Navy Sports

GreatAmerican · March 28, 2008, 8:18pm

By BILL WAGNER, Staff Writer
Published March 27, 2008

The proposed Congressional Bowl, which could be the most likely postseason slot for Navy next winter, took a major step toward becoming a reality on Monday when organizers signed an agreement with the Atlantic Coast Conference.

Sean Metcalf, co-founder of the District of Columbia Bowl Commission, confirmed today that he has nailed down a deal to have the ACC fill a slot for the annual bowl. Plans call for a service academy to fill the other slot with the Naval Academy having already signed a contract to appear in the inaugural Congressional Bowl in 2008. Metcalf is close to signing an agreement with Army and also would like to get Air Force involved for subsuqent games.

“I am extremely pleased the ACC has agreed to become involved with the Congressional Bowl. It was really the last piece of the puzzle,” Metcalf said.

News of the ACC’s commitment enabled ESPN to sign an agreement to televise the fledgling bowl, which is slated to be held on Dec. 20 at either RFK Stadium or the new Nationals Park. Metcalf said the D.C. Bowl Commission can now move forward with filing an application with the NCAA for certification as a postseason contest.

The NCAA requires prospective bowls to have guaranteed opponents, a TV contract, venue and a letter of credit. Metcalf said all those elements are in place, including documents proving the proposed Congressional Bowl can meet its mandate of paying $1 million to each participating school.

Navy’s football program has made a school-record five straight trips to bowl games, but that streak could be in jeopardy because virtually all of the current bowl games have guaranteed conference tie-ins.

GreatAmerican · March 28, 2008, 8:20pm

Transcript of Navy head football coach Ken Niumatalolo’s comments following practice on Wednesday, March 26

Media in Attendance: Bill Wagner (Annapolis Capital)

Wagner: So how have the first two days of practice gone?

Niumatalolo: OK

Wagner: Just OK?

Niumatalolo: Just OK.

Wagner: What has bothered you?

Niumatalolo: It has just been OK. There’s been good and bad. There have been some guys that have shown some good things, but there have been a lot of mistakes on both sides of the ball. We are installing a lot of stuff so it is to be expected.

Wagner: How are the new assistants doing as far as understanding what you want them to do in practice? There has to be some level of training going on here with how you want them to run their portion of practice.

Niumatalolo: No, we do that before we even get out on the field. We don’t just come on the field and practice, we meet all day and everybody knows what to expect.

Wagner: Do you feel pretty comfortable with these guys already?

Niumatalolo: I feel great about the staff. Ivin is doing a great job with the offensive guys and Buddy is doing a great job with the defensive guys.

Wagner: Joe DuPaix is a pretty sharp guy and obviously his offense at Cal Poly was pretty prolific, how much difference is there in what he did at Cal Poly compared to what Navy does? Was it an exact replica?

Niumatalolo: I don’t know if anything is an exact replica, but he did a lot of the same stuff. Joe is a very smart coach and so is Ashley. Ashley has a lot of great ideas that he brought with him as well.

Wagner: He’s another guy that ran the triple option at Bucknell.

Niumatalolo: Everybody has different variations, but for the most part the packages are very similar so we have been able to pick up a few things. Obviously we aren’t going to revamp what we are doing because we have had so much success with it, but it is always nice to hear different ideas. You can take a look at things and it either reaffirms what you are doing or you might tweak something here and there.

Wagner: Will Joe and Ashley have much input in the offense?

Niumatalolo: Oh yeah, as an offense we all meet together and we all share ideas. The one thing you have to remember is that it’s not like we haven’t been successful on offense so we don’t want to reinvent the wheel. The core of what we are doing is going to be the same.

Wagner: Are you doing anything different in the passing game?

Niumatalolo: We aren’t making any drastic changes. There might be some technique changes, the way we run our routes, the depth at where we run our routes, what foot we lead with, what shoulder we are looking over, real small intricate details that might help us become a little bit more efficient.

Wagner: At what point did somebody suggest that you use Jarod Bryant at slot back?

Niumatalolo: I had been thinking about it all along, when I got the job back in December I was thinking about it. When we went back and looked at last year’s tape it just reaffirmed to me that the kid is special with the ball in his hands. Unfortunately for him the guy in front of him is pretty good too. We don’t want Jarod to sit on the bench. He is too valuable.

Wagner: When he was in at quarterback last year it seemed like you ran a package for him with a lot of inside runs and draws. Running the ball as a slot back is different. Do you think he can be as effective running the ball on the outside?

Niumatalolo: I don’t know. That remains to be seen. We are going to find out. All I know is he makes people miss.

Wagner: How many reps will he get at slot back? Is that going to be difficult since he will have to take a lot of reps at quarterback as well?

Niumatalolo: That remains to be seen. It depends on how things are going with Kaipo and his knee. We want to give Jarod as many reps as he can at slot back.

GreatAmerican · March 28, 2008, 8:45pm

By MCC(SW) Misty Trent
Trident Leading Chief Petty Officer

To help meet the Fleet¹s demand for technically skilled junior officers, Naval Academy leadership is focused on raising the number of Midshipmen majoring in technical disciplines to 65% of those being commissioned into the Navy. The Academy¹s female team sports captains are leading the way.

Of the ten women¹s and co-ed sports, six team captains are majoring in science, technology, engineering or mathematics (STEM) disciplines. This is the first time in history that a majority of female team captains have majored in STEM.

Midn. 1/C Kyleigh Millhouse is an ocean engineering major. As the women’s cross country team captain, the Boiling Springs, Pa., native is in a unique position to mentor and guide junior Midshipmen when it comes to choosing a major.

“I always tell them to look where their interests lie,” said Millhouse. “For anyone who is considering a technical major but thinks that it may be too difficult, I assure them that with a little bit of effort anyone can survive as a technical major. Some of the courses may be slightly more challenging, but it is just one more hurdle to clear and there is always assistance available in courses that they may be struggling with.”

Millhouse, of 7th Company, said she has always been a “math- and science-oriented person,” and she appreciated the ocean engineering department¹s smaller size and very involved staff."

Midn. 1/C Kari Weniger, women’s soccer team captain, is also majoring in ocean engineering. Her father encouraged her to take advantage of the Academy¹s strong engineering program. Weniger, of St. Petersburg, Fla., said she attended the ocean engineering open house just so I could tell him I did."

It ended up being a life-changing decision.

“The ocean has always intrigued me,” said Weniger, of 19th Company, who will report to USS The Sullivans (DDG 68) upon commissioning as a Surface Warfare Officer. “Just a few weeks earlier, as I was crossing a major bridge in Tampa Bay, I wondered how they were able to build such large bridges and have them stay in place. Walking into that open house, I knew I would like ocean engineering.”

Like Weniger¹s father, women¹s lacrosse team captain Midn. 1/C Amanda Towey also saw the strength of the Academy¹s engineering program.

