Navy Sports

[GreatAmerican]

<p>By BILL WAGNER, Staff Writer
Published April 14, 2008</p>

<p>Navy has developed into one of the premier baseball programs in the Patriot League under the direction of third-year head coach Paul Kostacopoulos. However, the one conference opponent the Midshipmen still struggle to beat just happens to be the most important.</p>

<p>Archrival Army continued its recent dominance of Navy this past weekend in Annapolis, winning the initial three games of the lone season series between the two service academies. The Midshipmen can salvage a measure of respect by taking the series finale today, but the Black Knights have clinched the “Star” competition for the fifth straight year.</p>

<p>Army starter Cole White hurled a complete-game, one-hitter to capture a pitcher’s duel in the opener while catcher Chris Simmons went 3-for-4 with three runs scored and two RBIs in the nightcap as Army swept Navy in a doubleheader yesterday before 641 fans at Terwilliger Brothers Field at Max Bishop Stadium.</p>

<p>“I’m proud of our team in general, proud of our seniors in particular. We’ve got some great leadership going on within the ballclub,” said ninth-year head coach Joe Sottolano, who has led Army to victory in 17 of the last 20 meetings with Navy.</p>

<p>“Army simply out-played us. They hit better, pitched better, fielded better. They were more aggressive and beat us in every aspect of the game,” said Kostacopoulos, whose squad went down by scores of 2-1 and 10-2.</p>

<p>Navy wasted a strong effort by senior ace Mitch Harris in dropping the opener in extra innings. Harris allowed just three hits and notched seven strikeouts over 7 2/3 innings, but was still saddled with his first loss of the season.</p>

<p>Harris had only worked 6 2/3 innings in two previous appearances since returning to the mound following an injury. He was slated to only throw 80 pitches yesterday, but wound up reaching 104 while hitting 94 mph on the radar guns being held by a slew of professional scouts.</p>

<p>“Mitch gave us a winning performance. He had good velocity and located his pitches real well,” Kostacopoulos said. “He did a heck of a job competing and deserved a better fate. We just did not support him with the bats.”</p>

<p>White was the 2007 Patriot League Player of the Year and a preseason All-American, but had struggled to a 0-4 record with a 12.60 ERA coming into yesterday. However, the 6-foot-2, 200-pound senior regained his form against the Midshipmen, shutting them down with a workmanlike effort that featured six strikeouts.</p>

<p>Shortstop Kendall Bolt got the lone hit off White, drilling a double off the top of the fence in right field in the fifth inning. Right fielder Michael Speciale, who had drawn a leadoff walk, took third on the double then scored on a sacrifice fly by catcher Jeff Bland to tie the score 1-1.</p>

<p>Army got the game-winning run in the top half of the eighth after Harris allowed back-to-back walks with two outs. Sophomore right-hander Drew Carlson relieved Harris and induced a groundout to third that normally would have ended the threat. However, Sottolano had called for a double steal and Kevin McKague’s routine grounder went through the hole where Navy third baseman Mike Guadagnini would have been.</p>

<p>“It’s always good to win that type of ballgame. Cole gave us a great effort on the mound and we were able to manufacturer the run we needed at the end,” Sottolano said.</p>

<p>The nightcap was never much of a contest as Army (14-18, 6-5) battered Navy starter Mark McCoy for eight runs on eight hits. Three of the runs were unearned since the Midshipmen committed three errors.</p>

<p>McKague went 2-for-5 with three runs scored for Army, which led 5-0 after its half of the third inning. Speciale had a strong performance at the plate for Navy, going 3-for-4 with a run scored.</p>

<p>Navy (20-16, 6-5) held first place in the Patriot League going into the weekend, but is now in fourth. However, the Midshipmen could jump back into a three-way tie for first by beating the Black Knights this afternoon.</p>

<p>“First, second and third in the league is not as important at this point in the season as playing well,” Kostacopoulos said. “We’ve just got to get back to playing better baseball.”</p>

<p>Navy has managed only six runs in three games against Army after being shut out by Georgetown earlier in the week. Kostacopoulos does not think the Mids have swung the bats well all month.</p>

<p>“We have struggled at the plate for the last couple weeks. We’re swinging at some bad pitches and not hitting the good ones. Our offense just hasn’t been there the last nine games or so,” he said.</p>

[GreatAmerican]

<p>[WJZ</a> Baltimore, Maryland News Weather](<a href=“http://wjz.com/]WJZ”>http://wjz.com/)</p>

<p>Click on Top stories, second story</p>

[GreatAmerican]

<p>Defense Rules For Army Spring Game</p>

<p>WEST POINT, N.Y. * Army head football coach Stan Brock announced on Friday that next week¹s spring game at Michie Stadium on Saturday, April 19 will consist of a defensive scrimmage.</p>

<p>Practice has been closed to the public this spring as Brock and his staff have attempted to limit distractions with only 19 days to install a new offensive system. The second-year head coach is not ready to unveil the new system at this time and will opt for a defensive-minded session next Saturday.</p>

<p>“We have been working hard on our offensive scheme throughout the winter and spring,” explained Brock. "We’ve made tremendous strides and feel like the players have adapted very well to the changes put in place. But we’re not prepared to showcase our offensive system just yet. Fans will have to come out to watch us play Temple on August 28 to see our offense in action.</p>

<p>“We’ve made some changes to our defense as well,” Brock added. “(Defensive coordinator) John Mumford and his staff have been working very hard on that side of the ball. Fans can come out next Saturday and witness the progress that we’ve made with a good number of new faces holding down key positions. I think our fans will be impressed by what they see.”</p>

<p>Army’s defensive scrimmage on April 19 will begin at 11 a.m. at Michie Stadium. A live video stream of the action will be carried on the Army Athletic Association¹s official Web site ([oArmySports.com—The Official Web site of Army Athletics](<a href=“http://www.goARMYsports.com”>http://www.goARMYsports.com</a>)) via Knight Vision.</p>

[GreatAmerican]

<p>ANNAPOLIS, Md. – Navy freshman Katrina Nietsch garnered Patriot League Women’s Lacrosse Rookie of the Week for her role in two Navy wins last week. Nietsch is the third Navy freshman to win a weekly award, joining Meg Decker, who has won two Rookie of the Week honors and Caitlin Mandrin Hill, who has won two Defensive Player of the Week accolades. Nietsch becomes the sixth Mid to win a weekly award as upperclassmen Erin Rawlick, Mary Ruttum and Natalie Blandon have also won weekly awards for the Midshipmen.</p>

<p>Nietsch scored nine points (8 g, 1 a) in a pair of wins last week. She tallied three points (2 g, 1 a) in a 19-5 win over Howard last Wednesday, then erupted for a career-high six points (6 g) in an 18-11 win over Bucknell on Saturday. She netted four of Navy’s seven goals in the first half, helping the Mids overcome an early 3-0 deficit by outscoring the Bison 18-8 in the final 57 minutes of the game. Nietsch added three ground balls and two draw controls in the two victories.</p>

<p>Nietsch, a 5-10 midfielder from New Canaan, Conn., currently ranks third on the team in goals (30), fifth in points (35), second in ground balls (31), fourth in draw controls (20) and third in caused turnovers (7). She is third on the team with 65 shots and has coverted five of her nine free-position opportunites.</p>

<p>The Bucknell win clinched a spot in the Patriot League Women’s Lacrosse Tournament to be played at a site to be determined on April 25-27. Navy is in its first season of Division I lacrosse and currently owns a 10-3 overall record, and is sporting a 10-game home winning streak. The Mids, with a little bit of help, could finish with the second seed in the upcoming tournament.</p>

<p>Navy will wrap up the home portion of its schedule with Senior Day on Wednesday, April 16, with a 4:00 pm start against Robert Morris at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. Navy’s four seniors (Natalie Blandon, Kaylene Klingenstein, Jessie Rosa and Amanda Towey) will be honored in a ceremony before the contest. Admission to the game is free.</p>

[GreatAmerican]

<p>For: Immediate Release
Sent: April 14, 2008
Contact: Scott Strasemeier (410) 293-8775</p>

