Navy Sports

[GreatAmerican]

<p>Army-Navy Update </p>

<p>All-Time Army-Navy Record: 882-670-38 (.567)</p>

<p>2007-08 Record Against Army: 15-13 (.536)</p>

<p>2007-08 N-Star Record Against Army: 14-7 (.667)-Mids win N-Star series against Army for the 12th-straight year</p>

<p>Last 11 Years Against Army: 219-118-5 (.648)</p>

<p>Last 11 Years N-Star Record Against Army: 165-71-5 (.695)</p>

<p>2007-08 Results </p>

<p>Sprint Football: Won, 30-17; Won, 41-13 (N-Star)</p>

<p>Women¹s Volleyball: Lost, 3-1 (N-Star); Lost, 3-0</p>

<p>Golf: Won, 6.5-4.5 (N-Star)</p>

<p>Men¹s Cross Country: Won, 23-35 (N-Star)</p>

<p>Women¹s Cross Country: Won, 23-38 (N-Star)</p>

<p>Women¹s Soccer: Won, 2-0 (N-Star)</p>

<p>Men¹s Soccer: Lost, 2-1 in overtime (N-Star)</p>

<p>Women¹s Swimming & Diving: Won, 206-94 (N-Star)</p>

<p>Men¹s Swimming & Diving: Won, 231-69 (N-Star)</p>

<p>Football: Won, 38-3 (N-Star)</p>

<p>Men¹s Basketball: Lost, 69-67; Won, 71-63 (N-Star)</p>

<p>Women¹s Basketball: Lost, 58-49; Lost, 70-66 in overtime (N-Star)</p>

<p>Men¹s Indoor Track & Field: Won, 95-86 (N-Star)</p>

<p>Women¹s Indoor Track & Field: Won, 93.5-87.5 (N-Star)</p>

<p>Rifle: Lost, 5842-5745 (N-Star)</p>

<p>Men¹s Gymnastics: Won, 340.75-322.6 (N-Star)</p>

<p>Wrestling: Won, 22-12 (N-Star)</p>

<p>Women¹s Outdoor Track & Field: Lost, 119.5-83.5 (N-Star)</p>

<p>Men¹s Outdoor Track & Field: Won, 118-85 (N-Star)</p>

<p>Men¹s Lacrosse: Lost, 9-6 (N-Star)</p>

<p>Baseball: Lost, 14-3 (N-Star); lost, 2-1 (8 innings); lost, 10-2; lost, 7-4</p>

[GreatAmerican]

<p>For Immediate Release
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Contact: Jonathan Maggart (410) 293-8771</p>

<p>Navy Swings Past Coppin State, 16-6</p>

<p>ANNAPOLIS, Md. – Navy outfielder Jonathan Wright (Fr./Arden, N.C.) went 4-for-5 with five RBIs to lead the Midshipmen to a convincing 16-6 victory over Coppin State on Tuesday afternoon at Terwilliger Brothers Field at Max Bishop Stadium. The Mids improved to 21-17 on the year, while the Eagles dropped their 26th-straight game to fall to 2-36 overall.</p>

<p>Wright, who doubled and also drew a walk, produced his sixth four-hit game of the spring to lead a 17-hit Midshipmen attack that had each of its starters record a base knock. One spot ahead of Wright in the order at leadoff, Matt Sweisthal (So./Spring, Texas) went 3-for-3 with two walks, three runs scored and two RBIs in his first-collegiate start.</p>

<p>“When you look at Jonathan and Matt at the top of the order, they were 10-for-12 getting on base today, which is a solid job,” stated Navy head coach Paul Kostacopoulos. “It’s quite impressive to see Jonathan pick up his sixth four-hit game of the year. Matt did a nice job getting thrown in at leadoff today. He continued to work hard in every at bat and he got the results.”</p>

<p>Kendall Bolt (So./Stockton, Calif.) went 3-for-5 with three runs scored, followed by Mitch Harris’s (Sr./Mt. Holly, N.C.) 2-for-3 showing with a double and three runs scored. Nick Driscoll (Fr./Riverview, Fla.) scored three times and drove in two with a 1-for-2 effort at the plate with two walks, while Michael Speciale (So./Pearland, Texas) drove home four runs.</p>

<p>In addition to the 17 hits, Navy’s hitters also drew seven walks and were hit by two pitches.</p>

<p>“Today was a good offensive day for us,” said Kostacopoulos. “We had a good idea at the plate and didn’t chase pitches out of the zone, which led to better results. We really needed the win today to get back going in the right direction.”</p>