“I like to explain to [junior Midshipmen] that the opportunity afforded to us to learn from some great professors and to use the equipment and labs that the Academy offers is too good to pass up,” said Towey, a Smithtown, N.Y., native from 2nd Company who is majoring in systems engineering. “I definitely preach my enthusiasm about engineering majors.”

Oceanography major Midn. 1/C Jacquelyn Charnigo of Medina, Ohio, originally started as a mathematics major. As team captain for women¹s track and field, her experience in both math and oceanography allows her to answer questions for junior Midshipmen about selecting a major. Like Millhouse and Weniger, Charnigo strongly recommends letting personal interests guide the decision.

“No matter how hard or easy it is, if you enjoy what you are studying then it is never too difficult to succeed,” said Charnigo, of 12th Company, who will report to USS Whidbey Island (LSD-41) upon commissioning as a Surface Warfare Officer.

Team captains are selected by their peers. At the end of the season, the athletes who have lettered in their particular sport vote for the next season¹s team captain. The team¹s selection is approved by the Director of Athletics, and then forwarded up the chain of command for approval.

GreatAmerican · March 28, 2008, 8:52pm

For Immediate Release
Sent Friday, March 28, 2008
Contact Justin Kischefsky (410) 293-8772

Pair of Navy Rowing Teams to Begin Spring Seasons Saturday

ANNAPOLIS, Md. – Two of Navy’s three rowing teams will open their respective spring seasons Saturday when the lightweight program plays host to Princeton and the women’s team competes at the Murphy Cup in Philadelphia.

The Navy and Princeton lightweight teams met last year in New Jersey with the Tigers winning the first varsity and first freshman races, while the Mids won the second and third varsity and second freshman contests.

“This weekend’s race should be pretty exciting,” said Navy lightweight head coach Rob Friedrich. “With Princeton winning one of the biggest races this past fall and Navy winning the other, our season opener should make for one heck of a showdown.”

Saturday’s slate of races between the Mids and the Tigers begins at 7:20 a.m. when the two varsity boats vie for possession of the Joseph Murtaugh Cup. Murtaugh, who served as the lightweight head coach at Princeton and with the U.S. National Team, will attend the races and make the cup presentation himself.

“This race will hold special meaning for us since it is the inaugural race for the Joseph Murtaugh Cup,” said Friedrich. “Joe was a great mentor of mine when I was an athlete and now as a coach. It will be a great honor to have him here to present the trophy for this historic rivalry.”

For the Navy women’s team, the Mids will be one of over 30 teams from throughout the region taking part in the 26th Murphy Cup Regatta on the Schuylkill River. In addition to the Mids and regatta-host Temple, defending champion Bucknell, La Salle, St. Joseph’s Drexel and Villanova are just some of the other programs that will take to the water Saturday.

The Mids placed second in the two varsity eight races at last year’s Murphy Cup, while winning one of the two freshman eight titles.

“It is our first race of the season so we are not only looking to have success, we also want to measure ourselves against the other teams we will be competing against because we will be seeing them all spring,” said Navy women’s head coach Mike Hughes. “This will be a good test for us.”

GreatAmerican · March 28, 2008, 8:53pm

PREVIEWING THE ACTION AHEAD
After posting a 14-8 mark to start the year, the Navy baseball team will open the Patriot League portion of the season this weekend when they head up to Easton, Pa., to take on defending league champion Lafayette. The Mids and the Leopards were picked first and second, respectively, in the Patriot League Preseason Poll and were separated by just one point.
The Midshipmen will then head to College Park, Md., to take on Maryland on Tuesday at Shipley Field. Navy will return to Annapolis and host Delaware State in the first of two meetings between the two squads this year on Thursday at Terwilliger Brothers Field at Max Bishop Stadium.

LAFAYETTE … A CLOSER LOOK
The Lafayette Leopards come into this weekends action with a 10-6 record on the year, including a 4-1 mark over the last-five games. This weekends pair of twinbills will be the first home games of the year for Lafayette. Its home field, Class of 1978 Stadium, will feature a newly sodded surface that will get its first action when the Mids come into town.
Following the adage that pitching wins baseball games, Lafayettes arms have been a key factor in its success in 2008. Each of its probable starting pitchers this weekend (Kevin Reese, Zach Fritz, Jeremy Atkins, Corey Shea) all own an ERA under 4.50. The pitching staff has issued just 42 walks in 137.2 innings of work on the year, an average of 2.75 walks per nine innings.
In addition to pitching, Lafayettes defense is literally second to none. The Leopards own the nations highest fielding percentage, .986, and have turned 11 double plays.
The Leopards are hitting .259 as a team, but dont be fooled by the average, as three of their everyday starters are batting above the .310 mark. Matt Hall leads the team with a .381 average, while Chris Luick is hitting .368 with seven stolen bases. Tom Ambrosole has belted three doubles, two home runs and 11 RBIs while hitting .313 this spring.

MARYLAND … A CLOSER LOOK
The Maryland Terrapins own a 13-11 record heading into their weekend ACC series against Clemson before hosting the Midshipmen on Tuesday.
The Terrapins are hitting .284 with 23 home runs this season, playing in the cozy confines of Shipley Field. Nick Jowers and Jensen Pupa are leading the team at the plate, batting .329 and .324, respectively.
On the mound, Maryland owns a 5.67 team ERA and has allowed the opposition to hit .311. Relief pitchers Matt Quinn and Brad Taylor have combined for a 2.54 ERA with four victories and five saves.

DELAWARE STATE … A CLOSER LOOK
The Delaware State Hornets have opened the year with a 4-18 record prior to their MEAC weekend at Maryland-Eastern Shore.
Delaware States pitching staff has been touched for 276 runs in 22 games this spring, as it has allowed the opposition to hit at a .370 clip. The Hornets have allowed 21 runs in each of their last-three games, all losses. The Hornets are hitting .294 as a whole with 22 round trippers.

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, who have won 81 games since the start of the 2006 season, could smash the three-year win total record this week. 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 is aiming 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 Mids 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 61 non-Patriot League games since the start of the 2006 season. 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 15 more victories to reach the mark, as he owns a career record of 585-381-3 (.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 81-49-1 (.622). A strong 19-8 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 49-28-1 (.635) in its 78 home games.

MARCH MADNESS
Navy played 17 of its 33 scheduled home games this spring in the month of March, all within a span of 26 days. The Midshipmen compiled a record of 11-6 on their home field during that span.
In the midst of that wild stretch, Navy also played two road games. The Mids played at 16th-ranked Virginia on March12, before driving during the night to take on Maryland-Eastern Shore at Princess Anne, Md. The Midshipmen would not have an opportunity to relax, as they immediately came back to Annapolis to host a round-robin tournament over the following three days.

POWER OUTAGE IN ANNAPOLIS…
While the Midshipmen have produced a stellar mark at home since 2006, they primarily havent done so with 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. Michael Speciale broke the 32-game drought with a three-run shot to right-center against Dartmouth on March 1.

