Navy Sports

GreatAmerican · April 16, 2008, 8:31pm

For Immediate Release
Friday, April 11, 2008
Contact: Jonathan Maggart (410) 293-8771

Navy Claims N-Star in Convincing Fashion, Defeats Army, 118-85

WEST POINT, N.Y. The Navy mens track & field team won 14 of the 19 events, seven of which were sweeps, to capture the N-Star with an impressive 118-85 victory over Army in the annual Star Meet at Shea Stadium in West Point.

The Midshipmen improved to 10-0 on the outdoor slate and evened the all-time outdoor Star Series to 41 wins apiece. Navy registered its 20th indoor and outdoor N-Star sweep in school history, as the Mids defeated the Black Knights, 95-86, in the final indoor track & field meet in Halsey Field House.

Navy jumped out to a 28-16 lead after the first-four events and carried at least a 10-point cushion for the remaining 15 events of the day.

Almost the entire team held up their end today, stated Navy head coach Stephen Cooksey. There were virtually no let downs and if we did slip up someplace, we picked it up in another area. The whole team effort was very impressive.

Beating Army during the indoor and outdoor Star Meets is a pretty good accomplishment. It certainly makes the rest of the season more fun. Now, our focus turns to the Penn Relays before the Patriot League Championship at our place.

Navy claimed victory in nine of the 11 track events, four of which were sweeps. Reggie Campbell (Sr./Sanford, Fla.) won the 100-meter dash with a time of 11.07 seconds, soon followed by teammate Shun Whites (Jr./Memphis, Tenn.) 11.09-second clocking, who would come back to win the 200-meter dash with a time of 22.40 seconds. Paul Harris (Sr./Fairburn, Ga.) cruised across the finish line in the 400-meter dash with a 47.30-second showing and Will Ricks (Sr./Hopewell, Va.) placed second with a 48.82-second clocking.

The Midshipmen opened the track portion of the meet with a sweep in the 3,000-meter steeplechase, as Gavin MacGarva (Jr./Bellevue, Wash.) won with a time of 9:24.77 and John Olsen (Sr./Staten Island, N.Y.) placed second with a 9:27.78 effort. In the final individual track event, Andrew Hanko (Fr./Montville, N.J.) led the way with a blistering 14:32.07 clocking, followed by John Kresss second-place time of 14:42.69.

With Harris dropped down in the 400-meter dash, Craig Meekins (Sr./Baldwin, N.Y.) came through with a first-place 1:51.67 clocking. Ron Belany (Sr./Haiku, Hawaii), who qualified for the NCAA regional in the long jump earlier in the day with a distance of 242-1/4 (7.37 meters), topped the competition in the 110-meter hurdles with a 14.51-second performance. Navys relays also got the best of Army on Friday, as the 4x100-meter quartet won with a time of 41.59 seconds and the 4x400-meter relay crossed the finish line first with a 3:14.86 showing.

In the field events, the Midshipmen produced five event victories, three of which were NCAA regional-qualifying distances in the throwing events. Andre Barber (Sr./Carrollton, Texas) uncorked a toss of 1713 (52.19 meters) to win the discus throw, followed by Darryl Hunters (Sr./Des Moines, Iowa) second-place mark of 1702 (51.88 meters). Earlier in the day, Hunter won the shot put with an impressive 571/4 (17.38 meters). Navy started in the afternoon fine fashion, as Mark Van Orden (So./Morris Plains, N.J.) released a throw of 1914 (58.32 meters) to win the hammer throw, while Christopher Bordino (Jr./Gastonia, N.C.) landed second with his 17811 (54.54 meters) effort.

Kraegen Bramer (Sr./Auburn, Calif.) and Belany earned a split of first place in the pole vault, as each competitor successfully cleared the bar set at 145-1/4 (4.40 meters). Bill Stillman (So./Norfolk, Mass.) came away victorious in the high jump, soaring over the 64-1/4 (1.94 meters) on Friday.

The Midshipmen will return to action and close out the regular season on April 24-26, when they head up to Philadelphia for the prestigious Penn Relays.

GreatAmerican · April 16, 2008, 8:37pm

For Immediate Release
Sent Friday, April 11, 2008
Contact Justin Kischefsky (410) 293-8772

Navy Boats Post Wins at Local Regatta

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The opening day of the George Washington Invitational saw the varsity boats from Navy’s heavyweight and women’s rowing teams post narrow victories over their respective opponents Friday on the Potomac River in Washington, D.C.

Navy’s heavyweight boat completed the 2,000-meter course in a time of 5:55.0 to defeat Gonzaga by exactly five seconds, while the varsity crew from Navy’s women’s team recorded a 12-second victory over MIT (6:55.9-7:07.6).

“It was our first race of the year, and that showed a little bit,” said Navy heavyweight head coach Rick Clothier. “We are glad to have the first one out of the way. We have a veteran crew in the varsity boat and we are looking for their experience to come through for us Saturday.”

“Today, we had our best start to a race this spring,” said Navy women’s head coach Mike Hughes. “We have really been working on that over the last week. The start then led us into having a great race.”

The George Washington Invitational will continue all day Saturday with multiple boats from both of Navy’s team having the opportunity to row in a pair of races.

Women’s Results
Varsity
Navy, 6:55.9; MIT, 7:07.6
Second varsity
Navy, 6:57.1; Iowa, 7:02.6
Novice
Iowa, 6:58.8; Navy, 7:06.4

Men’s Heavyweight Results
Varsity
Navy, 5:55.0; Gonzaga, 6:00.0
Freshman
Gonzaga, 6:02.6; Navy, 6:04.2

GreatAmerican · April 16, 2008, 8:48pm

By DAVE BROUGHTON, Staff Writer
Published April 11, 2008

Winning the Patriot League is the prize Paul Kostacopoulos is after. In the meantime, Navy’s third-year baseball coach is approaching this weekend’s four-game series with Army as a gift.

“That’s what makes it great,” Kostacopoulos said of Navy’s matchups with its service academy rival. "It’s like a championship within a championship. It’s a great thing, really, to experience the heightened importance of a series, and to embrace that and to be part of it.

“Winning the Patriot League is our goal and we never lose our focus on that, but I think it’s an incredible thing to have a championship within a championship right in the middle of the season.”

Navy will host Army for four games this weekend at Terwilliger Brothers Field at Max Bishop Stadium, with noon doubleheaders set for both tomorrow and Sunday.

Tomorrow’s action will be preceded by an on-field ceremony to dedicate the Joe Duff Indoor Batting Facility, first base dugout, third base dugout, and team meeting room. Duff coached Navy from 1962-93, winning 595 games.