<p>Navy southpaw reliever Chris Murray (So./Navarre, Fla.) fired 4.1 innings of one-run baseball with one walk and three strikeouts to pick up the win and improve to 4-1 on the year. Right-hander Luke Roberts (Fr./Midland, N.C.) fanned two and walked none while not allowing an earned run in two innings on the hill during his collegiate dubut.</p>

<p>“It was good to see Luke go in and handle the eighth and ninth innings for us,” stated Kostacopoulos. “He did a nice job in his first game. The teammates and coaches really pull for those guys.”</p>

<p>Coppin State jumped out to a 2-0 lead after one inning, but the Midshipmen responded with a three-run second, keyed by a Wright two-run single to center. The Eagles re-gained the lead with a two-run third, but Navy answered again, this time with a six-run outburst in the bottom half of the inning and never trailed for the remainder of the contest. The Midshipmen sent 11 batters to the plate in that frame, highlighted by a two-run single off the bat of Speciale and a two-run double to the gap in left-center by Joshua Martinez (Jr./Denver, Colo.).</p>

<p>Navy extended its cushion with a three-run fourth inning, as Sweisthal delivered a sacrifice fly, Wright singled in a run and Speciale produced a RBI-groundout. The Midshipmen scored once in the sixth and three times in the seventh to put the game away. In the seventh inning, Sweisthal smacked a two-out, RBI-single to center, followed by a Wright two-run double to left-center.</p>

<p>The Midshipmen will return to action tomorrow, when they head to Shirley Povich Field for a 4 p.m. ballgame against Georgetown. Live stats for Wednesday’s contest will be available via GameTracker on <a href=“http://www.NavySports.com(%5B/url%5D.)”>www.NavySports.com(.)</a></p>

[GreatAmerican]

<p>By Sal Interdonato
Times Herald-Record
April 16, 2008</p>

<p>WEST POINT ‹ Army football fans might feel like they’re in a time warp when they see the Black Knights’ offense this fall.</p>

<p>But for many fans and alumni, they’re going to see exactly what they wanted.</p>

<p>The Times Herald-Record has learned from several sources that the mystery formation Army has been installing behind the Foley Athletic Center’s closed doors is the wishbone offense.</p>

<p>Army has practiced the wishbone since the first day of spring practice, although coach Stan Brock closed all practices to fans and media.</p>

<p>The wishbone is a run-based formation that requires a quarterback to decide after the ball is snapped who ultimately runs with it.</p>

<p>Brock wouldn’t disclose the offense in an interview yesterday. When asked if the new offense would be the foundation for the 2008 season, Brock said, “Yes, that will be our offense.”</p>

<p>Former Army football players and alumni have pleaded for a move back to an option-oriented offense since Todd Berry brought a one-back, passing-friendly system to West Point in 2000.</p>

<p>Bobby Ross installed a pro-style offense in 2004. Brock kept Ross’ offense in place for his first season last year.</p>

<p>The non-option offenses have produced only 17 wins in eight years. Army’s chief rivals ‹ Navy and Air Force ‹ have embraced option-based offenses that use misdirection and create mismatches to remain competitive against more talented opponents.</p>

<p>Mike Mayweather probably wouldn’t be Army’s career leading rusher without the wishbone. But Mayweather isn’t sold on the wishbone as the total answer.</p>

<p>“Me personally, I would prefer it not to be a pure wishbone, where you are running the ball 90 percent of the time,” Mayweather said. “You make defenses put nine men in the box. You got to have flexibility. I’d like to see something close to what Air Force and Navy do. They run the option out of a little bit of a spread.”</p>

<p>Brock kept practices closed this spring because few players had experience with an offense like the wishbone. Even Brock and Tim Walsh, his offensive coordinator, took a crash course in the off-season.</p>

<p>Junior Carlo Sandiego, who played running back in 2007, ran the option at Army prep school. Sandiego has taken reps at quarterback with sophomore Carson Williams, who made 10 starts in 2007, and freshman Chip Bowden.</p>

<p>“We are happy with where those guys are,” Brock said. “Carson is doing things well and the passing game looks strong.”</p>

<p>One wild card is quarterback recruit Paul McIntosh, expected to arrive this summer. McIntosh, Indiana’s Mr. Football, ran the spread option for Reitz High in Evansville.</p>

<p>“I hope people don’t start thinking just because you run the wishbone, now Army is going to win seven or eight games,” Mayweather said. “That’s not what it means at all. But you are using an option system, which works better for an academy.”</p>