BUT THE POWER HAS BEEN RESTORED
The Midshipmen have belted 10 home runs in their first-17 games on its home field. The most prolific shot came against Rhode Island on March 8, when Steven Soares smashed a 420-foot shot over the scoreboard in left-center. Michael Speciale and Mitch Harris have each hit three long balls in Annapolis already this season.

HARRIS GOES DEEP IN THREE-STRAIGHT GAMES … AGAIN!
Navy power hitter Mitch Harris (Sr./Mt. Holly, N.C.) hit a home run in three-consecutive games for the second time in his career during an impressive tear on March 13-15.
Harris smashed a 410-feet blast over the centerfield fence at Maryland-Eastern Shore before going deep twice against Monmouth in Annapolis. The multi-home run performance at home was the first by a Navy hitter since Tony Mauro against Lafayette on April 3, 1999. Harris blasted his fourth long ball in three days against Maine, this time over the fence at the deepest part of the ballpark, approximately 410 feet.
The Navy slugger hit a home run in three-consecutive games during a series sweep against Holy Cross at Fitton Field last season.
Only one other Navy hitter has ever hit a round-tripper in three-straight games. Mark Zematis first accomplished the feat on the road at East Carolina on March 4-5, 2000.

NAVYS OFFENSE EXPLODES AT UMES
The Navy offense produced offensive figures it had not seen in five years during its 20-6 victory at Maryland-Eastern Shore on March 13.
The 20 runs scored were the most by the Mids since they plated 24 runs against Hartford on March 22, 2003. The 24 base knocks, 10 of which went for extra bases, were the most by a Navy team since they tallied 24 hits against Bucknell in the 2003 Patriot League Tournament.

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.

HAWKS AND TIGERS … DEJA VU ALL OVER AGAIN
The Navy baseball teams schedule within a two-week stretch had played teams with the same nickname twice in back-to-back games.
The Midshipmen defeated the Maryland-Eastern Shore Hawks, 20-6, on March 13 before topping the Monmouth Hawks, 6-3, the following day.
One week later, the Mids took three-of-four games from the Princeton Tigers on March 21-23, before defeating the Towson Tigers, 8-7, on March 26 in Annapolis.

MICHAEL SPECIALE
Navy rightfielder Michael Speciale (So./Pearland, Texas) has proved to be a vital cog in the lineup this spring. Speciale leads the team with a .372 (32-for-86) batting average, .593 slugging percentage, 24 runs scored, four home runs, 19 runs batted in and 11 stolen bases.
Despite serving as the teams leadoff hitter over the last two weeks, Speciale drove in five runs against Belmont Abbey in an 11-9 win on March 20. The five runs knocked in were the most by a Navy player since Mitch Harris tallied five runs batted in at Maryland-Eastern Shore in 2006.

FITTING WRIGHT IN
In just his first-22 career games, Navys Jonathan Wright (Fr./Arden, N.C.) has provided a spark at the top part of the order. The 65 leftfielder is hitting .356 (31-for-87) with a team-best six doubles on the year. Wright is the only Navy freshman and one of four Mids to earn the starting nod in every game this spring.
He recorded back-to-back four-hit efforts against Dartmouth on March 1-2, a first by a Navy hitter this decade. Including his four-hit performance against Air Force, Wright has posted more four-hit games than any Navy hitter in a season since 2000.

SHORT RELIEF SLAMMING THE DOOR
The trio of Navy relief pitchers JD Melton (So./Myrtle Beach, S.C.), Chris Murray (So./Navarre, Fla.) and Drew Carlson (So./Boca Raton Fla.) have been lights out in the late innings this spring. The group has combined for a 4-1 record and eight saves in 43.2 innings, boasting just a 1.44 ERA.
Melton, the programs career record holder for saves with 14, has nailed down five games this season and won another in eight appearances. Murray owns two wins and two saves, while Carlson has not allowed an earned run in 14.2 innings this year en route to one win and one save.

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 (currently CBS College Sports Network).

MIDS IN THE LIMELIGHT
For the third-consecutive year, the Army-Navy series will be televised nationally, as CBS College Sports Network (formerly CSTV) will broadcast the first game of the Sunday doubleheader (April 13) in Annapolis.
One week prior to the battle of service academy foes, Navy and Lehigh will play a Sunday doubleheader (April 6) that will be broadcast locally in the Lehigh Valley on Service Electric 2 Sports. That twinbill will also be streamed live on <a href=“http://www.LehighSports.com(%5B/url%5D.)”>www.LehighSports.com(.)</a>

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.

GreatAmerican · March 28, 2008, 8:55pm

ANNAPOLIS, Md. – The Navy women’s lacrosse team hits the road looking to secure its first road win of the Division I era with a Saturday afternoon battle at Davidson. The Mids are currently 7-1 overall and are coming off a strong 15-12 victory over Canisius on Tuesday. The contest is slated to begin at 1:00 pm in Davidson, N.C.

The Mids are a perfect 7-0 at home, but fell to Colgate, 19-10, last Saturday in the team’s only road action so far this season. In Tuesday’s win over Canisius, sophomore Erin Rawlick scored a school-record nine points (7 g, 2 a), while sophomore Mary Ruttum added six points (2 g, 4 a) and freshman Meg Decker tallied five points (4 g, 1 a). The Mids also got a strong performance from senior goalkeeper Natalie Blandon, who stopped a career-high 14 shots, including several from point-blank range.

Rawlick continues to lead not only the Mids, but the Patriot League as well, in scoring with 45 points (5.62 ppg), averaging almost a point per game more than Lehigh’s Lauren Dykstra. Rawlick’s nine points against Canisius were the third most in a single game in the country so far this year and her seven goals were the fourth-best single-game total. She is among the nation’s leaders in goals (34), points (45) and points per game (5.62).

Decker, a freshman midfielder from Catonsville, Md., is second on the team with 35 points (27 g, 8 a), leads the team with 27 draw controls and is second in caused turnovers with 11. Amanda Towey (30 points), Mary Ruttum (24 points) and Katrina Nietsch (21 points) have all scored over 20 points each.

Blandon has been strong in goal for the Mids this year, posting a .451 save percentage and an 8.88 GAA. She has stopped 33 shots in the past three games.

As a team, the Mids are outscoring their foes by almost nine goals a game (17.4 to 8.6) and outshooting opponents by over 11 shots per game (32.6 to 21.1). The Mids have also won 130 draw controls to opponents’ 93.

Davidson enters the contest with a 6-3 overall record and have won two games in a row and five of its last six. The Wildcats are coming off a 15-11 victory over Longwood, in which they led 10-2 at halftime. Jen Crawford and Haley Cook led a balanced Davidson attack with three goals each and six other players scored at least once. Laura Johnson stopped seven shots in goal in earning the win.