<p>Navy All-Access To Broadcast Spring Football Game</p>

<p>ANNAPOLIS, Md.-Navy All-Access will broadcast the spring football game Friday night at 7 p.m. live from Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. Pete Medhurst and Omar Nelson will be on hand to call the action. To sign in or subscribe to Navy All-Access, fans can go to url=<a href=“http://www.navysports.com%5DNavySports.com”>http://www.navysports.com]NavySports.com</a> - Official Athletic Site for Navy Athletics and click on the All-Access button on the right side of the page.</p>

[GreatAmerican]

<p>For Immediate Release
Monday, April 14, 2008
Contact: Jonathan Maggart (410) 293-8771</p>

<p>Navy Rally Comes Short in 7-4 Loss Against Army</p>

<p>ANNAPOLIS, Md. – The Navy baseball team rallied to score twice in the ninth inning and had the game-tying run at the plate, but a flyout ended the comeback bid as the Midshipmen dropped the series finale to Army, 7-4, on Monday afternoon at Terwilliger Brothers Field at Max Bishop Stadium.</p>

<p>Army completed the four-game sweep on Monday to win its seventh straight and improve to 15-18 overall and 7-5 in the Patriot League. Navy saw its record fall to 20-17 on the year and 6-6 in league play.</p>

<p>“I thought we battled hard out there today,” stated Navy head coach Paul Kostacopoulos. “We continued to push forward, but Army made some nice defensive plays that kept us off base and out of big innings. Also, I thought we pitched out of jams better than we had over the last-five games. Army kept the pressure on us, but we made the key pitch several times.”</p>

<p>Trailing 7-2 going into the home half of the ninth inning, Navy’s bats came alive after reliever Tyler Anderegg recorded the first-two outs of the frame. Matt Sweisthal (So./Spring, Texas) singled before Michael Speciale (So./Pearland, Texas) drove a ground-rule double over the fence in center. Jonathan Wright (Fr./Arden, N.C.) came to the plate and legged out an infield single to bring in Sweisthal. Thomas Hamilton (Sr./Houston, Texas) followed with another ground-rule double to center, this time plating Speciale to make the score 7-4. With runners in scoring position, Mitch Harris (Sr./Mt. Holly, N.C.) battled off several two-strike offerings before flying out to center to end the ballgame.</p>

<p>Army jumped out to a 2-0 lead after the first-half inning of play, but Navy chipped away to knot the contest at two after four innings. In the first, Harris singled in Wright with two outs for Navy’s first run of the game. Three innings later, Jeff Bland (Fr./Basking Ridge, N.J.) brought home Kendall Bolt (So./Stockton, Calif.) from second on a single to left-center.</p>

<p>The game would not remain tied for long, as the Black Knights responded with a run in the fifth, two in the sixth, one in the eighth and one in the ninth.</p>

<p>Navy starter Yale Eckert (So./La Selva Beach, Calif.) dropped to 1-4 on the year, as he allowed five runs on 11 hits over 5.2 innings with no walks and three strikeouts.</p>

<p>Eight different Midshipmen collected at least one hit in Monday’s 12-hit performance. Speciale led the way with a 3-for-4 effort with two doubles and a run scored, while Wright and Bolt each contributed a pair of base knocks.</p>

<p>“Michael was right on the ball today, which was good to see,” said Kostacopoulos. “However, it’s been the same story with our offense. You should be able to produce more than four runs on 12 hits, but we haven’t found a way over the last-10 games. We are struggling and throwing away some at bats in critical moments.”</p>

<p>The Midshipmen will return to action tomorrow with a 4 p.m. ballgame in Annapolis against Coppin State. Live stats for all of Navy’s home games will be available via GameTracker on <a href=“http://www.NavySports.com(%5B/url%5D.)”>www.NavySports.com(.)</a></p>

[GreatAmerican]

<p>This Week In Navy Sports Sponsored By Navy Federal Credit Union</p>

<p>[Page</a> loading…](<a href=“http://www.navyfederal.org/jump/x/navysports_email.html]Page”>http://www.navyfederal.org/jump/x/navysports_email.html)</p>

<p>Overall Navy Sports Record: 289-138-6 (.674)</p>

<p>Baseball (20-17, 6-6 in the Patriot League)
Last Week: Lost to UMBC, 8-7; lost to Georgetown, 6-0; lost to Army, 14-3; lost to Army, 2-1 (8 innings); lost to Army, 10-2; lost to Army, 7-4
This Week: Coppin State (Tuesday, 4 p.m., Annapolis, Md., Game Tracker on navysports.com); at Georgetown (Wednesday, 4 p.m., Bethesda, Md., Game Tracker on navysports.com); at Bucknell-DH (Saturday, 12 noon, Lewisburg, Pa.); at Bucknell-DH (Sunday, 12 noon, Lewisburg, Pa.)</p>

<p>Heavyweight Crew (3-0)
Last Week: Defeated Gonzaga, 5:55-6:00; defeated Georgetown, 5:34- 5:40.6; defeated George Washington, 5:46.4-5:59.3
This Week: at Cornell and vs. Syracuse (Saturday, all day, Ithaca, N.Y.); vs. Columbia (Sunday, TBA, West Windsor, N.J.)</p>

<p>Lightweight Crew (3-1)
Last Week: Defeated Columbia, 6:25.9-6:31.4
This Week: Delaware (Saturday, 9 a.m., Annapolis, Md.)</p>

<p>Women¹s Crew (12-4)
Last Week: Defeated MIT, 6:55.9-7:07.6; lost to Iowa, 6:19.1-6:21.7; defeated St. Joseph¹s, 6:21.7-6:36.4; defeated George Mason, 6:30-6:42
This Week: Georgetown (Saturday, 8 a.m., Annapolis, Md.)</p>

<p>Men¹s Golf (1-0-1)
Last Week: Finished 15th out of 15 teams at the River Landing Intercollegiate
This Week: at the Navy Spring Invitational (Saturday-Sunday, all day, Annapolis, Md.)</p>

<p>Men¹s Gymnastics (9-8)
Last Week: Idle
This Week: at the NCAA Qualifying Meet (Thursday, 4 p.m./10 p.m., Palo Alto, Calif.); at the NCAA Championship (Friday-Saturday, 10 p.m., Palo Alto, Calif.)</p>

<p>No. T10 Men¹s Lacrosse (9-3, 5-1 in the Patriot League)
Last Week: Lost to No. 17 Army, 9-6
This Week: No. 7 Johns Hopkins (Saturday, 12 noon, Annapolis, Md., CBS College Sports, 1430 WNAV, 1050 WFED, Game Tracker on navysports.com)</p>

<p>Women¹s Lacrosse (10-3, 3-2 in the Patriot League)
Last Week: Defeated Howard, 19-5; defeated Bucknell, 18-11
This Week: Robert Morris (Wednesday, 4 p.m., Annapolis, Md., Game Tracker on navysports.com); at Lafayette (Saturday, 1 p.m., Easton, Pa.)</p>

<p>Intercollegiate Sailing
Last Week: No results reported
This Week: at the MAISA Spring Open (Saturday-Sunday, Throggs Neck, N.Y.); MAISA Women¹s (Saturday-Sunday, Saint Mary¹s City, Md.); Thompson Trophy (Saturday-Sunday, New London, Conn.)</p>

<p>Offshore Sailing
Last Week: Finished first at the NASS Spring Race; finished second at the Navy Spring Keelboat Promotional Regatta
This Week: Intrepid Trophy Match Race Regatta (Saturday-Sunday, Annapolis, Md.)</p>

<p>Tennis (17-8, 4-0 in the Patriot League)
Last Week: Lost to UMBC, 4-3; defeated Lehigh, 7-0; defeated George Washington, 6-1
This Week: Army-Star Match (Saturday, 1 p.m., Annapolis, Md.)</p>

<p>Men¹s Outdoor Track & Field (10-0)
Last Week: Defeated Army, 118-85
This Week: Idle</p>

<p>Women¹s Outdoor Track & Field (4-1)
Last Week: Lost to Army, 119.5-83.5
This Week: at the Greyhound Invitational (Friday-Saturday, 11 a.m., Bethlehem, Pa.)</p>

[GreatAmerican]

<p>The Associated Press
Monday, April 14, 2008; 4:07 PM</p>

<p>WASHINGTON – President Bush lauded members of the Naval Academy football team on Monday for again earning the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy, awarded yearly to the winner of the competition between the three major service academies.</p>

<p>On a breezy day in the Rose Garden, Bush praised the Midshipmen for winning the trophy for the fifth straight year. Navy beat Air Force, 31-20, and Army, 38-3, to continue its recent dominance among the academies.</p>