<p><a href="mailto:sinterdonato@th-record.com">sinterdonato@th-record.com</a></p>

[GreatAmerican]

<p>For Immediate Release
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Contact: Jonathan Maggart (410) 293-8771</p>

<p>Hunter Named League’s Field Athlete of the Week</p>

<p>CENTER VALLEY, Pa. - In posting a pair of NCAA regional-qualifying marks last Friday at West Point, Navy men’s track & field thrower Darryl Hunter (Sr./Des Moines, Iowa) has been recognized as the Patriot League Field Athlete of the Week, it was announced by the league office on Tuesday.</p>

<p>This is the third time this outdoor season, the second-consecutive week, and the fifth time during his career that Hunter has earned league field athlete-of-the week kudos.</p>

<p>Hunter won the shot put with a regional-qualifying toss of 57’1/4” (17.38 meters), nearly one foot longer than his previous career-best performance. Later in the meet during the discus throw, he uncorked a career-long 170’2” (51.88 meters) to earn a spot in the regional championship.</p>

<p>With the help of Hunter, Navy rolled to a convincing 118-85 victory over Army in the annual Star Meet last Friday. The 33-point margin of victory is the largest for either team since the dual-scoring system was changed one decade ago.</p>

<p>The Midshipmen (10-0) will return to action on April 24-26, when they head to the prestigious Penn Relays at Franklin Field.</p>

[GreatAmerican]

<p>Decker Leads Navy Past Robert Morris, 17-14</p>

<p>ANNAPOLIS, Md. – Freshman Meg Decker led a Navy second-half rally as the Mids overcame a two-goal deficit with 15 minutes to play to defeat Robert Morris, 17-14, on Senior Day at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. The Mids improved to 11-3 overall, while Robert Morris falls to 4-11 overall.</p>

<p>The Mids wrapped up an undefeated season at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, posting an 11-0 record at the facility. Navy outscored its 11 opponents at NMCMS by an average of 9.5 goals per game.</p>

<p>“It was obviously great to close out the home season with a win, especially for the seniors,” said Navy head coach Cindy Timchal, who needs just three more wins for 350 in her career. “They have been such an integral part of our season.”</p>

<p>Leading the way on Senior Day, however, was a freshman. Decker, a midfielder from Catonsville, Md., equaled a career-high with six goals and notched her 11th straight hat trick. Decker scored a pair of goals in a key 5-0 run late in the game, the second of the pair coming with 12:08 to play to give Navy a 13-12 lead it wouldn’t relinquish. The goal was her 50th of the season.</p>

<p>Decker and teammate Erin Rawlick (Forest Hill, Md.) both scored their 50th goals of the season, as Rawlick reached the plateau with her first goal of the game with 14:59 to play in the first half, and now has 52 goals on the season. They have combined for 102 goals so far this year and are the only pair in the country with 50-plus goals each.</p>

<p>“What can you say about Meg Decker today,” said Timchal. “She was outstanding. Meg has become a player that knows what it takes to become a great player and is a player that has really bought into going all out every minute of every game.”</p>

<p>The Mids and Colonials traded goals for most of the first half, before heading to the locker rooms tied at eight.</p>

<p>Navy scored the second half’s first two goals to grab a 10-8 advantage four minutes into the half. The Colonials responded with the game’s next four goals over a 10-minute span to grab a 12-10 advantage with 15:53 to play.</p>

<p>After a Navy timeout to regroup, the Mids responded with a five-goal run for a 15-12 cushion with 9:06 to play. The Colonials would score twice in a row to trim the Navy lead to 15-14 with 6:47 to play, but Rawlick and Brittany Amerau (Alexandria, Va.) tallied goals in the final five minutes to put the game out of reach.</p>

<p>“Winning draws in the second half was the key, especially during that run,” said Timchal. "After the timeout, we recommitted to the draw and being tough and together on defense. We turned it around at the right time. Robert Morris is a very good team and this was a satisfying win for us.</p>

<p>“It truly is a great accomplishment to go undefeated at home and one that we are very proud of,” said Timchal. “We take pride in defending our home turf. Robert Morris wanted to spoil that, but we persevered and found a way to win.”</p>

<p>The Mids outshot Robert Morris, 31-27, and won 19 draw controls to RMU’s 14. The Mids had just 14 turnovers, while the Colonials had 16.</p>

<p>Sophomore Mary Ruttum (Annapolis, Md.) added five points (2 g, 3 a) for the Mids, while Rawlick finished with four points (3 g, 1 a). Amerau tallied a hat trick, while senior Amanda Towey (Smithtown, N.Y.) recorded three points (1 g, 2 a).</p>