Crawford (24 g, 0 a) and Cook (19 g, 5 a) both lead Davidson with 24 points. Emily Diefendorf and Beck Horton have contributed 21 and 19 points, respectively. Laura Johnson boasts a 6-3 record in goal with an 8.93 GAA and a .521 save percentage.

As a team, Davidson outscores its opponents, 11.5 to 9.6, despite having just six more shots than its opponent.

The two teams met in Annapolis last year, when Navy was in its final year as a club team. The Wildcats won the contest, 16-6, overcoming a 2-1 Navy advantage by scoring 10 of the game’s next 11 goals to blow the contest open.

The Mids will return home for a Tuesday afternoon (April 1) against Patriot League leader American, beginning at 5:00 pm. The game will be streamed online as part of the Navy All-Access package. Admission to the contest at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium is free.

GreatAmerican · March 28, 2008, 8:57pm

By BILL WAGNER, Staff Writer
Published March 28, 2008

While reviewing videotape of Navy’s football games from 2007, head coach Ken Niumatalolo and offensive coordinator Ivin Jasper came to the same conclusion: Senior Jarod Bryant is a dynamic runner.

Bryant rushed for 464 yards and five touchdowns last season, outstanding numbers for a backup quarterback who appeared in 10 of 13 games. Bryant started just one game and usually played less than a half in relief of starter Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada.

“When we went back and looked at cut-ups, it just re-affirmed our opinion that the kid is special with the ball in his hands,” Niumatalolo said. “He’s very shifty in the hole and makes people miss.”

Unfortunately for Bryant, classmate Kaheaku-Enhada has been the better overall quarterback and figures to remain the starter in 2008. That fact has prompted the coaching staff to consider ways to better utilize Bryant, whose talents would be wasted by simply holding a clipboard and helping relay signals from the sideline.

“We feel Jarod is too valuable to sit on the bench. There are things he can bring to our team so we want to find ways to get him on the field,” Niumatalolo said.

As a result, Bryant will do some serious cross-training this spring - practicing as a slot back and punt returner while continuing to take snaps at quarterback. If that’s what it takes to get on the field more often as a senior, the Alabama native is open to the idea.

“I’m willing to do whatever they want me to do. I just want to help the team any way I can,” he said.

Jasper knows it’s possible to make the switch from quarterback to slot back because he did it while playing in a triple-option system at Hawaii. A sprained ankle and erratic play caused Jasper to lose the starting quarterback job to Michael Carter, so he heeded the advice of Rainbows offensive coordinator Paul Johnson and moved to slot.

“As a quarterback in this system, you need to know what the slot backs are doing on every play so from a mental standpoint it’s not that hard of an adjustment,” Jasper said. “Jarod is a good athlete and was a tailback in high school, so I think he could do well.”

Bryant replaced Kaheaku-Enhada late in the third quarter against Ball State and rushed for 77 yards. He came off the bench in the fourth quarter the following Saturday versus Duke and scampered for 69 yards to help engineer a comeback victory.

There were 56- and 57-yard rushing efforts in relief appearances against Wake Forest and North Texas, respectively. The 5-foot-10, 185-pounder rambled for a career-high 139 yards in his lone start versus Northern Illinois. In reviewing highlights of those games, Jasper concluded that Bryant was the team’s most elusive runner behind slot back Reggie Campbell.

“Jarod had a couple runs last season that were spectacular and showed just how dangerous he can be,” said Jasper, speaking specifically of a 43-yard dash versus Wake and a 35-yard scamper against Duke. Both long runs came on quarterback draws and displayed Bryant’s ability to make multiple defenders miss.

“Jarod has great balance, great hips and great feet. He has a real good initial burst and real good acceleration. He gets to full speed quickly,” Jasper added.

Navy employed a special package for Bryant that featured a heavy dose of designed keepers, quarterback draws and mid-line option plays. As a result, the former Hoover High standout did most of his damage between the tackles.

Bryant is fully aware that Navy’s slot backs are used almost exclusively on pitch plays that put the ball outside the tackle box and are predicated on players having the speed to turn the corner.

Meanwhile, Bryant returned punts at Hoover High and enjoyed doing so. He looks forward to the challenge of possibly replacing Campbell in that crucial role.

“It’s something I like to do. I think it would be fun and exciting. I feel like I’m a lot better in open space with the ball,” he said.

None of the coaches want to come right out and say it, but the idea of using Bryant as a slot back and punt returner is largely dependent upon the development of talented sophomore quarterback Ricky Dobbs. If Bryant is the only qualified backup quarterback, he probably will not risk injury by taking pitchouts or catching punts.

“I’m still going to get a ton of reps at quarterback either way. If I’m one play away from being the quarterback, I’m sure the coach are going to make sure I’m prepared and ready to go,” Bryant said.

GreatAmerican · March 28, 2008, 8:58pm

For Immediate Release
Friday, March 28, 2008
Contact: Jonathan Maggart (410) 293-8771

Saturdays Navy-Lafayette Twinbill Moved to 1 p.m. Start

EASTON, Pa. Navys Patriot League-opening baseball doubleheader at defending-champion Lafayette on Saturday has been pushed back from a 12 noon to a 1 p.m. start, it was announced on Friday night. Sundays doubleheader between the Midshipmen and the Leopards remains slated for a 12 noon first pitch.

Live stats will be available for all four games this weekend via GameTracker on <a href=“http://www.NavySports.com(%5B/url%5D.)”>www.NavySports.com(.)</a> Navy (14-8) and Lafayette (10-6) were picked to finish first and second, respectively, in this years Patriot League Preseason Poll and currently boast the top-two overall records in the league this spring.

GreatAmerican · March 29, 2008, 8:05am

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – Junior Adam Stanton won two events and freshman Dylan Parrott won another to lead Navy to the team title at the USAG Collegiate Division Championship hosted by Springfield College. The Mids accumulated 339.300 points, to outdistance William & Mary by 0.85 points for the team title.

Stanton led the field in both the parallel bars and the pommel horse to pace the Navy attack. He tallied a score of 14.700 in the parallel bars to win the event by 0.400 points over Parrott, who tallied a 14.300 score to finish second.

He then tallied a score of 14.650 to place first in the pommel horse to win the event by 0.350 points. Junior Joseph Atzenbeck placed third in the discipline with a score of 14.050.

Parrott posted the top tally in the floor exercise with a stellar 15.200 score, outscoring Air Force’s Greg Stine by 0.200 points.

In the vault, Brandon Cook led two top-five Navy finishes with a second-place score of 15.350. Grant Waldron finished fourth in the discipline with a 15.150.

Atzenbeck also posted a top-five finish in the high bar with a tally of 13.800.

Lastly, Navy had two gymnasts place in the top five in the all-around competition, as Parrott placed second with an 84.300, and Christopher Tam was fifth with an 80.300.

