snapped into the sixth inning, a base knock that would prove to be big for the Midshipmen.

Nick Driscoll (Fr./Riverview, Fla.) reached on a fielders choice and stood on first with two outs in the sixth before he swiped second base. That set the stage for Michael Speciale (So./Pearland, Texas), who came up and smacked Hales 2-1 offering in front of the left fielder for a single and Driscoll raced around third and scored the game-tying run. Speciale stole second base, but Hale induced a groundout to get out of the inning

Navy had an opportunity to win the game one inning later. Mitch Harris (Sr./Mt. Holly, N.C.) ripped a one-double to the gap in right-center. After Jonathan Berkowitz (So./Parkland, Fla.) drew a five-pitch walk, Hale again bailed himself out with a flyout and a fielders choice.

In the eighth, Driscoll and pinch-hitter Matt Sweisthal (So./Spring, Texas) greeted Princeton reliever Matt Welsh with back-to-back singled to begin the frame. However, Welsh forced a double play that allowed Driscoll to move to third with two outs. Jonathan Wright (Fr./Arden, N.C.) stepped to the plate and hit a grounder to short that was fielded, but the throw sailed on him and forced the first baseman off the bag and allowed Driscoll to score the game-ending, game-winning run for the Mids.

The first game was a great one we competed and battled against a great pitcher (David Hale) and did what we needed to do to get the win, stated Kostacopoulos. Even though we were somewhat overmatched at the plate, we still were able to get the big hit and take advantage of a couple of breaks. I really like how we played the game.

In game two, Princeton jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first before the Mids answered with a run in the bottom half of the inning, a Thomas Hamilton (Sr./Houston, Texas) single to right.

However, the Tigers offense exploded for 10 runs on eight hits in the second inning, as they sent 15 batters to the plate and never looked back.

Princeton out-hit Navy, 27-9, and scored the most runs against a Navy team since Missouri defeated the Mids, 25-2, at the 2005 Service Academy Spring Classic.

Navy starter Chip Tengler (Fr./Alamo, Calif.) was tagged for the loss, as he allowed six hits and six earned runs over 1.2 innings with one walk and three strikeouts. Kevin Heasley (Sr./Cincinnati, Ohio) produced 3.1 innings of shutout relief with three strikeouts and Sam Long (Fr./Newnan, Ga.) fanned a batter in a scoreless ninth inning. The Midshipmen pitching staff combined to strike out 10 batters in the back end of Saturdays twinbill.

The lone bright spot from the Navy offense in the nightcap came from Bolt, who belted a triple in the seventh and eighth innings. He is the first Navy hitter since Michael Garcia against Yale last year (March 25) to hit a pair of three-baggers in the same contest.

To give up 12 runs in the first-two innings, thats just baseball sometimes, said Kostacopoulos. Over the first-two games of the series, we allowed 11 hits and in this game we gave up 27. You just have to tip your hat to the opposing team and get back at it tomorrow.

The Midshipmen will look to win their four-game set with Princeton tomorrow, as the two teams square off in the series finale, starting at 12 noon. Live stats for all of Navys home games will be available via GameTracker on <a href=“http://www.NavySports.com(%5B/url%5D.)”>www.NavySports.com(.)</a>

GreatAmerican · March 23, 2008, 7:25am

For Immediate Release
Saturday, March 22, 2008
Contact: Jonathan Maggart (410) 293-8771

Navy Bests Field of Five Teams on Saturday

ANNAPOLIS, Md. The Navy mens track & field team won 14 events en route to topping the field of American, George Mason, Lehigh and Maryland at Ingram Field on Saturday afternoon.

Navy racked up nine IC4A performances to finish the day with 286 points, 222 more than George Masons second-place total of 64 points. Lehigh came in third with 58 points, followed by Americans 57 points and Marylands 30 points.

The Midshipmen dominated in the field portion of the meet, winning seven of the eight events to accumulate 159 of their 286 points.

Darryl Hunter (Sr./Des Moines, Iowa) won two events with IC4A-qualifying marks. He topped all throwers in the shot put with a distance of 538-1/4 (16.36 meters) and in the discus with a 1627 (49.55 meters) effort. Tyrell Arment (So./Wamblee, S.D.) placed second in the discus throw with an IC4A toss of 1609 (49.01 meters). Mark Van Orden (So./Morris Plains, N.J.) won the hammer throw with an IC4A mark of 1780 (54.26 meters), while Bo Lawson (Sr./Newton, N.J.) out-distanced the competition in the javelin throw with a 1952 (59.50 meters) showing.

Dante Marshall qualified for the IC4A Championship in the triple jump with a first-place distance of 494-1/4 (15.04 meters). He also finished second in the long jump with a 2210 (6.96 meters) effort, an event which teammate Ron Belany (Sr./Haiku, Hawaii) won with a 2211-3/4 (7.00 meters) performance. Bill Stillman (So./Norfolk, Mass.) recorded a first-place height of 62-1/4 (1.89 meters) in the high jump.