<p>Senior Natalie Blandon (Rockville, Md.) stopped seven shots in goal.</p>

<p>The Mids, who have wrapped up a Patriot League Tournament berth already, will conclude Patriot League regular-season play at Lafayette on Saturday, beginning at 1:00 pm. A Navy win, coupled with a Lehigh loss at Bucknell and an American loss against Colgate, will give the Mids the second seed in the tournament to be played on April 25-27 at either Colgate or American.</p>

[GreatAmerican]

<p>For Immediate Release
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Contact: Jonathan Maggart (410) 293-8771</p>

<p>Midshipmen Topped by Georgetown, 6-2</p>

<p>BETHESDA, Md. – Navy shortstop Kendall Bolt (So./Stockton, Calif.) belted a two-run home run and finished the day 2-for-5, but it would not be enough as the Midshipmen suffered a 6-2 loss to Georgetown at Shirley Povich Field on Wednesday afternoon. The Midshipmen, who were playing for the fifth-straight day, dropped to 21-18 on the year. The Hoyas upped their mark to 13-21.</p>

<p>Navy was out-hit by Georgetown, 9-7, but drew three walks and was hit by a pitch twice. However, those opportunities did not equate to runs, as the Midshipmen stranded 12 runners on base.</p>

<p>“We haven’t been able to pick up guys on base and it’s been killing us,” stated Navy head coach Paul Kostacopoulos. “Looking back, the only two runs we scored today came on a home run, which means we weren’t able to come up with a hit with runners in scoring position.”</p>

<p>After five scoreless innings of play, Navy struck for two in the sixth. Thomas Hamilton (Sr./Houston, Texas) led off the frame with a single before Bolt blasted a two-run shot over the left-field fence.</p>

<p>“Over the last-four games, Kendall has been swinging the bat much better,” said Kostacopoulos. “He’s making better decisions at the plate and is starting to break out right now.”</p>

<p>That cushion would not last for long, as Georgetown answered with three runs in the bottom half of the inning. Sean Lamont led off with a double and Matt Harrigan drew a walk before Erick Fernandez doubled down the left-field line to plate Lamont. Dan Capeless tied the game at two with a single through the right side before the Hoyas took the lead with a fielder’s choice.</p>

<p>Georgetown extended its lead to four in the next inning. Tommy Lee drew a leadoff walk before Navy reliever Sam Long (Fr./Newnan, Ga.) struck out the next-two batters. After an intentional walk and another free pass, Fernandez flared a two-run single to right. The Hoyas plated their third run of the inning on a double steal with runners on the corners.</p>

<p>Navy had opportunities to chip into the deficit in the eighth and ninth innings. In the eighth, Bolt legged out an infield single with one out, followed by a Jonathan Berkowitz (So./Parkland, Fla.) walk. After a flyout, Georgetown committed an error on a fielder’s choice to load the bases, but Renaldo Hollins (Sr./Virginia Beach, Va.) flied out deep to right field to end the inning.</p>

<p>One frame later, Michael Speciale (So./Pearland, Texas) doubled down the left-field line and advanced to third on a fielding error by the second baseman. However, Georgetown reliever Daniel Kennedy induced a fielder’s choice groundball to short to end the game.</p>

<p>In addition to Bolt, Hollins joined the Navy sophomore in the multi-hit department, finishing the contest 2-for-4.</p>

<p>Navy starter Wes Olson (Fr./Indianapolis, Ind.) was tagged for the loss despite a solid effort on Wednesday. Olson allowed five hits and three runs over five-plus innings with two walks and three strikeouts.</p>

<p>“I thought Wes gave us a good performance,” stated Kostacopoulos. “He threw up five zeros on the scoreboard and really gave us an opportunity to win. He just got a little tired in the sixth – the ball stayed up in the zone, he had less break and grip on his offspeed pitches.”</p>

<p>Navy will return to action with a four-game set at Bucknell this Saturday and Sunday at Depew Field in Lewisburg, Pa. The Midshipmen own a 6-6 record in Patriot League play, just one game behind Bucknell’s 7-5 mark for a share of first-place in the league standings.</p>

[GreatAmerican]

<p>Ron Snyder , College Football - Navy
Comment on this article</p>

<p>BALTIMORE (Map, News) - Jeff Deliz expected to be preparing for graduation from the Naval Academy and a career as a fighter pilot beginning next month, but one play early last season changed his future.</p>