The Mids, 20-13 overall, enter the weekend tied with Holy Cross for first place in the Patriot League with a 6-2 conference mark. Army is fifth at 3-5, and is 11-18 overall.

Navy will send right-handers Oliver Drake (4-2, 3.20 ERA) and Mark McCoy (4-1, 3.26) to the mound tomorrow. Ace right-hander Mitch Harris (1-0, 1.35), still making his way back from a shoulder injury, will start one of Sunday’s games. Sophomore left-hander Yale Eckert (1-3, 4.46) is expected to start the other.

Harris, a junior from Mount Holly, N.C., went 8-5 last year with a 2.14 ERA. But he’ll be making only his third start since hurting his shoulder in the preseason when he fell while running the bases. Harris, who struck out 119 batters in 881/3 innings a year ago, pitched strong five innings on Sunday against Lehigh, earning the victory while allowing four hits and striking out eight.

Harris threw 67 pitches against Lehigh, but could be ready to increase his workload beginning this weekend against Army, Kostacopoulos said.

“He threw pretty well, so we’re definitely encouraged about that,” Kostacopoulos said. “He was pretty comfortable (against Lehigh), so maybe this week we’ll be looking at 75 or 80 pitches.”

As it was last year, scoring runs has been a problem for the Mids. Despite a .289 team batting average, Kostacopoulos is still waiting for his team to start delivering in the clutch.

“The batting average is solid, but the big thing on offense is driving in runs,” Kostacopoulos said. “We’ve left 272 runners on base, and over 33 games, that’s a lot. We just haven’t been picking up those big hits.”

One player who can’t be faulted for his offensive production is senior captain Thomas Hamilton. The Houston native leads the Mids with a .398 batting average, 30 RBIs, and a .479 on-base percentage. Currently riding a 14-game hitting streak, Hamilton last week was named Player of the Week by both the Patriot League and the ECAC.

“I’m really proud of him. … He’s gotten better every year,” Kostacopoulos said of Hamilton. “He’s assumed more responsibility as far as being an example of how to play the game. He’s been a guy who has really just blossomed.”

Other hitters of note for the Mids include leadoff man Michael Speciale, who’s batting .338 and leads the team with seven home runs and a. 602 slugging percentage.

Freshman outfielder Jonathan Wright has also been a stalwart for the Mids, batting .394 with a team-leading 52 hits.

GreatAmerican · April 16, 2008, 8:50pm

For: Immediate Release
Sent: April 12, 2008
Contact: Scott Strasemeier (410) 293-8775

Navy Defense Continues To Show Improvement

ANNAPOLIS, Md.-Sophomore safety Wyatt Middleton (Norcross, Ga.) intercepted a pass and blocked a field goal to lead a strong defensive effort as the Navy defense kept the offense off the scoreboard in a Saturday morning scrimmage at the Naval Academy. Middleton picked off a Ricky Dobbs (So./Douglasville, Ga.) pass that thwarted one drive and blocked Kyle Delahooke’s (So./Pasadena, Calif.) 45-yard field goal to stop another scoring attempt. The defense also held the offense out of the end zone with a goal line stand.

“I thought the defense played well today,” said Navy head football coach Ken Niumatalolo. “The defense showed a lot of fight. The first offense moved the ball, but the defense was able to keep them out of the end zone. We go against each other every day and some days the offense wins and some days the defense wins. The most encouraging thing about today was how hard the defense fought. They did a great job of keeping the offense out of the end zone.”

Sophomore linebacker Tyler Simmons (Goldsby, Okla.) had an impressive scrimmage, recording 12 tackles, three tackles for a loss and a sack. Other defensive standouts included sophomore defensive end Maurice Cumberland (Jacksonville, N.C.), who had eight tackles and two tackles for a loss; junior linebacker Jordan Eddington (San Antonio, Texas), who was in on six tackles and three tackles for a loss; junior linebacker Tony Haberer (Liberty Hill, Texas) had seven tackles; sophomore outside linebacker Travis Sudderth (Lilburn, Ga.) had seven tackles, two tackles for a loss and a sack; senior defensive end Michael Walsh (Newtown, Pa.) had seven tackles and a tackle for a loss and junior safety Darius Terry had seven tackles.

Senior Jarod Bryant (Hoover, Ala.) did a solid job of directing the first team offense despite playing slot back all week during practice in preparation for his dual role in the fall. Bryant carried the ball 11 times for 45 yards and completed four of his five passes for 38 yards.

Sophomore fullback Devan Clark (Lorton, Va.) showed flashes of promise with 47 yards on eight carries, while fellow classmate Vince Murray (Union, Ky.) rushed for 37 yards on nine carries.

Senior slot back Shun White (Memphis, Tenn.) was Navy’s leading receiver with two catches for 44 yards.

The Navy football team will visit the White House on Monday for the Commander-In-Chief’s Trophy presentation with President George Bush, before wrapping up the practice portion of spring drills on Tuesday and Thursday. The annual Blue-Gold game will take place Friday night at 7 p.m. at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium.

GreatAmerican · April 16, 2008, 8:51pm

Here is the corrected link for the Army-Navy rugby game on Navy All-Access.

[url=<a href=“http://all-access.cstv.com/cstv/player/player.html?code=navy&sport=m-rugby&category=live&media=66920]CSTV[/url”>http://all-access.cstv.com/cstv/player/player.html?code=navy&sport=m-rugby&category=live&media=66920]CSTV[/url</a>]

GreatAmerican · April 16, 2008, 8:53pm

By BILL WAGNER, Staff Writer
Published April 12, 2008

Clint Sovie seemed poised for a big season in 2007. He saw significant action as a sophomore on the Navy football team in 2006, recording 61 tackles and making two interceptions while starting nine of 13 games. Sovie looked good in preseason drills last August and notched a career-high 10 tackles in the season opener against Temple. It was obvious the junior from Jacksonville (Fla.) was a defensive leader for the Midshipmen.

Then it was all over - in an instant and without warning. Early in the second game against Rutgers, Sovie tackled All-American running back Ray Rice and went down in obvious pain.

“When I tackled Ray Rice, I felt a pop and heard a pop,” Sovie said, describing the moment that is every athlete’s nightmare. “As soon as I got up and walked around, I knew something serious was wrong.”

A magnetic resonance imagery examination the next Monday confirmed the worst. Sovie had suffered a broken ankle that required season-ending surgery.

“I was a little shocked it was a season-ender. It hit me pretty hard that following Monday. I don’t think words can explain it,” he said.