<p>“This team has had an historic season,” Bush said with the players gathered behind him in dress uniform. “For the third year in a row, (you) had the most rushing yards in the nation, as well as the nation’s highest graduation rate. You went to your fifth straight bowl game, and of course you accomplished your most important goal: You beat Army.”</p>

<p>The Army-Navy rivalry is considered one of the most storied in college football.</p>

<p>The president mentioned many of the team’s top contributors by their full name until he got to the coach, Ken Niumatalolo. Rather than risk a mispronunciation, Bush erred on the side of caution.</p>

<p>“Coach _ just Coach,” Bush called Niumatalolo, to laughter. “You call me George, I’ll call you Ken.”</p>

<p>Navy finished its year 8-5 in 2007. Bush thanked each player for agreeing to volunteer for what he called the finest military ever.</p>

<p>“You signed up after 9-11,” the president said. “You knew the stakes involved in the war against extremists and radicals. You knew that your country depended on you. And you didn’t hesitate to wear the uniform.”</p>

<p>After his brief comments, the president mingled and laughed with team members for several minutes before returning to the Oval Office.</p>

[GreatAmerican]

<p>ANNAPOLIS, Md. – The Navy women’s lacrosse team will wrap up the home portion of its 2008 schedule with a non-conference battle against Robert Morris, on Wednesday, beginning at 4:00 pm. Prior to the game, the four seniors (Natalie Blandon, Kaylene Klingenstein, Jessie Rosa and Amanda Towey) will be recognized as part of Senior Day festivities. The Mids enter the contest with a 10-3 overall record, while Robert Morris is 4-10.</p>

<p>The senior class has been instrumental in leading Navy’s transition from a club program to a NCAA Division I team. The Mids have qualified for the Patriot League Tournament in their first year, have not lost a home game in 2008 and rank among the NCAA leaders in several team categories.</p>

<p>“This class has been very key in leading the transition. I could not ask for more out of them as leaders and as players,” said Navy head coach Cindy Timchal. “The foundation they have set for future teams will always be remembered, and they will be known as the class that first played Division I lacrosse here at Navy. The success they have had here both on and off the field speaks volumes about them as individuals.”</p>

<p>The Mids are looking to wrap up an undefeated home schedule with a win over Robert Morris on Wednesday. The Mids are 10-0 at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, winning the 10 games by an average margin of 10.1 goals per game. Navy has scored at least 12 goals in every home game and are allowing just 7.8 goals per game. </p>

<p>The Mids are coming off an impressive 18-11 decision over Bucknell that clinched a spot in the Patriot League Tournament on April 25-27 at a site to be determined. Freshman Katrina Nietsch, who was named Patriot League Rookie of the Week for her efforts, scored a career-high six goals, including four in the first half, while Meg Decker and Erin Rawlick each scored five points. The Mids overcame a 6-4 deficit late in the first half, by using a 14-3 run over a 30-minute span to pull away in the second half.</p>

<p>Rawlick, a sophomore midfielder from Forest Hill, Md., continues to rank among the nation’s leaders in scoring. She is currently fourth nationally with 70 points, ranking second in the nation in points per game (5.38). She is also eighth in goals (49), fifth in goals per game (3.77), 26th in assists (21), 28th in assists per game (2.08) and eighth in draw controls per game (3.54).</p>

<p>She is joined in the midfield by Decker, a freshman from Catonsville, Md. Decker has scored 56 points (44 g, 12 a), ranking fourth among the country’s freshmen, and 25th overall, in scoring. She is also 15th in the country in draw controls per game (3.15), and has tallied a hat trick in 10 straight games.</p>

<p>Senior Amanda Towey is third on the team in scoring with 45 points (18 g, 27 a), ranking 12th nationally in assists with 27. Sophomore Mary Ruttum has added 38 points (26 g, 12 a), while Nietsch and senior Kaylene Klingenstein have contributed 35 and 16 points, respectively.</p>

<p>Senior Natalie Blandon has seen the majority of time in goal, compiling a .433 save percentage and a 10.07 GAA.</p>

<p>As a team, the Mids rank third in the country in scoring offense (16.23), fourth in scoring margin (+6.46) and second in draw controls per game (16.31). The Mids are also 10th in win percentage (.769).</p>

<p>Robert Morris enters Wednesday’s game with a 4-10 overall record. The Colonials have won two of their last three games after starting the year 2-9. Robert Morris is led by Ashley Levering with 35 points and Alana Beck’s 33 points. Four other players have scored at least 20 points.</p>

<p>The two teams have common opponents in Bucknell, Canisius, Davidson and Cincinnati. The Colonials went 1-3 against the teams, defeating Cincinnati (11-8), while falling by one goal to Bucknell (15-14), Canisius (10-9) and Davidson (6-5). The Mids went 3-1 against the four teams, defeating Bucknell (18-11), Canisius (15-12) and Cincinnati (18-6), but lost to Davidson (15-10).</p>

<p>The Mids will hit the road for their final two games of the season, beginning Saturday, April 19, at Lafayette for a 1:00 pm game. Navy will then close out the regular season with a 6:00 pm tilt on April 22 at Villanova. The Patriot League Tournament will be played at either Colgate or American, beginning on April 25. The four teams in the tournament are American, Colgate, Lehigh and Navy.</p>

[GreatAmerican]

<p>Last Saturday, the Navy Offshore Sailing Team had six boats competing in the NASS Spring Race, the season-opening regatta open to all area civilian sailors. Kellen Browne led his 14-man crew to a resounding victory in the big boat PHRF A0 class beating the second-place boat by nearly 15 minutes in incredibly erratic conditions. Browne’s crew included XO Nick Skaperdas, Josh McMinn, Eric Eastman, Chris Nicolet, Josh Hinshaw, Matt Libby, Rachel Lessard, John Bamonte, Ted Dempsey, Will Nutting and Patrick Wiedorn.</p>

<p>The team also hosted the Navy Spring Keelboat Promotional Regatta in our fleet of Navy 26 sloops. A total of nine teams competed in the two-day, seven-race series. Navy finished second overall behind a strong team from Coast Guard. Skippering for Navy was James Prieto. His crew included Robert Macedo, Marcos Rivera and Robert King.</p>

<p>Next weekend, Navy serve as the host to 12 teams for the Intrepid Trophy Match Race Regatta.</p>

[GreatAmerican]

<p>By Quint Kessenich

ESPN - Serving Sports Fans. Anytime. Anywhere.

(Archive)</p>

<p>For the second consecutive week, Duke separated itself from the pack, putting forth a powerful performance against Virginia at a rocking Klockner Stadium. With five of the top 10 teams from a week ago losing in the past seven days, the playoff picture got a lot murkier.</p>