On the track, Navys strongest performances came in the 800-meter run, where two Mids posted IC4A marks. Paul Harris (Sr./Fairburn, Ga.) paced the competition with a 1:51.83 clocking, soon followed by Craig Meekinss (Sr./Baldwin, N.Y.) third-place time of 1:51.91. Navys 4x100-meter produced its other IC4A performance of the day, winning the race with a 42.27-second showing.

The Midshipmen won five other events on the track. Will Ricks (Sr./Hopewell, Va.) won the 400-meter dash by 1.46 seconds with a time of 48.89 seconds, followed by Ben Kozys (Sr./Houston, Texas) first-place 14:51.91 clocking in the 5,000-meter run. Gavin MacGarva (Jr./Bellevue, Wash.) opened the track portion meet with a win in the 3,000-meter steeplechase with a 9:35.97 showing and Matthew Hanley (So./Rapid City, S.D.) crossed the finish line in 15.68 seconds to finish first in the 110-meter hurdles. Navys 4x400-meter relay teamed up to win the event with a time of 3:20.86.

The Midshipmen (6-0) will remain in Annapolis next Saturday, March 29, when they play host to Colgate and Princeton in an 11 a.m. tri-meet.

GreatAmerican · March 23, 2008, 7:26am

For Immediate Release
Saturday, March 22, 2008
Contact: Jonathan Maggart (410) 293-8771

Watson Leads Mids to First Place on Saturday

ANNAPOLIS, Md. Navy womens track & field distance runner Amy Watson (So./Hampstead, Md.) won the 10,000-meter run with an ECAC-qualifying time to lead the Midshipmen to a first-place team score against American, Lehigh, Maryland and VCU in their outdoor season opener at Ingram Field on Saturday afternoon.

Navy won eight events to lead the way with 303.5 points, 118 more than second-place Lehighs 185.5 points. VCU came in third with 154 points, followed by Marylands 82 points and Americans 38 points.

Watson earned a spot at the ECAC Championship in May with her first-place time of 37:27.14 in the 10,000-meter run. It was the first time she had raced at that distance in her collegiate career.

Three other Midshipmen came away victorious on the track on Saturday. Sabrina Gambill (Sr./Bridgewater, Mass.) won the 100-meter hurdles with a time of 15.30 seconds and Jessica Orr (Sr./New Holland, Pa.) paced the field in the 400-meter hurdles with her 1:06.94 showing. Arwyn Becker (Sr./Vail, Colo.) began the track portion of the meet with a first-place 11:07.30 clocking in the 3,000-meter steeplechase.

Four different Mids each earned an event victory in the field. Team captain Jacqui Charnigo (Sr./Medina, Ohio), last years outdoor ECAC champion in the pole vault, won the event with a height of 1011-3/4 (3.35 meters). Katie Berkey (Jr./Tempe, Ariz.) soared 371-3/4 (11.32 meters) to best the competition in the triple jump, while Sienna Brown (Fr./Alamo, Calif.) won the discus throw with a distance of 12110 (37.14 meters) and Liz Hall (Sr./Erie, Pa.) placed first in the javelin throw with a mark of 1133 (34.52 meters).

The Midshipmen (4-0) will make the short drive to College Park next Saturday to compete at the Maryland Invitational, starting at 10 a.m.

GreatAmerican · March 23, 2008, 7:27am

For Immediate Release
Saturday, March 22, 2008
Contact: Jonathan Maggart (410) 293-8771

Navy Places Third at William & Mary Tri-Meet

WILLIAMSBURG, Va. Navy gymnast Dylan Parrott (Fr./Rockwell, N.C.) finished second in the all-around and placed among the top-four competitors in three events as the Midshipmen finished third at a tri-meet with William & Mary and Temple on Friday night in Williamsburg, Va.

Host William & Mary won the meet with a team score of 345.25 points, while Temple placed second with 342.5 points and Navy finished third with its 335.8-point performance.

Parrott produced a season high in the all-around with a score of 85.8 points, just 1.35 points behind Luke Vexlers first-place 87.15 from Temple. Parrott finished second on the parallel bars with a season-high score of 14.85, second on the floor exercise with a 14.65 from the judges and fourth on the high bar with a 14.05-point routine.

Adam Stanton (Jr./Centennial, Colo.) also finished among the top-four gymnasts in three disciplines. He produced a season-high 14.4 on the still rings to place third, another season-best score on the parallel bars with a 14.65 to land fourth and finished fourth on the pommel horse with a 14.1.

Brandon Cook (Sr./Longmont, Colo.) delivered a pair of top-four marks on the floor exercise and vault. Cook matched Parrotts performance on the floor exercise with a 14.65 and ranked fourth on the vault with his 15.35-point routine.

The Midshipmen (9-8) will make the trip up to Springfield College (Mass.) next weekend for the USAG Collegiate Division Championship. The team and all-around competition will take place on Friday at 7 p.m., followed by the individual event finals on Saturday at 7 p.m.

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