Sovie spent the rest of the season standing on the sideline, first while leaning on crutches then later while wearing a protective boot. The 5-foot-11, 201-pound inside linebacker attended home games, but did not travel with the team on the road.

“It was frustrating for sure. It humbled me, made me learn a lot of things,” Sovie said. “I had to learn how to be a leader off the field. It was a different role for me, but I enjoyed helping the younger guys.”

Sovie began limited rehabilitation within a few weeks and was cleared to begin running in mid-November. He toyed with the idea of playing in the Army-Navy game and Poinsettia Bowl, but pulled a hamstring while running a 40-yard dash and thought better of that idea.

“My ankle was ready, but my muscles weren’t,” he said.

Sovie is back on the field in full pads this spring and already resembles the inside linebacker who impressed Navy coaches with his toughness, instincts and pursuit.

“Clint’s flying around and making plays. He looks like the Clint Sovie of old to me,” Navy defensive coordinator Buddy Green said. “It doesn’t seem like Clint has missed a beat. He looks 100 percent. If anything, he might have gained a step.”

Sovie admitted there was some rust early in spring camp, the result of having not buckled the chin strap since early September. It didn’t take long for the game to slow down again and for The Bolles School product to begin plugging gaps and cracking heads.

“My body feels great, it feels like gold,” Sovie said. “I appreciate being out here even more than ever after what I went through. You don’t realize how much you miss playing the game until you have it taken away from you.”

Sovie will continue his comeback this morning when the Midshipmen conduct their second intrasquad scrimmage at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium.

GreatAmerican · April 16, 2008, 8:55pm

Navy def. Lehigh, 7-0

For Immediate Release
Sent Saturday, April 12, 2008
Contact Justin Kischefsky (410) 293-8772

Mids Post Tennis Sweep Over Lehigh

ANNAPOLIS, Md. – After dropping a combined total of nine games in winning the three doubles matches, the Navy tennis team won each of the six singles matches in straight sets to post a 7-0 victory over Lehigh Saturday afternoon at the Tose Family Tennis Center.

“I was very pleased with how we played today,” said Navy head coach John Officer. “We played well in doubles and then put together six very clean singles matches.”

Navy clinched the doubles point following a pair of 8-2 victories at the Nos. 2 and 3 flights. Winning at No. 2 doubles was the tandem of Alex James (Sr., Visalia, Calif.) and Ramsey Lemaich (So., Danville, Calif.), while Nick Birger (Fr., Belleville, Ill.) and Jason Hill (Jr., Marietta, Ga.) combined to pick up the victory at No. 3 doubles.

First off of the courts in singles was Owen Bullard (Fr., Concord, N.C.), who posted a 6-0, 6-3 win over Chris Collins at No. 6 singles. A few minutes later, Lemaich walked off the court following his 6-1, 6-2 victory over Arnaldo Pacheco at No. 4 singles. Recording the fourth and match-clinching team point for Navy was Hill, who put together a 6-1, 6-1 triumph over John Bolcar at No. 3 singles.

Rounding out the Navy singles victories on the day were James at No. 5, Nate Nelms (Jr., St. Mary’s, Ga.) at No. 1 and Johnny Waters (Jr., Papillion, Neb.) at No. 2. Both James and Nelms lost just three games in their respective matches, while Waters won by the score of 6-3, 6-2.

Navy improves to 16-8 on the season and 4-0 in the Patriot League with the win, while Lehigh’s record falls to 5-11 on the year and 1-4 in the league with the loss. The Mids will be back in action Sunday at 12 Noon when Navy plays host to George Washington. Weather permitting, the match will be played outdoors on The Yard.

“We are happy to have remained undefeated in the league with the win today and we are very excited about the opportunity to play a talented George Washington team Sunday,” said Officer. “We are going to have to play the same type of match that we did today in order to be successful.”

Navy (16-8, 4-0 Patriot League) def. Lehigh (5-11, 1-4), 7-0
Doubles – Navy wins the doubles point (match finish order: 3-2-1)
1 - Nelms / Waters (N) def. List / Nespoli, 8-5
2 - James / Lemaich, (N) def. Pacheco / Cameron Silbert, 8-2
3 - Nick Birger / Hill (N) def. John Bolcar / Robert Bolcar, 8-2

Singles (match finish order: 6-4-3-5-1-2)
1 - Nate Nelms (N) def. John Nespoli, 6-2, 6-1
2 - Johnny Waters (N) def. Troy List, 6-3, 6-2
3 - Jason Hill (N) def. John Bolcar, 6-1, 6-1
4 - Ramsey Lemaich (N) def. Arnaldo Pacheco, 6-1, 6-2
5 - Alex James (N) def. Michael Gordon, 6-2, 6-1
6 - Owen Bullard (N) def. Chris Collins, 6-0, 6-3

GreatAmerican · April 16, 2008, 8:58pm

Navy Wraps Up Tournament Berth With Win Over Bucknell, 18-11

ANNAPOLIS, Md. – The Navy women’s lacrosse team overcame a slow start and dominated the second half to give the Mids an 18-11 victory over Bucknell on Saturday afternoon at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. The win moves Navy’s record to 10-3 overall and 3-2 in the Patriot League, and more importantly, clinches a spot in the Patriot League Tournament to be played at a site to be determined on April 25 and 27. Bucknell fell to 5-6 and 1-4 with the loss.

“I am just so proud of this team and what they have accomplished so far this year,” said Navy head coach Cindy Timchal. “I thought we really rose to the occasion today and played two solid halves. One of our goals at the start of the year was to make the Patriot League Tournament. We still have a few more games to go, but this is a great accomplishment for this squad.”

With the victory, Navy remained undefeated at home with a 10-0 record. With a little help, the Mids could finish as high as the second seed for the upcoming Patriot League Tournament.

A torrential rain fell for most of the contest and Bucknell took advantage early. The Bison scored the game’s first three goals in a 2:20 span, before Navy responded with four straight goals, two coming by freshman Meg Decker (Catonsville, Md.) to give Navy a 4-3 advantage with 9:19 to play in the first half.

However, Bucknell responded with three straight goals to grab a 6-4 advantage with 2:31 to play. The Mids would answer with three goals in a 36-second stretch to grab a 7-6 lead into the halftime break. Freshman Katrina Nietsch (New Canaan, Conn.) scored two of the goals while sophomore Erin Rawlick (Forest Hill, Md.) scored once. The Mids then held Bucknell without a shot in the final minute, thanks to a strong defensive effort.