<p>The safety suffered a broken right foot in the second game of the season, which forced him to miss the entire year and withdraw from the academy and return home to Michigan so he could make a full recovery.</p>

<p>Deliz returned to the football field for the first time this spring, as the fifth-year senior safety watches spring practice from the sidelines still recovering from the severe injury, which he hopes will be healed by the start of fall practice.</p>

<p>“I¹m impatient when it comes to rehabbing because I want to get back quickly,” said Deliz, who was Navy¹s nickel back as a junior and defensive captain last season. “But with this type of injury, you have to do everything the right way. From the beginning it has to be elevated and I had to be off of it for three months. I had to do a lot of balance work and basically teach myself to walk again. It¹s like a rare second chance. I¹m just trying to get everything I can out of it. I¹m not going to get another chance.”</p>

<p>But the native of Clinton Township, Mich., considers the injury a blessing in disguise, as he gets a rare chance to return to Annapolis for a fifth season. He had a year of eligibility remaining since he did not play as a freshman.</p>

<p>Deliz, who suffered the injury in Navy¹s second game at Rutgers, said he tried to remain in school but the pain of just walking to class became too great. </p>

<p>Deliz¹s injury was just one of two serious defensive setbacks Navy suffered during it loss to Rutgers. Earlier in the game, junior linebacker Clint Sovie was lost for the season with a broken ankle after tackling running back Ray Rice. But unlike Deliz, Sovie, who made 61 tackles and two interceptions as a sophomore, is back on the field and competing for a starting job.</p>

<p>Sovie and Deliz¹s presence should help a young defense that allowed an average of 36.4 points per game last season after injuries forced the unit to play several freshmen and sophomores.</p>

<p>“It was frustrating that the team was struggling on defense,” Sovie said. “They had to learn in the games without the benefit of spring ball or fall practice and I felt they did a pretty good job considering the circumstances. I was happy to see them come together.”</p>

[GreatAmerican]

<p>For Immediate Release
Sent Thursday, April 17, 2008
Contact Justin Kischefsky (410) 293-8772</p>

<p>Army-Navy Tennis Tilt Slated for Saturday</p>

<p>ANNAPOLIS, Md. – The Army and Navy tennis teams will face each other for the 82nd time in series history Saturday afternoon when the Midshipmen play host to the Black Knights in Annapolis. The match is slated to begin at 1 p.m. on the grounds of the Naval Academy. Should poor weather force the match to be played indoors, it will be moved to the nearby Tose Family Tennis Center.</p>

<p>Fans attending the tennis match are reminded that only vehicles with Department of Defense stickers are allowed to drive onto the grounds of the U.S. Naval Academy. For all others, it is suggested they park at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium and ride the shuttle bus to-and-from The Yard. For those fans planning on utilizing that option, please make sure to allow ample time getting into the stadium parking lots due to the Navy-Johns Hopkins men’s lacrosse game that takes place starting at 12 Noon.</p>

<p>In addition to the traditional Star at stake between the two teams Saturday, the winner of the match is likely to receive the No. 1 seed – and a quarterfinal-round bye – in the upcoming Patriot League Tournament. </p>

<p>“We look forward to our match with Army,” said Navy head coach John Officer. “I feel we are playing well at the right time. We had two very close matches against Army last year and I expect this year to be very competitive, as well. This also is the last home match for Alex James (Sr., Visalia, Calif.), our captain this year, so we would like to send him out on a winning note.”</p>

<p>The last two years has seen the Mids win three-straight meetings with the Black Knights. Included in this span were a pair of Navy victories over Army during the 2007 season; a 4-3 win at West Point during the regular season and a 4-0 victory in the championship match of the league tournament in Annapolis.</p>

<p>The Star Match was a four-and-one-half hour nailbiter between the two teams. The Mids took a 1-0 lead after winning the doubles point, with Navy’s two wins coming by the scores of 9-7 and 8-6. Three of the six singles match proceeded to be extended into three sets and a total of four individual set tiebreakers were played in the contest.</p>

<p>Navy again won two of the three doubles matches against Army to claim the doubles point in the rematch between the two teams, with four singles matches being sent into a third set on the afternoon.</p>

<p>The Mids return five of the seven players who competed against Army last year, while a trio of Black Knights who faced Navy a year ago are back.</p>

<p>Navy’s Nate Nelms (Jr., St. Mary’s, Ga.) and Ramsey Lemaich (So., Danville, Calif.) were both a combined 4-0 against Army last year, while teammate James won all three of his completed singles and doubles matches over the Black Knights last season. Returning for Army is Eddie Kang, the school record holder in career singles wins, who was a combined 3-0 in his completed matches against Navy last season. </p>