The team will wrap up competition at the USAG Championships on Saturday night with the individual event finals, beginning at 7:00 pm at Springfield College.

GreatAmerican · March 29, 2008, 10:16am

The funeral for Hall of Fame basketball coach Ben Carnevale will take place Friday, April 4 at 11:30 a.m. at the St. Bede Catholic Church on the campus of William & Mary.

GreatAmerican · March 29, 2008, 1:33pm

For Immediate Release
Sent Saturday, March 29, 2008
Contact Justin Kischefsky (410) 293-8772

Navy Lightweight Team Wins Inaugural Murtaugh Cup Race

ANNAPOLIS, Md. – Navy overcame a late deficit to edge Princeton by three-tenths of a second in the varsity race between the two lightweight rowing programs Saturday morning on the Severn River in Annapolis to become the inaugural winner of the Joseph Murtaugh Cup.

The Mids took an early lead over the Tigers, who had recorded a 2.2-second triumph in last year’s race between the two boats, but Princeton soon rowed through the Navy entry and took an advantage of nearly one-half of a boat length. The Mids started to creep back towards the Tigers over the last 500 meters of the 2,000-meter race and had just enough to take back the lead and hold it at the finish line.

Navy posted a winning time of 5:52.0, with Princeton finishing in a time of 5:52.3.

“It was a tight, hard-fought race between two very good crews,” said Navy head coach Rob Friedrich. “Both boats performed very well in extremely rough conditions.”

“All of the races today featured great racing,” said Joseph Murtaugh, the former Princeton and U.S. Rowing coach who presented the trophy named after him to the Mids at the end of the day. “They did me proud with their efforts.”

“We are very honored to have won the first Joseph Murtaugh Cup,” said Friedrich. “He has done so much for lightweight rowing over his career. We are excited to have this Cup be part of the Navy - Princeton series.”

The varsity race was the first of Navy’s four victories on the day. The Mids also claimed wins in the second varsity race by 1.8 seconds, in the freshman race by 2.2 seconds and in the third varsity race by 3.6 seconds.

Navy will attempt to retain a pair of trophies next week when the Mids race against Yale on Saturday and at Penn on Sunday. The winner of Saturday’s varsity race will receive the Eads Johnson Trophy, with the Callow Cup at stake Sunday.

Navy vs. Princeton
Annapolis, Md. (Severn River)
1V (Joseph Murtaugh Cup race) - Navy, 5:52.0; Princeton, 5:52.3
2V - Navy, 6:03.1; Princeton, 6:04.9
1F - Navy, 6:13.11; Princeton, 6:15.34
3V - Navy, 6:19.3; Princeton, 6:22.9

GreatAmerican · March 29, 2008, 8:59pm

Posted to: Men’s College Basketball Sports

Roanoke Times
© March 28, 2008

By Doug Doughty

ROANOKE

Of the five ACC men’s basketball programs available for the College Basketball Invitational, only Virginia decided to take the plunge.

That decision ultimately could cost the Cavaliers more than $150,000.

“We knew that going in,” executive associate athletic director Jon Oliver said. "We spent a lot of time talking about that aspect of it, but at the end of the day, it was not a financial decision.

“We wanted our kids to keep playing.”

The CBI is sponsored by the Gazelle Group, a marketing firm known locally for its sponsorship of the ill-fated 2000 Black Coaches Association preseason game between Virginia Tech and Georgia Tech. That game was suspended by lightning before the opening kickoff and never played.

The Gazelle Group formed the CBI this year as a postseason alternative for men’s basketball teams that did not receive bids to the NCAA tournament.

The Cavaliers announced March 15 that they had agreed to play in the CBI but only if they did not receive an NIT bid.

Virginia also agreed tentatively to serve as a first-round CBI host, knowing that it would have to guarantee $60,000 in gate receipts.

“When you play in a tournament like that, you never know what’s going to happen, because nobody knows what the tournament is about,” Oliver said.

The University of Virginia and the Gazelle Group consulted on ticket prices, charging $10 for the public and $5 for students. Attendance for the first game was 4,022, which included 150 students, Oliver said.

The crowd was larger for a second-round U.Va. home game with Old Dominion, but the attendance of 6,460 wasn’t half the capacity of 14,593-seat John Paul Jones Arena.

When Bradley knocked host U.Va. out of the CBI with a 96-85 win Wednesday night, a crowd of 5,852 watched.

Virginia’s crowds were comparable to what the CBI was drawing in other venues. Tulsa, which faces Bradley in a best-of-three championship series, had 5,339 for its game Wednesday night with Houston.

Old Dominion, which hosted Rider in a first-round CBI game March 18, reported attendance of 2,036 at the Ted Constant Convocation Center. Coach Blaine Taylor, when asked Thursday about the financial end of the CBI arrangement, declined to comment.

ODU officials also declined to talk about the school’s deal to host its CBI game. The Virginian-Pilot requested a copy of the contract Thursday through the Virginia Freedom of Information Act. ODU has five business days to respond to that request.

Virginia was able to offset some of its costs by holding on to revenues made from parking, concessions and sponsorship agreements, “but it takes between $45,000 and $50,000 to put on a game,” Oliver said. “Then you’re going to tack your guarantee on top of that.”

Other schools decided the reward of playing wasn’t worth the cost. Georgia Tech declined a CBI offer. Wake Forest’s coaching staff wanted to play, Gazelle Group president Rick Giles said, but the administration said no.

Among the teams cited in various news reports as having turned down the CBI were Alabama, Penn State, Missouri and Seton Hall.

The only way for a school to cut its losses was to go on the road. The Gazelle Group handles travel expenses and even chartered planes when commercial flights were not available, Giles said.

For the CBI to have a future - and for teams such as Virginia to consider it a viable alternative - crowds will have to get bigger.

"The initial response from fans was, ‘Oh, my gosh, we didn’t make the NCAA,’ " Giles said. "What we’re about is rekindling a spark.

“It will be interesting to compare the NIT crowds in New York with our crowds at Tulsa and Bradley, because I think our atmosphere’s going to be a lot better.”

The Virginian-Pilot staff writer Rich Radford contributed to this report.

GreatAmerican · March 29, 2008, 9:00pm

DAVIDSON, N.C. – The Navy women’s lacrosse team rallied in the second half, but couldn’t overcome a slow start in the first half in falling to Davidson, 15-10. The loss was Navy’s second in as many games on the road this year and dropped the Mids’ record to 7-2 overall. Davidson improved to 7-3 on the season.

The Wildcats jumped out to a 3-0 advantage early in the contest on goals by three different players. The Mids rallied to cut the lead to 3-2 on goals by sophomores Mary Ruttum and Erin Rawlick. However, Davidson scored the next four goals to grab a 7-2 lead late in the first half. Freshman Meg Decker scored to stop the bleeding, but the Wildcats tallied the last three goals of the first half for a 10-3 halftime advantage.