“Those were big goals right before halftime and then we got a huge defensive stand,” said Timchal. “It gave us some momentum going into the second half.”

With the heaviest rain of the day falling early in the second half, the Mids broke the game open. Navy outscored the Bison, 9-3, in the half’s first 20 minutes to take a 16-8 advantage with 10:24 to play. Bucknell would score to trim the lead to 16-9, but sophomore Brittany Amerau (Alexandria, Va.) and Nietsch would thwart any Bison rally with back-to-back tallies for Navy’s largest lead of the game at 18-9. Bucknell scored a pair of goals in the final two minutes to cut the final margin to 18-11.

The Mids also turned up the heat defensively on Bucknell’s leading scorer, Carol Donohue. Donohue, who entered the game with 49 points (26 g, 23 a), scored two goals and had two assists in the game’s first 28 minutes, but went scoreless the rest of the way. Sophomore Brittany Winters (Westland, Mich.) was given the task of slowing down Donohue the rest of the way. Donohue rarely touched the ball in the second half, and Bucknell’s offense sputtered.

“We knew they would be really patient coming in and wanting to slow us down,” said Timchal. “Early on, they controlled the pace and we wanted to get going up-tempo a little bit. We made some changes defensively and that got our offense in gear as well.”

Nietsch led the Mids with a career-best six goals, including four of Navy’s seven goals in the first half. She has now produced 35 points (30 g, 5 a) on the season and has tallied five hat tricks on the season.

“We started slow, but we knew what we had to do. We went out and executed our game plan very well today. We had been down before, so the early deficit didn’t phase us,” said Nietsch. “We are really excited to make the Patriot League Tournament. That was one of our goals at the start of the year.”

“Bucknell had no answer for Katrina today,” said Timchal. “I couldn’t ask for more from a plebe. She, obviously, has things to work on, but she has been solid for us all season long. She had a very strong performance today.”

Decker (4 g, 1 a) and Rawlick (3 g, 2 a) added five points each, while Amanda Towey (Smithtown, N.Y.) scored three points (2 g, 1 a).

Natalie Blandon (Rockville, Md.) stopped seven shots in goal.

As a team, Navy outshot Bucknell, 26-24, and won 18 draw controls to Bucknell’s 13. The Mids grabbed 14 ground balls to Bucknell’s 12. Both teams had 16 turnovers.

Navy will look to wrap up a undefeated home record on Wednesday, as it hosts Robert Morris on Wednesday, beginning at 4:00 pm, at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. The contest will be the final home game for seniors Natalie Blandon, Amanda Towey, Jessie Rosa and Kaylene Klingenstein. Admission to all Navy women’s lacrosse home games is free.

GreatAmerican · April 16, 2008, 8:59pm

For Immediate Release
Saturday, April 12, 2008
Contact: Jonathan Maggart (410) 293-8771

Navy Drops Series Opener to Army, 14-3

ANNAPOLIS, Md. The Navy baseball team suffered a 14-3 setback in the series opener against Army at Terwilliger Brothers Field at Max Bishop Stadium in Annapolis on Saturday afternoon. The Midshipmen fell to 20-14 overall and 6-3 in Patriot League play, while the Black Knights improved to 12-18 and 4-5 in the league.

The second scheduled game for Saturday was postponed, as two rain delays combined to last three hours and 10 minutes forced the series opener to finish past 5:30 p.m. The back end of Saturdays twinbill will be played on Monday afternoon, with first pitch to be determined.

Army jumped on the board early, plating three runs on two outs in the opening frame. The score remained 3-0 after two innings before a 29-minute rain delay. One-half inning later, the contest was again delayed due to rain, this time for two hours and 41 minutes.

You have to give credit to Army they fouled off every tough pitch and hit every ball that was in the zone, stated Navy head coach Paul Kostacopoulos. They had a great offensive approach today.

Thats baseball its the one game that has the weather component. Again, to their pitchers credit, he came in and filled up the zone. He pitched well with the lead and had three pitches working for him.

Both starters would remain in the game after both delays, but Navy right-hander Oliver Drake (So./Gardner, Mass.) would be chased during the fourth inning, as Army pushed across five runs to make the score 8-0.

The Midshipmen plated their first run of the game in the fifth inning. With two outs and nobody on, Nick Driscoll (Fr./Riverview, Fla.) legged out an infield single before Renaldo Hollins (Sr./Virginia Beach, Va.) ripped a RBI-triple to the gap in right-center. Army came back with a run in the sixth, but Navy responded with a two-out, RBI-double off the bat of Kendall Bolt (So./Stockton, Calif.).

Hollins belted his second triple of the game in the seventh inning, this time down the right-field line, and would score on a Jonathan Wright (Fr./Arden, N.C.) two-out infield single.

Hollins and Bolt each had two base knocks for the Midshipmen on Saturday. Thomas Hamiltons (Sr./Houston, Texas) single in the sixth inning extended his hitting streak to a career-best 15 games.

We did a better job of putting on good at bats later in the game, said Kostacopoulos. When you fall behind eight runs in a seven-inning game, it becomes quite a difficult situation.

Drake was tagged for the loss, as he allowed seven runs on six hits over 3.2 innings with two walks and four strikeouts. Army starter Drew Clothier went the distance, as he yielded three runs on seven hits with one walk and six strikeouts.

Prior to the contest, Navys new indoor batting facility was dedicated to longtime former head coach Joe Duff. Duff served as head coach of the Midshipmen for 32 years from 1962-93, accumulating a school-record 595 victories.

The Midshipmen and the Black Knights will play a doubleheader at 12 noon tomorrow, with the first contest to be televised nationally on CBS College Sports Network. In addition, 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>
.navysports.com

GreatAmerican · April 16, 2008, 9:00pm

For Immediate Release
Sent Saturday, April 12, 2008
Contact Justin Kischefsky (410) 293-8772

Navy’s Heavyweight Varsity Boat Wins Two Races

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The varsity boat from Navy’s heavyweight rowing team won a pair of races by a total of 19 seconds Saturday at the George Washington Invitational. The crew concluded the regatta, held Friday and Saturday on the Potomac River in Washington, D.C., with an undefeated record in its three races.

During the morning session of races, Navy recorded a time of 5:34.0 to defeat Georgetown by 6.6 seconds.

“We put together a very nice race against a talented Georgetown boat,” said Navy head coach Rick Clothier.

Navy then came back in the afternoon to post a time of 5:46.4 seconds to defeat George Washington by 13 seconds.

“It was a good, solid row for us,” said Clothier. “We pulled out early and took the lead right at the start of the race.”