<p>Both James and Kang were leading their respective singles matches in the final of the league tournament when play was stopped due to Navy already attaining their match-clinching fourth point.</p>

<p>Navy enters the match with a 4-0 record against Patriot League opponents and a 17-8 mark on the year, while Army has posted an overall record of 14-6 and a league record of 5-0 this season.</p>

<p>The Mids hold a 51-30 advantage in the all-time series that dates back to the 1922-23 season.</p>

[GreatAmerican]

<p>For Immediate Release
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Contact: Jonathan Maggart (410) 293-8771</p>

<p>Seven Mids to Compete at NCAA Qualifying Meet</p>

<p>PALO ALTO, Calif. – The Navy gymnastics team will have seven of its own partake in the NCAA Qualifying Meet today at Stanford University’s Maples Pavilion. The first session takes place at 4 p.m. EST, with the second and final session kicking off at 10 p.m. EST.</p>

<p>Adam Stanton (Jr./Centennial, Colo.) will partake in three events on Thursday, coming in as the highest-ranked individual qualifier in two of those events. Stanton ranks first on the pommel horse with a qualifying score of 14.39 points and his identical 14.39-point mark on the parallel bars is tops among individual entries. The Navy junior will also take his shot on the still rings, where he owns a qualifying average of 14.35 points.</p>

<p>Classmate Joseph Atzenbeck (Jr./Broomfield, Colo.) will also perform in three disciplines – the pommel horse, parallel bars and horizontal bar. Atzenbeck owns the highest individual qualifying mark on the horizontal bar with a 13.82 and ranks just behind teammate Stanton on the pommel horse (14.06) and parallel bars (13.79).</p>

<p>All-around gymnasts Dylan Parrott (Fr./Rockwell, N.C.) and Christopher Tam (Sr./Draper, Utah) both earned a spot in Thursday’s action. Parrott’s 84.52-point qualifying average ranks third, while Tam’s 83.46-point mark is fifth among individual entries.</p>

<p>Three other Midshipmen are slated to compete for a spot in the national championship. Isaac Olson (Sr./Spokane, Wash.) ranks third on the horizontal bar with a mark of 13.67, while Grant Waldron (Fr./Columbia, Md.) is fourth on the qualifier list on the vault with his 15.2-point average and Trey James (Jr./Matthews, N.C.) owns the fifth-highest score on the pommel horse with a 13.29.</p>

<p>The top three all-around competitors not on one of the qualifying teams, plus the top three individuals on each event not already qualified on a team or as an all-around competitor, will advance from each pre-qualifying session to the NCAA Championship, which will be held on Friday and Saturday night on the campus of Stanford University.</p>

[GreatAmerican]

<p>For Immediate Release
Sent Thursday, April 17, 2008
Contact Justin Kischefsky (410) 293-8772</p>

<p>Navy Rowing Seasons Continue this Weekend</p>

<p>ANNAPOLIS, Md. – Fresh off a successful weekend that saw Navy’s three varsity boats combine for a 7-1 record, the Navy rowing teams will all be in competition again this week with races slated to be held both locally and in the region.</p>

<p>Navy’s heavyweight team opened its season last weekend by having its varsity crew post a 3-0 record at the George Washington Invitational. This week, the Mids travel to Ithaca, N.Y., to face Cornell and Syracuse on Saturday. The winner of the varsity race between the three teams will receive the Goes Trophy, while the Stag Trophy will be presented to the program compiling the most overall points between the three teams.</p>

<p>Syracuse has won the Goes Trophy race in each of the last two seasons, marking just the second time the Orange have won the race in back-to-back years since the inception of the award in 1955. Navy has won the trophy a series-best 24 times, most recently from 2003-05. Each of the three teams has won the Stag Trophy once over the last three seasons, with Cornell currently in possession of the award. The Mids have claimed the Stag Trophy 25 times since it was first awarded in 1967.</p>

<p>This week’s U.S. Rowing poll has Cornell’s ranked 10th nationally, while Navy and Syracuse are tied for 12th place.</p>

<p>“The Goes Trophy race should be an outstanding competition,” said Navy heavyweight head coach Rick Clothier. “I believe the crews are very closely matched. We hope for a solid week of training to prepare properly.” </p>