<ol>
<li><p>Duke
The Blue Devils finished the Virginia game with 10 unanswered goals, winning 19-9 in front of more than 8,000 fans. The attack unit of Max Quinzani, Zack Greer and Matt Danowski are putting forth a case to be considered one of the top trios in the last 30 years. Without a glaring weakness in its lineup, Duke has earned lopsided wins over Bucknell, Virginia, Johns Hopkins, Maryland, Loyola and North Carolina – all quality teams – with only a loss to Georgetown counting against it. Another quality game looms this weekend when Duke travels to Manhasset, N.Y., to take on an Army team that just broke a 13-game losing streak against archrival Navy.</p></li>
<li><p>Syracuse
It was an impressive week for the Orange, as they beat Cornell on Tuesday 15-8 and Rutgers on Saturday 17-9. After a 5-8 season a year ago, I couldn’t be more impressed with the turnaround that the players and coaching staff have engineered.</p></li>
<li><p>Virginia
The Cavaliers had no answer for Duke’s runs on Saturday at Klockner Stadium, taking their first-ever home loss at night (in 22 games) and allowing the Blue Devils their first win in Charlottesville since 1994. The Wahoos’ top three scorers (Brian Carroll, Garrett Billings, Danny Gladding) all had quiet outings against Duke, which clinched the top seed in the upcoming ACC tournament (also at Klockner). There is just one game (Dartmouth) left on the regular season schedule for Virginia.</p></li>
<li><p>Cornell
The Big Red couldn’t handle Syracuse’s firepower Tuesday, but they bounced back this weekend with a workmanlike win over Dartmouth. Cornell’s best victories are against Navy, Army, Denver, Penn and Harvard, but the biggest game of the season (to date) looms on Saturday as it travels to Princeton in a game that could decide the Ivy League championshp.</p></li>
<li><p>UMBC
After a 1-3 start, the Retrievers have taken seven straight wins, topping Albany, Yale, Maryland, Ohio State, Stony Brook, Towson and Binghamton. Attackman Ryan Smith is a legit All-American candidate.</p></li>
<li><p>Bucknell
Bucknell has wins against Army, Ohio State, Fairfield and Towson with losses to Duke and Navy. I feel that the Bison are the best of a trio of Patriot League teams that could make the NCAA field, and if the Herd win out, they will have the bonus of being the top seed and host of the Patriot League tournament.</p></li>
<li><p>Johns Hopkins
The Blue Jays tweeked their lineup and tightened up their defense against Maryland on Saturday at Homewood Field. Behind stellar work at the face-off X from Stephen Peyser – a midfielder who seems to improve as the weather warms up – Hopkins ended a five-game skid. Those losses were to Duke, Cuse, Virginia, North Carolina and Hofstra, all teams that have a chance to be in the tournament. I think the Jays have a chance to make a run like they did last year after a rocky start.</p></li>
<li><p>Maryland
Terps have four losses, but wins over Georgetown, Towson, North Carolina and Virginia. More alarming, Maryland’s offense has disappeared during the last two games against Navy and Hopkins – the first midfield has been invisible. Maryland plays Penn this weekend then heads down to play host Virginia on April 25 in the ACC tournament.</p></li>
<li><p>Georgetown
The only team with a win over Duke in 2008, Georgetown continues to struggle facing off and clearing the ball, two things that cost the Hoyas in a loss to Loyola on Saturday. For an athletic team, they do not push the tempo and rarely create fast breaks. It’s hard to figure this group out – they bring in top quality recruiting classes every year, yet drop games they should dominate.</p></li>
<li><p>North Carolina
Just as it looked like UNC was starting to put it together, the Heels drop a game to Ohio State in Baltimore on Saturday. It was a weekend to forget in the ACC. The Heels have lost three of their last four games and have given up nearly 12 goals per game in that time span.</p></li>
<li><p>Army
The Cadets got off to a great start against Navy on Saturday and beat the Midshipmen for the first time in 13 tries. Lafayette and Duke remain on the Mules’ schedule before moving on to the Patriot League tournament.</p></li>
<li><p>Navy
All year, I had Army ranked ahead of Navy – and last week, when Navy beat Maryland and Army lost to Bucknell, I finally bumped the Mids into the top 10 ahead of Army. This Navy team has a top quality faceoff man in Mikelis Visgauss and a top 10 defense - but I’m not sold on the offense.</p></li>
<li><p>Ohio State
The Buckeyes are still rolling, taking down North Carolina in Baltimore behind Kevin Buchanan’s seven point showing. All three OSU losses (Navy, Bucknell and UMBC) have come in overtime and the next game could be a watershed moment for lacrosse in Columbus, as the Buckeyes open for the spring football game (against Denver) in front of a crowd that is likely to number in the tens of thousands.</p></li>
<li><p>Princeton
The Tigers fell behind Harvard 3-0 but rallied and prevailed in OT. Princeton has won four of its last five games and face Cornell at home on Saturday. The Tigers have losses to Hopkins, Albany and Syracuse.</p></li>
<li><p>Notre Dame
The Fighting Irish had a bye this week – an unusual week off during the middle of the season. The Irish have beaten Loyola, Albany and Drexel – their playoff r</p></li>
</ol>

[GreatAmerican]

<p>Texas’ Travis Feldhaus Named Swimming World’s SID of the Year – April 7, 2008</p>

<p>PHOENIX, Arizona, April 7. ONE of the unsung heroes within the sports community is the media relations contact and sports information director (SID). These tireless workers put forth an incredible amount of hours to make sure that the best each organization has to offer is provided to the public and media.</p>

<p>Swimming World continues to shine the light on the best of the best with its second annual SID of the Year award. Texas’ Travis Feldhaus has been named the winner of the second-annual award as the top SID within the sport this year. This comes a year after Feldhaus was named honorable mention.</p>

<p>For those not aware of the integral role SIDs play within the sports community, these people are the workers assigned by organizations within the industry to interact with the media for their respective sports. Many of the interesting facts and stats found within media reports usually come directly from the intense research done by SIDs.</p>

<p>With this in mind, the staff at Swimming World analyzed how quickly SIDs worked with us on the requests for information, images and interviews as well as how they did promoting their own programs.</p>

<p>This past year, Feldhaus did an outstanding job with the Longhorns. On top of working with the Texas men, who wound up taking second at the NCAA Division I Men’s Championships, Feldhaus also had the pleasure of publicizing one of the top women’s recruiting classes in the land.</p>

<p>Texas men’s head coach Eddie Reese on Travis:
He is one of the best SIDs I’ve ever seen. He really takes everything about the sport seriously, and just does a great job. He also works well with the athletes as they all know and like him.</p>

<p>Texas women’s head coach Kim Brackin on Travis:
He does a great job of covering our current team’s accomplishments, and he takes the time to get to know each of the women on the team so that he has more perspective on the items he reports. Also, it is such an exciting year in recruiting and he did a great job of marketing the incomers and promoting them. He is as excited as we are to have that kick start next year.</p>

<p>Other SIDs were named honorable mention for the award based on their strong professional work. This year, we added media relations members of various National Governing Bodies to those up for the SID of the Year award.</p>

<p>Collegiate Ranks:
Matt Crouch (Auburn), Paul Goldberg (Southern California), Chris Harrell (Texas A&M), Jeremiah Hergott (Michigan), Jeff Keiser (Minnesota), Justin Kischefsky (Navy), Kendra Lee (Ohio State), Chris Macaluso (Purdue), Doug Meffley (Northwestern), Jessica Raber (Washington), Casey Self (Tennessee), Jakob Skipper (William & Mary), Ryan Sosin (Michigan).</p>

<p>National Governing Body Ranks;
Jamie Fabos (USA Swimming), Erin Greene (USA Swimming), Ian Hanson (Swimming Australia), Yana Ivanova (Swimming South Africa), Karen Linhart (USA Swimming), Martin Richard (Swimming Canada).</p>

<p>2007 Honorees:
SID of the Year: Doug Meffley, Northwestern
Honorable Mention: Travis Feldhaus (Texas), Paul Goldberg (Southern California), Chris Harrell (Texas A&M), Jeff Keiser (Minnesota), Justin Kischefsky (Navy), Kristie Le (Atlantic Coast Conference) and Jakob Skipper (William & Mary).</p>

[GreatAmerican]

<p>Kischefsky named Honorable Mention Swimming SID of the Year For The Second Straight Year (former Navy assistant Jessica Raber also receives Honorable Mention honors)</p>

<p>Texas’ Travis Feldhaus Named Swimming World’s SID of the Year – April 7, 2008</p>

<p>PHOENIX, Arizona, April 7. ONE of the unsung heroes within the sports community is the media relations contact and sports information director (SID). These tireless workers put forth an incredible amount of hours to make sure that the best each organization has to offer is provided to the public and media.</p>

<p>Swimming World continues to shine the light on the best of the best with its second annual SID of the Year award. Texas’ Travis Feldhaus has been named the winner of the second-annual award as the top SID within the sport this year. This comes a year after Feldhaus was named honorable mention.</p>

<p>For those not aware of the integral role SIDs play within the sports community, these people are the workers assigned by organizations within the industry to interact with the media for their respective sports. Many of the interesting facts and stats found within media reports usually come directly from the intense research done by SIDs.</p>

<p>With this in mind, the staff at Swimming World analyzed how quickly SIDs worked with us on the requests for information, images and interviews as well as how they did promoting their own programs.</p>

<p>This past year, Feldhaus did an outstanding job with the Longhorns. On top of working with the Texas men, who wound up taking second at the NCAA Division I Men’s Championships, Feldhaus also had the pleasure of publicizing one of the top women’s recruiting classes in the land.</p>

<p>Texas men’s head coach Eddie Reese on Travis:
He is one of the best SIDs I’ve ever seen. He really takes everything about the sport seriously, and just does a great job. He also works well with the athletes as they all know and like him.</p>