Navy also entered an additional three crews into the regatta. The second varsity and first freshman boats each split their two respective races, while the second freshman entry won one race and placed third in another contest against a pair of first freshman boats.

“I’m proud of all of our crews, especially our varsity boat,” said Clothier.

Navy’s will next race April 19 when the Mids face Cornell and Syracuse in Ithaca, N.Y.

Heavyweight Results
Varsity
Navy, 5:34.0; Georgetown, 5:40.6
Navy, 5:46.4; George Washington, 5:59.3
Second Varsity
Navy, 5:47.2; Georgetown, 5:50.2
George Washington, 5:50.9; Navy, 5:53.0
First Freshman
Navy, 5:51.8; Georgetown, 5:55.5
George Washington, 5:48.9; Navy, 5:49.6; Navy (2F), 5:58.9
Second Freshman
Navy, 6:01.4; Syracuse, 6:08.3

GreatAmerican · April 16, 2008, 9:02pm

For Immediate Release
Sent Saturday, April 12, 2008
Contact Justin Kischefsky (410) 293-8772

Navy Women’s Rowing Team Splits Varsity Races

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The final day of the George Washington Invitational saw the varsity boat from the Navy women’s rowing team lose a close race to Iowa and defeat George Mason by 12 seconds, Saturday on the Potomac River in Washington, D.C.

The Mids had defeated Iowa by two seconds in the varsity race during the 2007 G.W. Invite, but this year the Hawkeyes posted a time of 6:19.1 to edge the Mids by 2.6 seconds. Later in the day, Navy recorded a time of 6:30.0 to defeat George Mason by exactly 12 seconds.

“We weren’t happy about losing to Iowa, but we learned a lot of lessons in the race, namely that we needed to have a strong sprint at the end of the race,” said Navy head coach Mike Hughes. “We were then able to put that lesson to good use and had our best sprint of the season in our second race against George Mason.”

Navy’s varsity boat opened the regatta Friday with a 12-second victory over MIT.

Though complete results and times are currently unavailable (check back to [NavySports.com</a> - Official Athletic Site for Navy Athletics](<a href=“http://www.navysports.com%5DNavySports.com”>http://www.navysports.com) for updates), Navy’s second varsity crew won both of its races Saturday.

Navy will next play host to Georgetown April 19 on the Severn River in Annapolis.

GreatAmerican · April 16, 2008, 9:03pm

For Immediate Release
Sent Saturday, April 12, 2008
Contact Justin Kischefsky (410) 293-8772

Navy Lightweight Rowing Team Sweeps Columbia

PELHAM, N.Y. - The Navy lightweight rowing team swept a trio of races from Columbia Saturday on the Orchard Beach Lagoon in Pelham, N.Y.

The two varsity boats were even through the opening 500 meters of their race, but Navy slowly was able to build some space between itself and the Columbia crew to allow the Mids to go on to win the contest by about five seconds.

Navy’s second and third varsity boats both defeated Columbia’s second varsity boat in the race featuring the three entries. Navy’s second varsity boat finished 10 seconds in front of Columbia, with the third varsity crew rallying from a six-seat deficit at 1,000 meters to edge the Lions at the finish line.

The opening race of the evening saw Navy’s first freshman boat defeat Columbia by nearly three seconds, with Navy’s second freshman boat finishing in third place in the contest.

“We had some tough races last week against Yale, but all of our crews performed very well tonight,” said Navy head coach Rob Friedrich. “In particular, our third varsity boat rowed a very gutsy race to overcome the large deficit that they did.”

Complete times and results from Saturday’s races are currently unavailable. Please check back to [NavySports.com</a> - Official Athletic Site for Navy Athletics](<a href=“http://www.navysports.com%5DNavySports.com”>http://www.navysports.com) for updates.

After taking next week off from competition next weekend, Navy will return to action April 26 when the Mids play host to Harvard and Georgetown.

GreatAmerican · April 16, 2008, 9:04pm

Mids 14th at River Landing Intercollegiate

For Immediate Release
Saturday, April 12, 2008
Men’s Golf Contact: Stacie Michaud (410) 293-8773

Mids Move Up to 14th at River Landing Intercollegiate

WALLACE, N.C. - The Navy golf team shot a 21-over par 309 in the second round of the River Landing Intercollegiate on Saturday, moving up a spot from 15th to 14th. The Mids own a two-day mark of 36-over par (612), sitting just four strokes behind 13th-place Houston and a stroke ahead of Liberty. Nationally-ranked programs NC State and Duke share the lead as the two programs are 2-under with a 574. The host Wolfpack was a major mover in the second round jumping from fifth to a share of the lead after posting the low round of the day with a 2-under par 286.

After sharing the lead after the first 18 holes, Wake Forest’s Webb Simpson, an All-American, took sole possession of the individual lead by shooting par on Saturday. He is atop the lead board with a 5-under par 139, just a stroke ahead of NC State’s Kent Copeland and Michael Schachner of Duke.

Navy team captain Chris Renninger (Darnestown, Md.) fell from 32nd to 50th after turning in a 5-over par 77 Saturday for a two-day total of 151 (+7). Classmate Erich Schoen (Sylvania, Ohio) trails by a stroke in 52nd with an 8-over par 152. Junior John Montemayor (Montclair, Va.) has put together consecutive rounds of 77 to fall in at 64th with a 10-over par 154, while freshmen Josh Ziska (Camarillo, Calif.) (155, +11) and Ben Hayes (Carmichael, Calif.) (157, +13) round out the lineup in 68th and 73rd, respectively.

The three-day 54-hole tournament that features five top-50 programs concludes on Sunday with the final 18 holes beginning at 7:30 am on the 1st and 10th holes.

Team Scores: T1. NC State (288-286=574, -2), T1. Duke (284-290=574, -2), 3. Wake Forest (287-294=581, +5), 4. Memphis (292-290=522, +6), 5. Florida State (284-299=583, +7), 6. East Carolina 294-298=592, +16), T7. Maryland (286-307=593, +17), T7. Kansas (299-294=593, +17), 9. North Carolina (297-297=594, +18), 10. Virginia (298-299=597, +21), 11. Tulsa (296-302=598, +22), 12. Rice (300-299=599, +23), 13. Houston 299-309=608, +32), 14. Navy (303-309=612, +36), 15. Liberty (300-313=613, +37).

The Midshipmen: T50. Chris Renninger (74-77=151, +7), T52. Erich Schoen (75-77=152, +8), T64. John Montemayor (77-77=154, +10), T68. Josh Ziska (77-78=155, +11), T73. Ben Hayes (79-78=157, +13).