<p>In addition to the Saturday’s slate of racing, Navy’s varsity boat also will compete Sunday against Columbia in West Windsor, N.J., for the Maxwell Stevenson Trophy. The series has had a number of starts and stops since the trophy was initially presented in 1950, but the Mids have won each of the six races since it began anew in 2002 and hold a 21-1 advantage in the all-time series.</p>

<p>Columbia’s varsity crew is ranked 11th in this week’s U.S. Rowing national poll.</p>

<p>“Columbia seems to be very strong at this point of the season,” said Clothier.</p>

<p>The remainder of the Navy and Columbia crews will square off against each other on May 4.</p>

<p>Navy’s women’s team also took part in last week’s George Washington Invitational, with its varsity boat compiling a 3-1 record over the two days of the event. The Mids will play host to their only home event of the spring Saturday when Navy competes against Georgetown on the Severn River.</p>

<p>“Georgetown is improving weekly, so we are expecting them to have their best race of the season Saturday,” said Navy women’s head coach Mike Hughes. “Our goal is to match their performance by having our best race of the year.”</p>

<p>Joining the women’s squad in competing at home this weekend is the Navy lightweight team. The Mids, who won each of their three races against Columbia last week, will face Delaware Saturday morning.</p>

<p>“We are excited to race Delaware this weekend as a late addition to our schedule,” said Navy lightweight head coach Rob Friedrich. “Delaware’s freshmen have performed very well over the first few weeks of the season, so our plebes have been training hard this week in preparation for a tight race. I am looking forward to giving our third plebe boat and fourth varsity guys a race after all of their hard work in making our top boats competitive.”</p>

<p>Schedule of Racing for Saturday on the Severn River
8:20 a.m. - Varsity, Women
8:40 a.m. - Novice, Women
9:00 a.m. - Varsity, Lightweight
9:20 a.m. - 2nd/3rd Varsity, Lightweight
9:40 a.m. - Varsity Four, Women
10:00 a.m. - 1st Freshmen, Lightweight
10:20 a.m. - 2nd/3rd Freshmen, Lightweight
10:40 a.m. - Four, Lightweight</p>

[GreatAmerican]

<p>For Immediate Release
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Contact: Jonathan Maggart (410) 293-8771</p>

<p>Melton Named to NCBWA Midseason Stopper-of-the-Year Watch List </p>

<p>STARKVILLE, Miss. – Navy baseball reliever JD Melton (So./Myrtle Beach, S.C.) is one of 45 pitchers that have been recognized as a midseason candidate for the 2008 National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) Stopper of the Year Award, it was announced by the association on Thursday afternoon.</p>

<p>Melton is the only relief pitcher from the Patriot League represented on the list. The Navy right-hander was nominated as a midseason watch list member for last year’s award in just his first season donning the Navy Blue and Gold.</p>

<p>This season, Melton is 1-1 with a 1.50 earned run average over 18.0 innings during 14 relief appearances. The Navy short-relief specialist has successfully converted on 7-of-8 save opportunities in 2008. The seven saves rank as the third-most in school history, just three away from the program record of 10 saves set by Ryan Hefner in 2006.</p>

<p>The native of Myrtle Beach, S.C., owns the school record for career saves with 16, despite having played just under two seasons at Navy. As a plebe in 2007, Melton went 3-2 with nine saves and a 2.45 earned run average in 29.1 innings over 19 appearances. He walked only nine and struck out 17 batters, while holding the opposition to a .238 batting average.</p>

<p>Prior to his arrival in Annapolis, Melton earned Louisville Slugger Freshman All-America honors as a reliever at Wofford (S.C.). In 29 appearances out of the bullpen, he went 7-4 with a Wofford freshman-record seven saves. His best performance came against 10th-ranked South Carolina, as he fired five shutout innings of one-hit baseball en route to a 13-inning victory.</p>

<p>Melton and the Midshipmen (21-18, 6-6 Patriot League) will head on the road this weekend to take on first-pace Bucknell (17-16-2, 7-5 Patriot League) in a four-game set at Depew Field.</p>

[GreatAmerican]

<p>For Immediate Release
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Contact: Jonathan Maggart (410) 293-8771</p>

<p>Melton Named to NCBWA Midseason Stopper-of-the-Year Watch List </p>

<p>STARKVILLE, Miss. – Navy baseball reliever JD Melton (So./Myrtle Beach, S.C.) is one of 45 pitchers that have been recognized as a midseason candidate for the 2008 National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) Stopper of the Year Award, it was announced by the association on Thursday afternoon.</p>

<p>Melton is the only relief pitcher from the Patriot League represented on the list. The Navy right-hander was nominated as a midseason watch list member for last year’s award in just his first season donning the Navy Blue and Gold.</p>