<p>Texas women’s head coach Kim Brackin on Travis:
He does a great job of covering our current team’s accomplishments, and he takes the time to get to know each of the women on the team so that he has more perspective on the items he reports. Also, it is such an exciting year in recruiting and he did a great job of marketing the incomers and promoting them. He is as excited as we are to have that kick start next year.</p>

<p>Other SIDs were named honorable mention for the award based on their strong professional work. This year, we added media relations members of various National Governing Bodies to those up for the SID of the Year award.</p>

<p>Collegiate Ranks:
Matt Crouch (Auburn), Paul Goldberg (Southern California), Chris Harrell (Texas A&M), Jeremiah Hergott (Michigan), Jeff Keiser (Minnesota), Justin Kischefsky (Navy), Kendra Lee (Ohio State), Chris Macaluso (Purdue), Doug Meffley (Northwestern), Jessica Raber (Washington), Casey Self (Tennessee), Jakob Skipper (William & Mary), Ryan Sosin (Michigan).</p>

<p>National Governing Body Ranks;
Jamie Fabos (USA Swimming), Erin Greene (USA Swimming), Ian Hanson (Swimming Australia), Yana Ivanova (Swimming South Africa), Karen Linhart (USA Swimming), Martin Richard (Swimming Canada).</p>

<p>2007 Honorees:
SID of the Year: Doug Meffley, Northwestern
Honorable Mention: Travis Feldhaus (Texas), Paul Goldberg (Southern California), Chris Harrell (Texas A&M), Jeff Keiser (Minnesota), Justin Kischefsky (Navy), Kristie Le (Atlantic Coast Conference) and Jakob Skipper (William & Mary).</p>

[GreatAmerican]

<p>AIBA Press Release </p>

<p>AIBA R&J¹s confirmed for Beijing</p>

<p>April 15, 2008 * The International Boxing Association (AIBA) has the great pleasure to announce the 34 Olympic Boxing Referees and Judges who have been selected to officiate during the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.</p>

<p>The selection * in which the Olympic host China is the only country represented more than once with three referees and judges - comes from a new evaluation process which started at the AIBA World Boxing Championships Chicago 2007 and continued through the various Continental Olympic Boxing Qualification Tournaments up until the end of March.</p>

<p>“This new evaluation process has proven to be very intensive”, AIBA President Dr Ching-Kuo Wu said. “But it has ensured that we will not only see the best of the world’s boxers in Beijing but also the top international referees and judges who will officiate during the Games.”</p>

<p>“It has been a challenging, yet rewarding process to have to narrow down a field of over 5000 international referees and judges down to 34 who will go to Beijing,” AIBA Refereeing and Judging Commission Chairman Mr Terry Smith said. “The standard around the world has been exceptionally high and now we can look forward to working with these officials during the forthcoming workshops. However, we must reiterate that the list is by no means final and will still retain our options to replace, substitute or remove any officials for reasons of poor performances, physical fitness or indeed for any reason that AIBA considers detrimental to the standard that must be expected of an Olympian Official.”</p>

<p>Two AIBA Olympic referees & judges workshops will be held next month, the first - a classroom workshop - from May 20-23 in Beijing followed by a practical training workshop during the 1st AIBA President¹s Cup to be held from May 24*June 1 in Taipei.</p>

<p>AIBA Olympic R&J’s for the Beijing Olympic Games</p>

<p>(As of April 15, 2008)</p>

<p>Fernando Servide Argentina
Wayne Rose Australia
Siahrei Parshin Belarus
Michael Moroko Botswana
Pierre Chiasson Canada
Qingsheng Li China
Jiabo Wang China
Jue Wang China
Armando Carbonell Colombia
Juan Ponce Cuba
Jose Castro Ecuador
William John Phillips England
Jean-Robert Laine France
Zurab Tibua Georgia
Georgios Kaouris Greece
Peter Dorko Hungary
Enrico Apa Italy
Kassymkanov Berikbol Kazakhstan
Jae Bong Kim Korea
Anatolijs Zaicevs Latvia
Anatoli Kaigorodov Moldavia
Sandag Bayasgalan Mongolia
Rogelio Fortaleza Philippines
Marek Podsiadlo Poland
Eugene Sudakov Russia
Edmond Folette Seychelles
Francisco Alloza Rosa Spain
Mohamed Zahra Syria
Artit Somchai Thailand
Hassen Boughalmi Tunisia
Karakulov Mykola Ukraine
James McNally USA
Roberto Gutierez Venezuela
Eduard Dyer Wales</p>

<p>About the International Boxing Association</p>

<p>The International Boxing Association (AIBA) is a non-profit making international organization, which was founded under the name Fédération Internationale de Boxe Amateur (FIBA) in 1920. In 1946 a new start was given with the launch of AIBA to replace the dissolved FIBA and now, more than 60 years later, AIBA, with its 195 member federations, continues to govern the sport of Boxing, working for the benefit of the sport and all its participants, to help Boxing realise its potential within the Olympic Movement and the international sporting arena. For more information please visit [url=<a href=“http://www.aiba.org%5DHome%5B/url”>http://www.aiba.org]Home[/url</a>]</p>

[GreatAmerican]

<p>This Week in Navy Club Sports:</p>

<p>Boxing:<br>
Last Week: 2nd Place @ the National Collegiate Boxing Association Championships
This Week * Idle.</p>

<p>Cycling *
Last Week: @ West VA Time Trials: 2 First Place, 2 Second Place & 1 Third Place Finish; Road Race: 1 First Place and 3 Third Place Finishes.
This Week: @ Wake Forest (ACCC Conference Championships (Sat, Salem NC)</p>

<p>Hockey * (20-18-1)
Last Week: Idle
This Week: Idle</p>

<p>Karate *
Last Week: Idle
This Week: @ PA National Tournament (Sat, 9:00am, Allentown PA)</p>

<p>Pistol * (7-0)
Last Week: Idle
This Week: @ USA Shooting 2008 National Jr Olympic Championships, (Wed- Sun, Colorado Spgs,CO)</p>

<p>Lacrosse * (10-4 )
Last Week: defeated Univ of Baltimore 21-2; won by forfeiture from Washington College; defeated Duke 12-2, defeated UNC 12-2; lost to Salisbury 9-10.
This Week: Idle</p>

<p>Marathon *
Last Week: Idle
This Week: @ 112th Boston Marathon National Competition (Mon, 10:00am, Boston MA)</p>

<p>Powerlifting *
Last Week: @ National Championships: NO RESULTS POSTED.
This Week - Idle</p>

<p>Rugby (M) (7-1)
Last Week: C Side defeated Georgetown 55-10!
This Week: Idle</p>

<p>Rugby (W) *A Side 23-3-1 / B Side 12-2-2
Last Week: A Side defeated UVA @ West Chester 53-24
This Week * @ Sweet Sixteens (Fri-Sun, Albuquerque, NM)</p>

<p>Soccer * (1-0-1)
Last Week: @ Rutgers Round Robin vs Rutgers, UDel, & ACCC (Sat, all day, New Brunswick, NJ )-Cancelled.
This Week: Round Robin Brotherton Spring Classic ( Sat 11:00am, Farragut Field)</p>

<p>Softball *
Last Week: vs VMI, Doubleheader / @ George Washington Univ Doubleheader:
NO RESULTS POSTED.
This Week * @ NCSA World Series, (Thurs-Sat, Cary, NC)</p>

<p>Tennis * (5-0)
Last Week: Navy placed 3rd out of 16 teams @ the Univ of DE Invitational
This Week : @ USTA/NIRSA National Championships (Thurs-Sat, Cary, NC)</p>

<p>Triathlon *
Last Week: Idle
This Week: @ USAT Collegiate National Championships (Sat, Tuscaloosa, AL)</p>

<p>Volleyball * (18-12)
Last Week: @ National Championships *
defeated West Virginia 2-1, lost to Whitewater 0-2, lost to Illinois
0-2, lost to Stanford 1-2, defeated Cinncinati 2-1, lost to Grand Valley
State 1-2, defeated Texas A&M 2-1, defeats Wisconsin-Madison 2-1,
lost to West Virginia 1-2: Navy finished 35 out of 84 Teams
This Week * Idle</p>

<p>Field Hockey *(1-2)
Last Week: Idle
This Week: Idle</p>

[GreatAmerican]