GreatAmerican · April 18, 2008, 8:21pm

By BOB HOUGH For The Capital
Published April 13, 2008

Three minutes into yesterday’s home game with Bucknell, the farthest thing on anyone’s mind associated with Navy women’s lacrosse was the Patriot League tournament.

Needing a win to clinch a berth in the tournament, the Mids watched the Bison score the game’s first three goals, but were able to bounce back and eventually pulled away for an 18-11 win at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. Navy actually trailed 6-4 late in the first half, but scored the final three goals of the half and the first two of the second to take control.

“I guess it’s not how you begin, it’s how you end,” Navy coach Cindy Timchal said.

“We just had to make some adjustments. They came right down at us early and we settled down and got things going our way as the game went on.”

Plebe Katrina Nietsch led Navy with six goals, including a pair during the 5-0 run that spanned the final two minutes of the first half and the first minute of the second.

“Katrina had a solid performance today. We couldn’t have asked for anything more from a first-year player. Bucknell really didn’t have an answer for her,” Timchal said.

Nietsch scored her first and second goals during a 10-minute stretch in the first half that helped Navy fight back from the early three-goal deficit, then scored 19 seconds apart in the final two minutes of the first half to give Navy the lead for good, 7-6. She added a pair of goals in the second half and now has 30 on the year.

“We didn’t let the start faze us. We’ve been down before and I think we knew early on in the game that we weren’t going to let that get us down,” she said.

Meg Decker added four goals and two assists, giving her 44 goals and 57 points for the season, and also won four draw controls. Caitlin Mandrin Hill (St. Mary’s) led Navy by winning five draws to help the Mids win the battle of the draws 18-13, including 11-6 in the decisive second half.

“We struggled in the first half with the draw. I guess it was just a little extra hunger and extra desire in the second half that got us those extra draw controls that led to the decisive victory,” Timchal said.

Sophomore Erin Rawlick, who came into the game leading the team in goals (46) and points (65), added three goals and two assists, while senior Amanda Towey and sophomore Brittany Amerau each added a pair of goals. Sophomore Mary Ruttum (St. Mary’s) had a pair of assists and also won four draws for Navy, which has a non-conference game at home against Robert Morris on Wednesday. With yesterday’s win, the Mids are now 10-0 at home.

“I think we’re focused better. The Academy itself is structured so much that, we have our routine, we have our own locker room and we know this is our territory,” Nietsch said.

Navy improved to 10-3 overall and 3-2 in the conference. They could earn as high as a second seed for the Patriot League Tournament, which will be held April 25-27 at the home of the regular season champion. Even if they were to lose their final regular-season league game at winless Lafayette on Saturday, they would still get in by virtue of the tiebreaker.

“It feels good. I’m really excited for the Patriot League championship because I think everyone’s going to be pumped and ready to go. I think we have a great shot at going all the way,” Nietsch said.

GreatAmerican · April 18, 2008, 8:30pm

Navy’s defense puts recent struggles behind it in second scrimmage (Annapolis Capital)

By BILL WAGNER, Staff Writer
Published April 13, 2008

Redemption! That is the byword for the Navy defense, which struggled mightily last football season.

The Midshipmen were shredded on a weekly basis last season and wound up allowing an average of 36.4 points and 439 total yards per game. To a man, the Navy defenders are determined to turn things around and prove they are better than that in 2008.

Perhaps the road to redemption began yesterday morning when the defense made several big stops and shut out the offense during in intrasquad scrimmage at the academy. Safety Wyatt Middleton intercepted a pass and blocked a field goal to lead the defense, which made an inspired goal-line stand to prevent a possible touchdown.

“I thought the defense played well. The offense moved the ball, but the defense - to its credit - kept them out of the end zone,” Navy head coach Ken Niumatalolo said. “The great thing about the defense is they fought hard today. They continued to fight and gave great effort, which was encouraging.”

Middleton is one of many young defenders who saw more playing time than expected last season. An injury to senior captain Jeff Deliz forced the freshman into a starting role and he was forced to learn on the job, ranking among the team leaders with 88 tackles despite making numerous mental mistakes.

Yesterday, Middleton picked off a pass by Ricky Dobbs to thwart one drive and flew off the edge to smother a 45-yard field goal attempt by Kyle Delahooke.

“Last year, the defense did not produce plays when we needed them. This spring, we want to set an example and show the offense that we can be counted on to do our part,” Middleton said. “We’re just working hard and trying to get better every day. I think as a unit, we’re starting to come together.”

Inside linebacker Tyler Simmons, another current plebe, recorded 12 tackles to lead the defense yesterday. Simmons, a 6-foot-3, 208-pound product of Washington High in Goldsby, Okla., had a sack and two other tackles for loss.

“He’s got good size and I like the way he runs around. I like his progress he’s made. He’s been getting better every week,” Navy defensive coordinator Buddy Green said.

End Maurice Cumberland, yet another defender who will only be a sophomore next season, had eight tackles, including two for loss. The athletic 6-foot-4, 265-pounder also played well in last Saturday’s scrimmage.

Green felt his unit was vastly improved over last Saturday, when it allowed the first string offense to score touchdowns on two of its initial three drives.

“The effort was better, the running to the football was better, the physical and toughness part of it was better than a week ago,” Green said. “I liked the way they fought to keep (the offense) out when the ball got down near the goal line.”

Added Middleton: “Last week, we came out kind of flat. Today, we came out and played with more intensity.”

Outside linebacker Travis Sudderth, inside linebacker Tony Haberer, end Michael Walsh and safety Darius Terry notched seven tackles apiece. Sudderth, who also is just completing his plebe year, had a sack and a tackle for loss. Terry and Haberer were sophomores in 2007 and saw more action than expected due to injuries.

"There are a lot of guys who got experience and are playing with a lot more confidence.

There is nothing you can trade for getting live, game-day repetitions," Green said.

Navy’s defense welcomed back a promising young player yesterday as current freshman Emmett Merchant returned to the secondary after giving slot back a try.

"We’re happy to have Emmett back because he’s fighting for a starting job.

Quarterback Jarod Bryant, who is directing the first team since projected starter Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada is non-contact this spring, rushed for 45 yards on 11 carries to lead the offense. Bryant completed 4 of 5 passes for 38 yards.

Sophomore fullback Devan Clark had a breakout effort with 47 yards on eight carries while working mostly against the second string defense. There were few other highlights from the offense, although Niumatalolo was not upset or concerned.