Davidson would take its biggest lead of the game early in the second half on a goal by Sarah Walter, before Navy started its rally.

Two goals by Ruttum and one by Decker cut the Davidson cushion to 11-6. After Davidson tallied the next two goals for a 13-6 lead, Katrina Nietsch, Amanda Towey and Rawlick would score the next three goals to cut the margin to 13-9 with just over 10 minutes to play. The Mids then went scoreless on their next three possessions in their attempt to cut into the lead even further before Davidson put the game away by scoring the next two goals of the contest, settling in for the 15-10 decision.

The Mids outshot Davidson, 33-30, on the afternoon, but went just 8-of-11 on clears, while Davidson was 19-of-22. Navy also stopped just eight shots in goal, while Davidson was credited for 12 saves.

Decker led the Mids with five points (3 g, 2 a) and now has 40 points (30 g, 10 a) nine games into her freshman campaign. Ruttum scored three goals and Erin Rawlick contributed a pair.

Natalie Blandon, who was credited with an assist during the game, made six stops in goal, while Vanessa Nieves stopped one shot.

The Mids will host American on Tuesday, April 1, beginning at 5:00 pm at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. The game will be streamed online as part of the Navy All-Access package with Joe Miller calling all the action.

GreatAmerican · March 29, 2008, 9:02pm

NORFOLK

While the University of Virginia estimates its participation in the College Basketball Invitational could cost at least $150,000, Old Dominion’s role as host of a first-round game didn’t cost the Monarchs anything.

According to documents released by ODU on Friday, the school will send $5,784.21 in net proceeds from its March 18 game against Rider to the Gazelle Group, the organizer for the first-year tournament.

The Gazelle Group was left scrambling late on Selection Sunday, March 16, as it looked for participants for its 16-team

field - particularly those who would play host to a first-round game. ODU, knowing it would have fewer than 48 hours to promote the Tuesday night game, was able to negotiate a deal waiving the tournament’s gate guarantee of $60,000.

In documents released to The Virginian-Pilot, ODU included the Gazelle Group’s 10-page contract, which stipulates the $60,000 guarantee. However, neither party signed it.

Meanwhile, U.Va. played host to three CBI games, with the standard gate guarantee to the Gazelle Group of $60,000 per game applying in each case.

According to a Global Spectrum spreadsheet from ODU’s home game with Rider, ODU took in $14,884 in ticket sales. The attendance of 2,036 was an all-time low for a men’s game at the 6-year-old Constant Center.

Minus taxes, game-night expenditures and tournament incidentals, the net proceeds were $5,784.21, all of which were to be paid to Gazelle Group within 10 days of the end of the tournament.

ODU beat Rider 68-65, then lost at Virginia 80-76 in the second round.

Bradley, which beat Virginia in the semifinals, will meet Tulsa in the best-of-three championship beginning Monday, with the first game at Tulsa.

ODU men’s basketball coach Blaine Taylor declined to comment on the financial aspects of his squad’s participation in the tournament.

“I really think there is a place for the CBI. We loved being in postseason play and felt we put our best foot forward,” Taylor said. "All we did was try to help a new tournament get off the ground and do what we could.

“In the process, we also did what was right for our program.”

ODU athletic director Dr. Jim Jarrett declined comment and referred inquiries to Rick Giles, president of the Gazelle Group.

Contacted Friday morning, before ODU released the details of its agreement with the CBI, Giles said, “Our deal and contract template is the same for everyone. We didn’t cut any special deals.”

Calls Friday afternoon to Giles’ office in Princeton, N.J., were not returned. Jon Oliver, Virginia’s executive associate athletics director, also declined to comment on the ODU deal.

“I can see where some institutions might have sour grapes if they didn’t cut a better deal than what was offered, which is what it seems ODU did,” said Dan Hauser, assistant athletic director of Ohio University, which paid the $60,000 fee for hosting a first-round game against Brown. "I don’t have any remorse, though. I do see that the challenge for the people running the CBI is that they will have to change that contractual obligation a little bit in the years to come.

“But I’m very surprised by everybody’s fixation on the monetary aspect. With any NCAA event, you have to submit a bid to host and it has similar financial commitments. It’s not unique for a school hosting a tournament to have financial risks.”

Rich Radford, (757) 446-2463, <a href="mailto:rich.radford@pilotonline.com">rich.radford@pilotonline.com</a>

GreatAmerican · March 29, 2008, 9:03pm

For Immediate Release
Saturday, March 29, 2008
Contact: Jonathan Maggart (410) 293-8771

Hamiltons Blast Leads Mids to Saturday Split at Lafayette

EASTON, Pa. Navy first baseman Thomas Hamilton (Sr./Houston, Texas) delivered a two-run, go-ahead round-tripper in the ninth inning of the nightcap to propel the Midshipmen to a baseball doubleheader split at Lafayette on Saturday afternoon. Lafayette took the first game in eight innings, 2-1, before Navy rallied for a 3-2 victory in game two on a blustery day at Class of 1978 Stadium.

The Midshipmen moved to 15-9 overall and 1-1 in the Patriot League, while the Leopards went to 11-7 overall and 1-1 in league action.

Navy was down, 2-1, in the ninth before making the rally. Lafayette starter Zach Fritz was lifted after eight innings of one-run, four-hit baseball with nine strikeouts in favor of southpaw Brian Mostek, who hit leadoff man Jonathan Wright (Fr./Arden, N.C.) with his first pitch. Hamilton stepped to the plate and blasted a two-run shot over the right-centerfield fence to give the Mids their first lead of the entire day. For Hamilton, it was his first long ball of the season.

Thomass hit saved us from a very frustrating day offensively, stated Navy head coach Paul Kostacopoulos. He really came up for us in a big spot. Nothing today came easily. To come through in a situation like that really shows you how hard he is working at the plate. That is what you want out of your captain and what he has done for us.

Navy starter Mark McCoy (Sr./Parkland, Fla.) did not allow a hit over his first-four innings before Lafayette struck for two runs in the fifth. Ryan Roberts produced a RBI single and Daniel Bierce scored on a throwing error, but Roberts was thrown out at the plate by Hamilton during the play to keep the Leopards to just two runs.

The Midshipmen answered back and touched home once in the sixth. Michael Speciale (So./Pearland, Texas) led off with a triple down the right-field line and would score on a Wright RBI groundout.

McCoy lasted seven innings and allowed just one earned run on six hits with one walk and a season-best seven strikeouts.

Mark did a very nice job on the mound today, stated Kostacopoulos. He was able to get guys out with his understanding of the game hes very smart and very intelligent. His fastball and breaking balls were very solid today.

Drew Carlson (So./Boca Raton, Fla.) got into a jam with runners on first and second with one out in the eighth, but induced an inning-ending twin-killing to earn the win and improve to 2-0 on the year. Closer JD Melton (So./Myrtle Beach, S.C.) fanned two batters in a spotless ninth to pick up his sixth save of the season.