<p>By BILL WAGNER, Staff Writer
Published April 15, 2008</p>

<p>WASHINGTON - President Bush didn’t even attempt to pronounce the name of the Naval Academy’s new head football coach. Navy football was honored at the White House yesterday for capturing the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy for the fifth consecutive year. During his remarks, President Bush recognized various dignitaries in attendance - such as Rep. Steny H. Hoyer, D-St. Mary’s, Secretary of the Navy Donald C. Winter and Vice. Adm. Jeffrey F. Fowler, academy superintendent.</p>

<p>But when it came time to introduce head coach Ken Niumatalolo, the president hesitated.</p>

<p>“Coach … just coach,” said President Bush, drawing a hearty laugh from the audience in the Rose Garden. “You can call me George, and I’ll call you Ken.”</p>

<p>Mr. Niumatalolo is the first Polynesian to serve as head coach in NCAA Division I-A ranks, and the first Samoan head coach at any level of college football. Naturally, the 42-year-old Hawaiian yesterday became the first Polynesian and Samoan football coach to be welcomed at the White House.</p>

<p>“It’s a humbling experience. I’m still in awe,” Mr. Niumatalolo said.</p>

<p>One of the most touching moments of the ceremony came after the formal presentation of the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy. President Bush thanked the crowd for coming then turned around and began shaking hands with the Navy football players and coaches. Mr. Niumatalolo motioned for his wife and 8-year-old son Ali’i to leave their front row seats and come meet the president.</p>

<p>President Bush bent down to shake hands with Ali’i then casually put his arm around the boy while talking with Barbara Niumatalolo. That brought tears to the eyes of Ken Niumatalolo, who no doubt will treasure the picture that was taken of the scene.</p>

<p>“Priceless. That’s the kind of stuff that is priceless. I will never forget it,” he said.</p>

<p>Navy compiled an 8-5 record in 2007, beating Army and Air Force to retain the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy and earning a berth to the Poinsettia Bowl in San Diego. President Bush pointed out that Navy beat powerful Notre Dame for the first time since 1963, snapping an NCAA-record 43-game losing streak in the series.</p>

<p>“I’m not going to spend much time talking to the pope about it,” dead-panned the president, alluding to his upcoming visit with Roman Catholic pontiff this week.</p>

<p>Navy’s current run of winning the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy five consecutive seasons is a school record. The midshipmen have won 11 straight games against Army and Air Force in the process.</p>

<p>“This has become old habit for a lot of the players standing behind me. Coming to the Rose Garden is as familiar as Bancroft Hall,” President Bush said.</p>

<p>All five of those trips to the White House have occurred during the two terms of President Bush, who took great delight in highlighting some of the Texas-born standouts on the team. For the second straight year, the president made mention of fullback Adam Ballard, and for the second straight year he referred to the 6-foot-1, 236-pounder as “Bullard.”</p>

<p>Midshipman Ballard spoke briefly with President Bush and was impressed he knew that athletic teams at Lewisville High School went by the nickname of “Fighting Farmers.” Midshipman Ballard, who was late in preparing his taxes, pulled the W-2 form out of his pocket and asked the president for an extension.</p>

<p>" ‘W’ and I get along pretty well," Midshipman Ballard joked afterward. “Seriously, he strikes me as being real personable. He speaks off-the-cuff and seems like a regular guy.”</p>

<p>Curtis Bass, a 6-foot-1, 275-pound offensive lineman from Houston, sparked laughter when he asked President Bush to grant members of the football team a weekend of liberty. When the president approved the request, Midshipman Bass pointed at Vice Adm. Fowler and asked the president to convey that message to the academy superintendent.</p>

<p>Over the course of Navy’s four previous visits to the White House, President Bush had gotten to know former head coach Paul Johnson. Mr. Johnson left Navy for Georgia Tech in December and did not attend yesterday’s ceremony, so the honor of speaking on behalf of the football team fell to Mr. Niumatalolo.</p>

<p>“On behalf of the football team and the entire United States Naval Academy, I want to say that we are happy to be here and it never gets old,” he said. Even though the trip from Annapolis to the White House today was fast and easy, it was a long journey for this team this season. Coming here means we accomplished all of our goals."</p>

<p>Before filing into the Rose Garden, Mr. Niumatalolo told the team to savor the moment and appreciate the honor of meeting the president of the United States as a result of success on the football field.</p>

<p>“I want all of our younger guys to realize this is a special trip and that it takes a ton of hard work and sacrifice to make this trip,” Mr. Niumatalolo said.</p>

<p>President Bush concluded his remarks by pointing out that Navy football players soon will be commissioned officers participating in the current war on terrorism.</p>

<p>“I want to thank every football player for agreeing to put on the uniform of the finest military ever. You signed up after 9/11. You knew the stakes involved in the war against extremists and radicals. You knew that your country depended on you. And you didn’t hesitate to wear the uniform,” he said. “I welcome you as stars on the football field, and I welcome you as soon-to-be sailors and Marines who have a major responsibility to protect the United States from harm and spread the great blessings of liberty so we can have peace.”</p>

[GreatAmerican]

<p>by Tyler Norris Goode
published April 14, 2008 12:15 am</p>

<p>Life as a plebe in the U.S. Naval Academy certainly has its drawbacks.</p>

<p>Almost every minute of the day is scheduled. There¹s little free time, no privileges to drive a car and not-so-fun exercises called chow calls. </p>

<p>“³That¹s where the upperclassmen come out and ask you (to recite) menus for three meals in advance,” said freshman Jonathan Wright, a Roberson High graduate. “You have to know three current events: an international news article, a national news article and one sports story. You¹ve got to be able to talk about them. Then you¹ve got to know how many days until graduation, until Christmas, until Š just, different things.”</p>

<p>But there¹s one place where being a plebe doesn¹t count against him and where he feels right at home: the baseball diamond. The former Ram standout had a .390 batting average and a team-best 11 doubles as of Saturday.</p>

<p>“I¹m just real excited to contribute this early in my college career,” said Wright, who has twice been named the Patriot League Rookie of the Week. “I start as a freshman, and I¹ve been able to do well and contribute to our wins. I think we have a really good team.”</p>

<p>Going into the season-opener against Air Force, Wright¹s father ‹ Wittner Wright ‹ wasn¹t even sure whether his son would get to start. He drove to the Service Academy Spring Classic, held just outside of Memphis, Tenn., and got a nice surprise.</p>

<p>Jonathan Wright started in left field and was the Midshipmen¹s leadoff batter. He went 2-for-5 with a double and drove in two runs as Navy earned a 6-5 victory. He¹s started all 33 games for Navy (20-14).</p>

<p>“I¹m just so proud of him,” said Wittner Wright, who¹s made the 16-hour round-trip to Annapolis, Md., several times for games.</p>

<p>"He¹s doing great things. Academically, he¹s doing well. Š He¹s adapted well. He¹s adapted to the rigors of it very well. That surpassed our expectations.</p>

<p>“We didn¹t know he would make this contribution on the field. The coaching staff has been great up there. They¹re well-schooled and have treated him real well.”</p>

[GreatAmerican]

<p>Opinion: Offensive scheme, line could allow Air Force football to exceed expectations (Colorado Springs Gazette)</p>

<p>April 10, 2008 - 11:26PM
By DAVID RAMSEY
THE GAZETTE</p>

<p>Air Force’s football team is, once again, expected to fizzle.</p>

<p>The Falcons lost 16 starters, and one of those starters, Chad Hall, ranked among the top dozen players in the country. The team Hall left behind has a ravaged look.</p>

<p>Air Force will be picked near, and maybe at, the bottom of the Mountain West.</p>

<p>The players who conclude spring practice Saturday adore all this gloomy talk. The doubts free the Falcons from pressure and, even better, offer constant spurs to prove those pessimists wrong.</p>

<p>“I like the underdog approach,” guard Nick Charles said. “It gives us motivation. It gives us something to work on.”</p>

<p>There is reason for skepticism. The Falcons are so thin at quarterback, tailback, inside linebacker and cornerback that incoming freshmen will compete for starting jobs. I’m not talking about freshman from the prep school. I’m talking about 18-year-old newcomers.</p>

<p>Here’s the best reason for optimism. Coach Troy Calhoun arrived at AFA with an understanding of the Denver Broncos’ complex zone blocking scheme. This is the same scheme that made 1,000-yard-plus rushers out of a long line of less-than-sensational Broncos backs.</p>