“We go against each other every day. Sometimes the offense wins, sometimes the defense wins. I don’t get too caught up in that stuff,” Niumatalolo said.

GreatAmerican · April 18, 2008, 8:31pm

Mids place 15th at River Landing Intercollegiate

For Immediate Release
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Men’s Golf Contact: Stacie Michaud (410) 293-8773

Navy Golf Finishes 15th at River Landing Intercollegiate

WALLACE, N.C. - The Navy golf team turned in a 10-over par 298 Sunday in the final round of the River Landing Intercollegiate, its lowest round of the three-day 54-hold tournament that featured five of the top-50 programs in the country. The Mids finished last among the 15-team field, producing a 46-over par 910, three strokes behind 14th-place Liberty who carded a 6-over par 294 in the final round.

After coming into the final round deadlocked with the host NC State Wolfpack, Duke was able to notch the team crown by virtue of its 11-under par 277 over the final 18 holes. The Blue Devils finished the tournament 13 under with an 851, while NC State finished nine strokes back in second with a 4-under par 860.

Duke’s Michael Schachner walked away as the individual medalist after topping All-American Webb Simpson of Wake Forest with a birdie on the first playoff hole. The ACC tandem finished the tournament seven under with a 209.

Junior John Montemayor (Montclair, Va.) shot a 1-under par 71 on Sunday, the low round by a Navy player during the 54-hole event, to bypass his senior teammates and post the Mids’ low score of the tournament with a 9-over par 225 and finished tied for 54. Meanwhile, senior Erich Schoen (Sylvania, Ohio) turned in his low round of the invitational, posting a 2-over par 74 to finish 61st with a 10-over par 226.

Senior team captain Chris Renninger (Darnestown, Md.) was three strokes back in 66th where he recorded a 13-over par 229 after slipping in the final round with a 6-over par 78. Freshman Josh Ziska (Camarillo, Calif.) carded a 3-over par 75, his low round of the tournament, to tie for 70th with a 14-over par 230. Rounding out the lineup was rookie Ben Hayes (Carmichael, Calif.) who placed 78th with a 19-over par 235.

The Midshipmen will be back in action next weekend when they play host to the Navy Spring Invitational beginning Saturday and concluding Sunday. It will be Navy’s final tuneup before competing for the Patriot League Championship slated for April 26 and 27 in Bethlehem, Pa.

Team Scores: 1. Duke (284-290-277=851, -13), 2. NC State (288-286-286=860, -4), 3. Memphis (292-290-282=864, E), 4. Wake Forest (287-294-287=868, +4), 5. Florida State (284-299-287=870, +6), 6. North Carolina (297-297-283=877, +13), 7. Virginia (298-299-282=879, +15), 8. Kansas (299-294-288=881, +17), 9. East Carolina (294-298-291=883, +17), 10. Maryland (286-307-294=887, +23), 11. Rice (300-299-293=892, +28), 12. Tulsa (296-302-295=893, +29), 13. Houston (299-309-296=904, +40), 14. Liberty (300-313-294=907, +43), 15. Navy (303-309-298=910 +46).

The Midshipmen: T54. John Montemayor (77-77-71=225, +9), T61. Erich Schoen (75-77-74=226, +10), T66. Chris Renninger (74-77-78=229, +13), T70. Josh Ziska (77-78-75=230, +14), 78. Ben Hayes (79-78-78=235, +19).

GreatAmerican · April 18, 2008, 8:32pm

Navy def. George Washington, 6-1

For Immediate Release
Sent Sunday, April 13, 2008
Contact Justin Kischefsky (410) 293-8772

Navy Tennis Defeats George Washington

ANNAPOLIS, Md. - Victories in a trio of tiebreakers helped the Navy tennis team record a 6-1 victory over George Washington Sunday afternoon at the U.S. Naval Academy Tennis Courts.

“We had a nice win today,” said Navy head coach John Officer. “George Washington was the number one seed in the recent Atlantic 10 Conference Tournament, so we are very pleased to have beaten a quality team.”

Navy (17-8) earned the doubles point with wins in each of the three matches. First to finish was Navy’s No. 2 team of Alex James (Sr., Visalia, Calif.) and Ramsey Lemaich (So., Danville, Calif.), who won an 8-3 decision over the duo of Erik Hannah and Yan Levinski, with Nick Birger (Fr., Belleville, Ill.) and Jason Hill (Jr., Marietta, Ga.) next posting an 8-4 win over Elliott Daniels and Mark Doumba at No. 3 doubles.

Navy’s No. 1 team of Nate Nelms (Jr., St. Mary’s Ga.) and Johnny Waters (Jr., Papillion, Neb.) completed the sweep as they rallied from being down one break of serve to edge Sam Salyer and Ryan Schlachter by the score of 9-7.

“We played very well today, starting right away with our doubles teams,” said Officer. “Nate and Johnny did a good job of coming back after losing their serve.”

The Mids quickly went up by the score of 2-0 when Yan Levinski was forced to retire from his match against Nelms at No. 1 singles. Nelms held a 5-0 lead in the first set when Levinski retired. Victories by Lemaich over Doumba at No. 4 singles (6-2, 6-3) and by James over Daniels at No. 5 singles (6-2, 6-2) clinched the overall victory for the Mids.

Hill would go on to rally after losing the first set of his No. 3 singles match to Hannah (6-3) to win a second set tiebreaker by the score of 7-5 and force a third set. The duo played a tiebreaker to 10 points instead of a complete third set, with Hill eventually winning the breaker by the score of 10-6 and the match.

Navy’s final point was won by Owen Bullard (Fr., Concord, N.C.), who outlasted Chris Kushma, 6-3, 6-7 (1-7), 1-0 (16-14) at No. 6 singles. Bullard fought off three match points before prevailing.

George Washington’s (13-8) lone victory came when Sam Salyer recorded a 6-0, 6-2 win over Waters at No. 2 singles.

“Nate looked good at number one singles and Jason did a good job to come back to win his match at number two,” said Officer. “Ramsey and Alex also were sharp and put together solid wins, and Owen did a good job to battle back and win his match.”

Navy will close the regular season April 19 when the Mids play host to Army in the Star Match. Weather permitting, the 1 p.m. match will be held on The Yard.

In addition to the match deciding the Star, the winner also should receive the No. 1 seed - and a first round bye - in the following week’s Patriot League Tournament.

“We are excited to play Army next week, and we scheduled today’s match against George Washington to help prepare us for Army,” said Officer. “Today was our first outdoor match of the year at home and that too was a nice preparation for next week’s Star Match.”