Drew had a big get-out with the double play, said Kostacopoulos. Matthew Curley (defensive replacement in the inning) made a nice play on that ball at shortstop.

JD had a 1-2-3 ninth what more can you say about a closer/short relief guy?

In the opener, Lafayette took advantage of an unusual play to score the game-ending run in the eighth inning. Ryan Roberts led off the inning with a walk, but Navy starter Oliver Drake (So./Gardner, Mass.) came back with a flyout to center. Roberts stole second during a marathon at bat with Tom Hayes that featured more than 10 pitches and 10 pickoff moves to first before Drake fanned Roberts on a 3-2 offering. Up came Chris Luick, who swung and acted as if he had hit the ball off his foot as it rolled to second baseman Mike Guadagnini. With the batter down in the batters box and just beginning his jog to first, the ball went under Guadagninis glove, who had thought the play had been ruled dead, and Luick reached first while Roberts rounded third and scored the game-winning run.

Both starters, Drake and Kevin Reese, went the distance in the first game. Drake was tagged for the loss despite allowing just one earned run and six hits over 7.2 innings with two walks and five strikeouts. Reese yielded just one unearned run in eight innings with three walks and seven strikeouts to earn his second win of the year.

Even though he got tired towards the end, he battled through and gave us a consistent, solid performance, stated Kostacopoulos. He had his fastball and slider working for him today. He was able to locate his fastball well and kept the ball down.

Lafayette scored the first run of the contest in the fourth inning. With the bases loaded and two outs, Drake got ahead of Jeff Butler with a 0-2 count before an off-speed pitch in the dirt got away from the catcher and allowed Luick to score from third.

Navy immediately answered back with a run in the top half of the fifth to knot the game at one. Kendall Bolt (So./Stockton, Calif.) led off the inning with a walk and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Two outs later, Renaldo Hollins (Sr./Virginia Beach, Va.) hit a chopper to short that scooted under his glove and allowed Bolt to come around and touch the plate.

The Midshipmen were out-hit by the host Leopards in both games, 6-5 and 7-6, respectively. Neither team drove in a run during their Patriot League opener.

In addition to the solid pitching and cold weather conditions during Saturdays twinbill, both teams took away hits with several solid defensive plays in yielding just a total of eight runs in two games.

Both teams played outstanding, defensively, in some very tough conditions with the wind, said Kostacopoulos. There were some really impressive plays made. This was a well-played defensive college baseball day.

The two teams will close out their weekend series with another doubleheader tomorrow at Lafayettes Class of 1978 Stadium, starting at 12 noon. Live stats will be available via GameTracker on <a href=“http://www.NavySports.com(%5B/url%5D.)”>www.NavySports.com(.)</a>

GreatAmerican · March 29, 2008, 9:04pm

Navy Men’s Track and Field Tops Three Teams at Navy Quadrangular

ANNAPOLIS, Md. Navy piled up 209.50 points to run away from Penn, Princeton and Colgate at the Navy Quadrangular on Saturday afternoon in Annapolis. The Mids won 11 of the 19 events and finished in the top three 21 total times. Penn finished second with 156.50 points, while Princeton and Colgate were third and fourth with 123.50 and 98.50 points, respectively.

Ron Belany led Navy with a trio of first-place finishes. The senior from Haiku, Hawaii, topped the field in the long jump with a leap of 23-04. He would then take to the track to win his last two events. He claimed the 110-meter hurdles with a time of 14.63, then won his third event of the day with a clocking of 22.14 in the 200-meter dash.

Belanys effort in the long jump was one of five titles won by a Midshipman in the seven field events. Bo Lawson took the gold in the javelin with a throw of 207-06. Darryl Hunter, who also finished second in the shot put, won the discus with a toss of 163-06. Billy Stillman won the high jump with a jump of 6-02.25, and Phillip Martin took home top honors in the triple jump with a leap of 41-01.75.

The Mids remaining titles came in the distance events on the track. Gavin MacGarva led a 1-2 finish in the 3,000-meter steeplechase with a clocking of 9:33.72. Robert Alvarado was second in 9:37.17.

The Mids then went 1-2 in the 1,500-meter run with Lucas Burke leading the way in 3:59.48. Ben Kozy was second just eight hundredths of a second behind Burke with a time of 3:59.56.

Paul Harris led another 1-2 finish in the 800-meter run with a time of 1:51.31. Craig Meekins was second in 1:51.55.

Lastly, Andrew Hanko won the 5,000-meter run in 14:39.67.

Navys other second-place finish came from Devan Clark in the javelin with a toss of 205-04.

Navy will compete next weekend at the Texas Relays, running from April 2 5 in Austin, Texas.

GreatAmerican · March 29, 2008, 9:10pm

Navy Women’s Track and Field Competes at Maryland Invite

COLLEGE PARK, Md. – Vicky Moore led a Navy contingent at the Maryland Invite with a pair of top-eight finishes, and the Mids recorded 11 placings in its second outdoor meet of the season.

“It was a very cold day to run, so the times and numbers weren’t as great as they should be, but it was relative to what other teams did,” said Navy head coach Carla Criste. “This is a good training meet because there are a lot of teams and good competition here. It will help us for future meets down the road.”

Moore was the lone Mid to place in a pair of events. She finished eighth in the 800-meter run with a clocking of 2:19.37, then placed seventh in the 1,500-meter run with a time of 4:48.78. She was one of two Mids to place in the 1,500-meter run, as Maureen Dooley was eighth with a time of 4:52.16.

Criste got strong performances in the field events, as seven of Navy’s 11 placewinners came in the field events.

The Mids’ top performance of the day came from Katie Berkey in the high jump. Berkey was third with a jump of 4-11.75. Sophomore Jessica Schlaegel also had a strong effort in the pole vault, placing fourth with a height of 10-06.00. Navy also got a fourth-place effort from Amber Salter in the javelin with a heave of 119-00.

Lauren Burmeister placed sixth in the triple jump with a leap of 36-05.50. Sienna Brown had a strong effort in the discus with a throw of 129-00, also good for sixth place.

Meaghan Joyce was seventh in the hammer throw with a throw of 144-02, and freshman Joy Nameth was eighth in the shot put at 39-10.50.

Navy’s last placewinner came on the track as Jessica Orr was eighth in the 400-meter hurdles with a time of 1:08.10.

The Mids will compete at the Colonial Relays next Friday and Saturday in Williamsburg, Va.

GreatAmerican · March 29, 2008, 9:25pm

For Immediate Release
Sent Saturday, March 29, 2008
Contact Justin Kischefsky (410) 293-8772

Navy Places Third in Women’s Crew Varsity Final at Murphy Cup

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. – The Navy women’s rowing team saw its varsity boat place third in the championship final of the Murphy Cup, held Saturday on the Schuylkill River in Philadelphia.