<p>Calhoun was smart enough to borrow Mike Shanahan’s scheme. The offensive line, led by Charles and tackle Keith Williams, will serve as the team’s strength, its anchor and its reason to believe.</p>

<p>It’s a mystery who will start at quarterback and tailback, but the players carrying the ball won’t matter as much as the big men opening the holes.</p>

<p>Air Force’s offense rumbled for nearly 300 yards rushing per game and averaged 39 points in the final five games. The runners who delivered those yards are gone. The scheme remains.</p>

<p>Athletic director Hans Mueh devised a simple strategy when he met with Calhoun in late 2006. Mueh was seeking to convince Calhoun to coach the Falcons and the best strategy was talk straight to a straight talker.</p>

<p>He told Calhoun the 2007 senior class was talented, weary of losing and capable of a winning season. Mueh also told Calhoun the 2008 and 2009 senior classes looked shaky. Mueh didn’t try to hide the challenge.</p>

<p>Now, Calhoun and his Falcons prepare for another chance to silence the skeptics.</p>

<p>The team boasts a crafty, athletic line and a dominating defensive presence in safety Chris Thomas.</p>

<p>The schedule is ideal. The Falcons will tangle with tougher opponents (BYU, Utah and New Mexico) at home and weaker opponents (Wyoming, San Diego State and UNLV) on the road.</p>

<p>“I’m always telling them,” Calhoun said of his talks with his players, “just because you’re picked eighth or ninth in our league doesn’t mean that’s the way it is.”</p>

<p>He laughed as he repeated his words.</p>

<p>“It doesn’t mean that’s the way it is.”</p>

<p>With the help of a blocking scheme borrowed from the Broncos, the Falcons could climb higher than expected.</p>

<p>Columnist David Ramsey can be reached at 476-4895 or <a href="mailto:david.ramsey@gazette.com">david.ramsey@gazette.com</a>. Check out David’s blog, David Ramsey Says What? at daveramseysez.blogspot.com</p>

[GreatAmerican]

<p>ANNAPOLIS, Md. – The Navy men’s basketball team put an end to its 2007-08 season with the annual banquet held Friday night at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. The Mids celebrated their most successful year since 2000-01 with a 16-14 mark and a second-place finish in the Patriot League standings, posting a 9-5 record. Head coach Billy Lange honored the team’s two seniors, Greg Sprink and Ben Biles, and handed out the team awards in front of approximately 170 fans in attendance.</p>

<p>The Mids enjoyed their success thanks in large part to a fast-tempo, high-scoring offensive attack. Navy averaged a league-best 76.3 points per game, an average that ranked as the seventh-best total in school history. The attempted 1,870 field goals on the season, the third most in school history, with 820 coming from behind the arc, a total that smashed the previous school record of 726 set the previous season. Navy also set school records in three-pointers made (288) and highest free throw percentage (.749). Defensively, Navy forced 568 turnovers for an average of 18.9 per game, totals that rank third in the school annals. Lastly, Navy recorded 273 steals, the fifth-best total in school history.</p>

<p>On the NCAA charts, the Mids finished in the top 50 nationally of four different categories. Navy was sixth nationally in three-pointers made per game (9.6), 15th in steals per game (9.1), 18th in free throw percentage (74.9) and 46th in scoring offense (76.3).</p>

<p>Navy’s 16 wins were the most for the squad since the 2000-01 season, as were the nine league wins and the second-place league finish. For his efforts, Billy Lange was named the Patriot League Coach of the Year, after the Mids were picked seventh in the Patriot League preseason poll. Navy started the season with a 3-8 mark, but managed to post a 13-6 record in the last 19 games and won six games in a row during league play to make a push for the Patriot League regular-season title. In addition, the Mids stopped long losing streaks against Holy Cross and Bucknell, and defeated Army for the sixth straight time in Star Games.</p>

<p>Individually, Navy was led by three-headed guard attack of Sprink, junior Kaleo Kina and sophomore Chris Harris. The trio combined for 1,507 points, becoming just the fourth trio in school history to top 1,500 points in a season and to average 50.0 points per game. The other three trios to accomplish the feat were led by Navy great David Robinson from 1985-87. Sprink, Kina and Harris each averaged at least 14.0 ppg, becoming the first trio in school history to each average 14.0 ppg. Lange also got solid contributions from juniors Adam Teague, Brian Richards and Clif Colbert, sophomores Derek Young and T.J. Topercer and freshmen Mark Veazey and Romeo Garcia, both of whom started the majority of the season.</p>

<p>Biles, a 6-10 senior center from Cramerton, N.C., was awarded the Kevin Sinnett Academic Achievement Award, given to the player who demonstrates work ethic, commitment and pride in the classroom and in his efforts to represent the team in the academic arena. Biles, who won the award for the second straight year, owns a 2.91 cumulative GPA following the fall semester, and achieving a 3.60 GPA in economics in the fall semester. On the court, Biles appeared in 18 games with 10 starts and averaged 1.7 ppg and 1.7 rpg while shooting 50.0 percent from the field. Biles has led a renaissance in the classroom for the Midshipmen, as the team GPA has increased nearly half-a-point since Lange has taken over as head coach.</p>

<p>Sprink, a 6-5 senior from Cardiff by the Sea, Calif., was voted the Charles McDonough Most Outstanding Player for the third straight season, given to the player whose performance, ability and statistics had the greatest impact on the team throughout the season. Sprink was the Patriot League’s leading scorer with a 21.8 ppg average in all games played and a 23.5 ppg average in the 14 league games. He became the first Patriot League player to average 20.0 ppg in a season since 1998 and the first Navy player to do so since Erik Harris (20.0 ppg) in 1991. In addition, Sprink was second in rebounding (6.3 rpg), second in free throw percentage (.858) and eighth in assists (2.9 apg) in the Patriot League. He finished fourth on the Navy single-season scoring chart (653 points) behind just David Robinson (1985, 1986 and 1987), and made 199 free throws this year, ranking third on the Navy single-season chart and sixth nationally in that category. Sprink made a habit of posting big gam!
es!
during the year, with four double-doubles and five 30-point performances, including a pair against regular-season champion American. He scored 36 points in Navy’s 77-66 win over the Eagles on Jan. 30, then tallied 34 points with seven assists in a 83-68 win over American on Feb. 27. He scored a career-high 37 points in the Mids’ Patriot League Tournament loss to Bucknell, setting the school record for most points in a Patriot League Tournament game. He scored in double-figures in 28-of-30 games this year, and had 17 20-point games. </p>

<p>Sprink was named Honorable Mention All-America by the AP and finished his career third in scoring (1,785 points) and is the school’s all-time leader in three-point field goals (237). From behind the arc, he posted three of the top seven single-season three-pointers made totals, including a career-high 76 this past year to rank second on the list. An outstanding free throw shooter, Sprink had a career percentage of .843, good for second place on the career list and he owns three of the top six single-season free throw percentage marks, including an .858 percentage this past winter. He also ranks 10th in career assists (254) and 11th in career rebounds (592). Sprink is one of three Patriot League players to score 1,500 points, grab 500 rebounds and dish out 200 assists in a career.</p>

<p>Sprink would also win the David Robinson Award, given to the player of the graduating class who has done the most for the team over his playing career.</p>

<p>Harris, a 6-2 sophomore guard, was named the team’s Most Improved Player, awarded to the player who demostrated a desire and will to improve for the benefit of himself and his teammates. Harris was the team’s second-leading scorer at 14.5 ppg, and led the team in assists (110) and steals (58). Harris finished the league eighth in all games in scoring, but averaged 17.6 points per game in the 14 league games. He set a school record with 91 made three-pointers, ranking third on the single-season list by connecting on 41.3 percent of all three-point attempts. Harris’ 110 assists were the 17th most in a season by a Navy player and his 58 steals rank seventh in school history. After averaging just 7.9 ppg and 2.8 apg while making just 11-of-37 (.297) of his three-point attempts in the first 11 games, Harris averaged 19.1 ppg, 4.5 apg and was 80-of-181 (.442) from behind the arc in the final 19 games. He averaged just 3.5 ppg as a freshman, making his 11.0 point per game jump the !
se!
cond-best jump from one season to the next in the Patriot League. He is one of two players in school history to connect on seven three-pointers in a game two different times in a career (Greg Sprink is the other) and became just the third Navy sophomore (Chris Williams and Eddie Lucas) to be named All-Patriot League, as he earned second-team accolades.</p>