Navy (17-8) def. George Washington (13-8), 6-1
Doubles - Navy wins the doubles point (match finish order: 2-3-1)
1 - Nelms / Waters (N) def. Sam Salyer / Ryan Schlachter, 9-7
2 - James / Lemaich (N) def. Hannah / Yan Levinski, 8-3
3 - Nick Birger / Hill (N) def. Daniels / Doumba, 8-4

Singles (match finish order: 1-4-5-2-3-6)
1 - Nate Nelms (N) def. Yan Levinski, 5-0, retired
2 - Sam Salyer (GW) def. Johnny Waters, 6-0, 6-2
3 - Jason Hill (N) def. Erik Hannah, 3-6, 7-6 (7-5), 1-0 (10-6)
4 - Ramsey Lemaich (N) def. Mark Doumba, 6-2, 6-3
5 - Alex James (N) def. Elliott Daniels, 6-2, 6-2
6 - Owen Bullard (N) def. Chris Kushma, 6-3, 6-7 (1-7), 1-0 (16-14)

GreatAmerican · April 18, 2008, 8:35pm

For Immediate Release
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Contact: Jonathan Maggart (410) 293-8771

Navys Offense Struggles in Dropping Two to Army

ANNAPOLIS, Md. Navy starting pitcher Mitch Harris (Sr./Mt. Holly, N.C.) allowed just three hits in 7.2 innings in the opener, but could not get enough support from the offense as the Midshipmen dropped both ends of Sundays baseball twinbill against Army at Terwilliger Brothers Field at Max Bishop Stadium. The Mids lost the first game in eight innings, 2-1, before falling in the nightcap, 10-2.

Navy saw its record dip to 20-16 overall and 6-5 in the Patriot League, while Army won its sixth-straight contest to improve to 14-18 on the year and 6-5 in league play. With the win in the opener, the Black Knights captured the Star for the fifth-consecutive year.

Offensively, its been the same story for the last week and a half, stated Navy head coach Paul Kostacopoulos. We chased a lot of bad pitches and missed several good ones to hit. Its a contagious situation right now, but thats baseball. You know that this will happen during the course of a year you just try to get out of it as fast as you can. We are a weak offensive team right now.

Army has done a great job on offense. They have played good baseball and are hot right now. We are going to have to break out, sooner or later. We will see what tomorrow brings.

Harris, who made his third start of the year after lasting 68 pitches and five innings at Lehigh last week, threw 104 pitches on Sunday, 71 of which went for strikes. The Navy right-hander fanned seven and carried a no-hitter into the fifth inning, but was credited for his first loss of the year.

Mitch threw very well today, said Kostacopoulos. He really competed out there, which was good to see. He had his velocity back and had command of his pitches. It was a very strong performance.

Army starter Cole White was equally as impressive and delivered a pitchers duel. White went the distance and allowed just one hit with five walks and six strikeouts. The Army right-hander fired 96 pitches, 53 of which were strikes.

The Black Knights took a 1-0 advantage in the second without the help of a base hit. J.P. Polchinski drew a leadoff walk, advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt and moved to third on a wild pitch. Mike Greco followed and hit the ball right in front of the plate, but catcher Jeff Bland (Fr./Basking Ridge, N.J.) bobbled the baseball in attempt to tag Polchinski, who charged for home on contact, and all runners were safe.

Navy was also held hitless over the first-four innings before knotting the game at one in the fifth. Michael Speciale (So./Pearland, Texas) drew a leadoff walk before Kendall Bolt (So./Stockton, Calif.) hit a double off the top of the fence down the right-field line to put two runners in scoring position. Bland followed with a sacrifice fly to score Speciale and move Bolt to third. However, White was able to get a groundout back to him and a strikeout swinging to avoid further damage.

In the eighth, Harris got a pair of groundouts to start the inning before allowing two walks. Navy reliever Drew Carlson (So./Boca Raton, Fla.) came on for Harris and got ahead of Kevin McKague with a 1-2 count. The Black Knights sent the runners in motion and McKague hit a single where third base would have been occupied to bring around the go-ahead run.

In the nightcap, Army jumped out to a 5-0 lead after two and a half innings before Navy responded with a pair of runs in the bottom of the third. Nick Driscoll (Fr./Riverview, Fla.) drilled a double to center, advanced to third on a groundout and scored on a wild pitch. Speciale followed with a triple to right and would come home to score on a RBI-groundout by Jonathan Wright (Fr./Arden, N.C.)

That would be as close as the Midshipmen would get, as the Black Knights responded with a three-run fourth inning and tacked on two insurance runs in the seventh.

Speciale went 3-for-4 with the triple and run scored, while Thomas Hamilton (Sr./Houston, Texas) produced two base knocks in three at bats in the nightcap.

Navy starter Mark McCoy (Sr./Parkland, Fla.) allowed eight hits and eight runs, five of which were earned, with two walks and five strikeouts in 3.2 innings to get the loss. Navy relievers Sam Long (Fr./Newnan, Ga.), Wes Olson (Fr./Indianapolis, Ind.), Chris Murray (So./Navarre, Fla.) and JD Melton (So./Myrtle Beach, S.C.) combined to allow just one earned run on four hits over the final 5.1 innings of the contest.

The Midshipmen and the Black Knights will conclude the four-game series with a single nine-inning contest tomorrow at 1:30 p.m… The winner of Mondays doubleheader will move into a tie for first place in the Patriot League standings with Holy Cross and Bucknell. 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 · April 18, 2008, 8:40pm

Navy finished 2nd at the National Collegiate Boxing Association Championships. Three Navy boxers were crowned national champs. 2/C Antone Aku beat Army’s Terrel Anthony in the 139 lbs finals, and was named the outstanding boxer in the lower weights. 3/C Mike Steadman defeated Nevada’s Kenny Dyer-Redner at 175 lbs, and was named the outstanding boxer at the higher weights. Steadman beat Jason Crocco of UNLV and Corey Kastl of Army to get to the finals. 1/C Jeff Laupola won the heavyweight title, beating Chris Phifer from Mansfield U in the finals. He beat Josh Stone of Maryland and Cedric Fraser of Army to get to the finals. That was the 2nd time he beat both Stone and Fraser this year.

GreatAmerican · April 18, 2008, 8:41pm

Transcript and video of President Bush presenting the Commander-In-Chief’s Trophy to the Navy football team

[President</a> Bush Presents Commander-In-Chief’s Trophy to the United States Naval Academy Football Team](<a href=“Briefing Room | The White House”>Briefing Room | The White House)

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