The Mids advanced to the grand final thanks to their first-place finish in the trial heat, but in the final they finished 12.4 seconds in back of regatta-champion Bucknell. The Bison won the title in a time of 6:36.22, Williams placed second in the race with a clocking of 6:42.86, with Navy following in third place with a time of 6:48.62.

The Navy program saw three of its additional crews also win trial heats on the day, but only the varsity four boat came away with a title. The top finishing novice eight boat for the Mids finished in third place in their final, while the second varsity boat finished in fourth place in their championship race.

“In all, we won four heats today in our first racing of the season, so we were pleased by the way we began the day,” said Navy head coach Mike Hughes. “We needed to do a better job of carrying that over into the finals, though. I feel with more water time over the next few weeks we will have the opportunity ahead of us to become a stronger team, which will help us increase our stroke rate to match that of some of the other boats in the field who finished ahead of us. It will take a lot of hard work on our part and nothing is a given, but we have both the ability and the opportunity to improve ourselves a great deal. We just have to realize the effort that will be needed to take advantage of that chance.”

Navy will continue its season April 5 when the Mids face George Washington and Boston University on the Cooper River in Camden, N.J., for the Playfair Cup.

Varsity Eight
Heats - Navy, 1st of 6 (6:38.41, +5.0)
Final - Navy, 3rd of 6 (6:48.62, -12.4)

Second Varsity Eight
Heats - Navy, 1st of 5 (7:04.72, +6.8)
Final - Navy, 4th of 6 (7:01.08, -15.4)

Novice Eight
Heats - Navy A, 1st of 5 (7:10.92, +11.5); Navy B, 2nd of 5 (7:04.74, -2.1)
Final - Navy A, 3rd of 6, 7:03.87, -14.7); Navy B, 5th of 6 (7:08.46, -19.3)

Varsity Four
Heats - Navy A, 2nd of 5 (7:48.91, -14.1); Navy B, 1st of 5 (7:32.19, +22.3)
Final - Navy B, 1st of 6 (7:19.83, +6.7)

GreatAmerican · March 30, 2008, 2:26pm

For Immediate Release
Sent Saturday, March 29, 2008
Contact Justin Kischefsky (410) 293-8772

Navy Tennis Team Improves to 2-0 in League Matches

ANNAPOLIS, Md. – After sweeping the three doubles matches for the 11th time this season, the Navy tennis team went on to win five singles matches to post a 6-1 victory over Colgate Saturday at the Eastside Racquet Club in Manlius, N.Y. The victory improves Navy’s overall record to 14-7 on the season and its league mark to 2-0, while the Raiders fell to 4-8 on the year and 0-1 in league matches with the loss.

Two of Navy’s three doubles victories came by scores of 8-6, with the remaining contest seeing the No. 2 team of Alex James (Sr., Visalia, Calif.) and Ramsey Lemaich (So., Danville, Calif.) record an 8-4 win over John Nogueras and Michael Yassky.

Navy quickly took a 3-0 lead thanks to wins at No. 4 singles by Lemaich, who posted a 6-0, 6-2 win over Phil Bernasek, and at No. 6 singles by Owen Bullard (Fr., Concord, N.C.), who tallied a 6-0, 6-1 victory over Ruslan Goussiantnikov. A 6-3, 6-2 triumph by James over Yassky at No. 5 singles clinched the victory for the Mids.

Navy’s remaining two points were tallied by Jason Hill (Jr., Marietta, Ga.) at No. 3 singles and by Johnny Waters (Jr., Papillion, Neb.) at No. 2 singles.

Colgate’s lone victory came at No. 1 singles where Martin MacIntyre posted a 6-3, 6-4 win over Nate Nelms (Jr., St. Mary’s, Ga.).

“It was the first time in quite a while that we did not have our best stuff,” said Navy head coach John Officer. “We did an excellent job of working through some situations, including the doubles where we had two 8-6 matches. We were used to dominating the doubles and today was a real struggle. Johnny Waters did a nice job of winning both of his singles and doubles matches. The lower part of our singles lineup lost a combined eight games, so our depth is clearly an asset.”

The Mids will stay on the road Sunday for a Patriot League match against Bucknell starting at 1 p.m. in Lewisburg, Pa.

Navy (14-7, 2-0) def. Colgate, 4-8, 0-1), 6-1
Doubles – Navy wins the doubles point (match finish order: 2-3-1)

Nelms / Waters (N) def. Deck / MacIntyre, 8-6
James / Lemaich (N) def. Nogueras / Yassky, 8-4
Nick Birger / Hill (N) def. Bernasek / Goussiantnikov, 8-6
Singles (match finish order: 4-6-1-5-3-2)
Martin MacIntyre (C) def. Nate Nelms, 6-3, 6-4
Johnny Waters (N) def. John Nogueras, 6-3, 7-5
Jason Hill (N) def. Tyler Deck, 1-6, 6-3, 6-2
Ramsey Lemaich (N) def. Phil Bernasek, 6-0, 6-2
Alex James (N) def. Michael Yassky, 6-3, 6-2
Owen Bullard (N) def. Ruslan Goussiantnikov, 6-0, 6-1

GreatAmerican · March 30, 2008, 2:27pm

For Immediate Release
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Contact: Jonathan Maggart (410) 293-8771

Seven Mids Earn USAG Collegiate Division All-America Honors

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. Navy gymnast Adam Stanton (Jr./Centennial, Colo.) won the pommel horse and earned All-America honors in two other events as the Midshipmen concluded action with the individual event finals at the USAG Collegiate Division Championship at Springfields Blake Arena on Saturday night.

The Midshipmen, who won the team title on Friday evening, saw seven of their own earn USAG Collegiate Division All-America distinction for placing among the top-six gymnasts on Saturday.

Stanton, who topped the field on the pommel horse during the team competition of Friday, won the event with an impressive 14.6-point routine. The Navy senior placed second on the parallel bars with a season-best 14.85 and finished fourth on the still rings with a 14.0 from the judges.

Two Midshipmen came away with USAG Collegiate Division All-America recognition in two events on Saturday. Joseph Atzenbeck (Jr./Broomfield, Colo.) finished just behind Stanton on the pommel horse with a score of 14.5 and ranked third on the high bar with a 13.05. Dylan Parrott (Fr./Rockwell, N.C.) earned a 14.85 on the floor exercise to place second and finished third on the parallel bars with a season-high 14.8.

Isaac Olson (Sr./Spokane, Wash.) landed second on the high bar with 13.25-point mark from the judges. Brandon Cook (Sr./Longmont, Colo.) finished fifth on the floor exercise with a 14.2, while Christopher Tam (Sr./Draper, Utah) scored a 13.6 on the still rings to place fifth and Grant Waldron (Fr./Columbia, Md.) earned a fifth-place mark of 14.7 on the vault.

The Midshipmen will return to action next Friday through Saturday, when they head up to West Point, N.Y., for the ECAC Championship.

Navy Sports

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