<p>Garcia, a 6-4 freshman guard from Cypress, Texas, was named the team’s Defensive Player of the Year, awarded to the player who performed exceptionally as an individual and team defender, and for his overall attitude to Navy Defense. Garcia, who was named to the Patriot League All-Rookie Team, was one of the top defenders in the Patriot League. Garcia averaging 4.4 ppg and 3.9 rpg, but he made his presence felt on the defensive end with 17 blocked shots and 25 steals. Garcia also drew 10 charges on the season, the third-best total on the team. He became the second freshman (Corey Johnson) in school history with 100 points, 100 rebounds, 30 assists and 25 steals and in league games only, ranked high on the leaderboard in steals and blocked shots, despite being a 6-4 guard. He blocked at least two shots four different times, including three blocks against Seton Hall, and grabbed three steals three different times, including five in a win at Holy Cross.</p>

<p>The Rear Admiral Ronald Marryott Award, the highest honor bestowed upon a Navy basketball player, is given to the individual who embodies what a Navy basketball player is about. He plays for Navy while demonstrating a commitment to character, to leadership and to his teammates. Guard Clif Colbert, a 6-4 junior from Grand Prairie, Texas, was given the award after battling back from a possible season-ending broken wrist in mid-November to lead Navy to two of its biggest wins of the year in February. Colbert, who does a lot of little things that don’t appear on the statsheet, scored 18 points and connected on an eight-foot jumper with 0.4 seconds left to defeat Lafayette, 82-80, then came off the bench to score 17 points with six rebounds and two steals in the Star Game win over Army. During the Army game, he was 6-of-9 from the field and connected on both of his three-point attempts to spark the Navy rally in the second half. With Colbert in the lineup, the Mids averaged 77.7 !
po!
ints per game. In the 11 games Navy played without Colbert, the Mids averaged just 73.8 ppg. Colbert, a quiet leader that is one of the hardest workers on the team, recorded an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.38 and grabbed 29 steals in just 253 minutes.</p>

<p>Entering 2008-09, Navy will return four starters and nine of its top 10 scorers from this year’s team.</p>

[GreatAmerican]

<p>COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The U.S. Olympic Committee today announced that three-time basketball Olympian David Robinson will be inducted into the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame Presented by Allstate as a member of the distinguished Class of 2008. The induction ceremony will take place June 19 in Chicago at the Joan W. and Irving B. Harris Theater. The U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame Class of 2008 is comprised of nine Olympians, one Paralympian, an Olympic Coach, Veteran, Team and Special Contributor.</p>

<p>A member of the historic 1992 Dream Team in Barcelona, David Robinson, A.K.A. “The Admiral,” is the only U.S. men’s basketball player to be named to three Olympic teams and has played on a total of nine USA Basketball teams. He has collected five gold medals, one silver and one bronze medal while helping USA teams to an overall record of 61-6 (.910 winning percentage).</p>

<p>“It’s a tremendous honor for David to be inducted into the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame, and he certainly deserves this recognition,” said USA Basketball Executive Director Jim Tooley. “USA Basketball is very proud of David’s contributions to the game of basketball and to the community in general, and we are pleased that his legacy will be preserved in the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame. He has compiled an incredible history of service, dedication and success, and he truly represents the best of what an athlete can be.”</p>

<p>Robinson won gold medals in the 1992 and 1996 Olympics, 1992 Tournament of the Americas, 1986 World Championship and 1986 Goodwill Games; he won a silver medal in the 1987 Pan American Games; and a bronze medal in the 1988 Olympics. Additionally, he represented the USA as a member of the 1988 Select Team and 1985 FIBA World Club Championship Team.</p>

<p>Also inducted in the Class of 2008 were Wrestler Bruce Baumgartner, athletics athlete Joan Benoit, figure skater Brian Boitano, boxer Oscar de La Hoya, equestrian J. Michael Plumb, swimmer Amy Van Dyken, shooter Lones W. Wigger, Jr. and Paralympic swimmer John Morgan as individuals. Figure skating coach Carlo Fassi will be inducted in the Coach category along with Olympic figure skating gold medalist Carol Heiss Jenkins in the Veteran category. The members of the 1996 Women’s Gymnastics Team - Amanda Borden, Amy Chow, Dominique Dawes, Shannon Miller, Dominique Moceanu, Jaycie Phelps and Kerri Strug - will also be honored in the Team category, as will legendary Hollywood producer Frank Marshall as the Special Contributor.</p>

<p>The U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, an awards-show style ceremony for which Kleenex and AT&T are associate sponsors, will air in a nationally-televised broadcast this summer.</p>

<p>“The legacies and contributions of this year’s honorees will now live forever as they join our country’s greatest Olympians in the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame,” said Lisa Cochrane, vice president of marketing at Allstate. “As a sponsor of the Hall of Fame since its celebrated revitalization in 2004, Allstate is proud to help protect and preserve this important part of our identity and source of American pride.”</p>

<p>Beginning today (April 15), tickets to the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony can be purchased at [-</a> U.S. Olympic Hall Of Fame -](<a href=“http://www.usolympichalloffame.com%5D-”>http://www.usolympichalloffame.com)</p>

<p>David Robinson</p>

<p>The USA’s only three-time male basketball Olympian and one of only seven U.S. basketball athletes (Anne Donovan, Teresa Edwards, Lisa Leslie, Katrina McClain, Dawn Staley and Sheryl Swoopes) to be named to three or more Olympic teams, Robinson was twice named USA Basketball’s Male Athlete of the Year (1986 and co-recipient as a member of the 1992 U.S. Olympic Team).</p>

<p>Considered by many to be one of the top centers of his era, Robinson also compiled an impressive NBA career. The No. 1 pick in the 1987 NBA Draft by the San Antonio Spurs, Robinson aided San Antonio to a pair of NBA titles (1999, 2003) and earned the following honors: NBA MVP (1995); Defensive Player of the Year (1992); Rookie of the Year (1990); All-NBA First Team (1991, 1992, 1995, 1996); All-NBA Second Team (1994, 1998); All-NBA Third Team (1990, 1993, 2000, 2001); All-Defensive First Team (1991, 1992, 1995, 1996); All-Defensive Second Team (1990, 1993, 1994, 1998); 10-time NBA All-Star; NBA Sportsmanship Award (2001); One of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History (1996).</p>

<p>A 1987 U.S. Naval Academy graduate with a mathematics degree, Robinson, who took a leave of absence from the Navy to compete on the 1988 U.S. Olympic Team, honored a commitment to serve two years in the Navy before joining the NBA. Defined by his actions off the court even more than on the court, in recognition of his outstanding efforts in 2003 the NBA re-named its award for outstanding charitable efforts after Robinson. The monthly NBA Community Assist Award winners now receive the David Robinson Plaque. Among his charitable achievements was a $9 million commitment toward the construction and operation of The Carver Academy, an independent school for San Antonio students from a culturally diverse community. Considered the single largest gift ever made by a professional athlete, the school benefits many low-income, at-risk students. The school offers elementary-age children a challenging academic program featuring small classes, leadership opportunities and a nurturing family-like environment.</p>

<p>Robinson is still the school’s career leader in points (2,669), rebounds (1,314), blocked shots (516) and field goal percentage (.612), among several other categories.</p>

<p>About the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame</p>

<p>The U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame was established in 1979 to celebrate the achievements of America’s premier athletes in the modern Olympic Games. The first U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame class was inducted in 1983 during ceremonies in Chicago. That Charter Class, which included Olympic Greats such as Jesse Owens, Jim Thorpe and Cassius Clay, remains the largest group (20 individuals and one team) ever inducted. In 2004, after a 12-year hiatus, the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame was revived through the support of the Allstate Insurance Company as the presenting sponsor.</p>

<p>To date, 213 athletes (including seven U.S. teams), coaches, and 13 special contributors to the U.S. Olympic Movement have been enshrined in the U.S. Olympic Hall of Hame. From the Charter Class of 1983 to the 2008 inductees, Hall members represent an American honor roll of athletic ambassadors representing the ideals of brotherhood and fair play.</p>