<p>This season, Melton is 1-1 with a 1.50 earned run average over 18.0 innings during 14 relief appearances. The Navy short-relief specialist has successfully converted on 7-of-8 save opportunities in 2008. The seven saves rank as the third-most in school history, just three away from the program record of 10 saves set by Ryan Hefner in 2006.</p>

<p>The native of Myrtle Beach, S.C., owns the school record for career saves with 16, despite having played just under two seasons at Navy. As a plebe in 2007, Melton went 3-2 with nine saves and a 2.45 earned run average in 29.1 innings over 19 appearances. He walked only nine and struck out 17 batters, while holding the opposition to a .238 batting average.</p>

<p>Prior to his arrival in Annapolis, Melton earned Louisville Slugger Freshman All-America honors as a reliever at Wofford (S.C.). In 29 appearances out of the bullpen, he went 7-4 with a Wofford freshman-record seven saves. His best performance came against 10th-ranked South Carolina, as he fired five shutout innings of one-hit baseball en route to a 13-inning victory.</p>

<p>Melton and the Midshipmen (21-18, 6-6 Patriot League) will head on the road this weekend to take on first-pace Bucknell (17-16-2, 7-5 Patriot League) in a four-game set at Depew Field.</p>

[GreatAmerican]

<p>PREVIEWING THE ACTION AHEAD
• The Navy baseball team will look to bounce back in the right direction this weekend, as it heads up to Lewisburg, Pa., for a four-game Patriot League series against Bucknell. The Midshipmen enter the weekend sitting at fourth in the league with a 6-6 mark, while the Bison are one game ahead of the Mids in a three-way tie for first place.
• The Midshipmen will return to Annapolis to begin a six-game homestand against a pair of MEAC schools. Navy will take on Maryland-Eastern Shore, a team it defeated 20-6 on the road earlier this year, before hosting Coppin State on Thursday, a school it topped last week, 16-6.</p>

<p>BUCKNELL … A CLOSER LOOK
• The Bucknell Bison come into the weekend with an 18-16-2 overall mark and a 7-5 record in Patriot League action. The Bison took three-of-four from Holy Cross last weekend in Lewisburg, Pa., to move into a three-way tie for first place in the league standings.
• The Bison are hitting an impressive .316 with 30 home runs on the year. Jason Buursma leads the offense with a .400 batting average with nine home runs, while John Avanzino is hitting .352 with eight doubles, nine home runs and 32 RBIs. Seven of Bucknell’s everyday starters are htting above .300 this spring.
• Starting pitching has been the key to Bucknell’s success, in addition to the offense in 2008. Each of Bucknell’s projected weekend starters own an ERA under 4.50. In addtion to his prowess at the plate, Buursma is 5-1 with a 3.48 ERA in 54,1 innings with eight walks and 55 strikeouts.
• Bucknell’s defense has turned 32 double plays and controlled the opposition running game. Shawn Hirsch has thrown out 44.0% of all attempted base stealers this spring.</p>

<p>UMES … A CLOSER LOOK
• The Maryland-Eastern Shore Hawks come into the weekend with a 5-30 overall record, having lost seven-straight contests. The Midshipmen and the Hawks met earlier this season in Princess Anne, Md., with Navy pounding out 24 hits in a 20-6 win.
• The Hawks are hitting .234 as a team with a .286 slugging percentage. Maryland-Eastern Shore’s top offensive threat comes in the form of Jorge Pichardo, who leads the team in batting (.323) and doubles (11). The pitching staff owns a 9.48 team ERA, has allowed the opposition to hit .345 and has issued 7.72 walks per nine innings.</p>

<p>COPPIN STATE … A CLOSER LOOK
• The Coppin State Eagles head into the weekend looking to end their 27-game skid and improve upon its 2-37 record. The Eagles are looking for their first Division I victory since the 2006 MEAC Tournament. In the first meeting of the year between the two schools last week, Navy came away with a 16-6 victory.
• Coppin State is hitting .227 as a team, but Harry Williams has been a shining light for the offense. Williams leads the Eagles with a .350 batting average, 15 doubles, four home runs and 22 RBIs. The pitching staff owns an 11.17 team ERA and has posted a .382 opponent batting average.</p>

<p>LOOKING BACK AT LAST WEEK…
• The Navy baseball team struggled for offense last weekend and suffered a four-game sweep at the hands of service-academy and Patriot League foe Army in Annapolis. The second game of Saturday’s twinbill was pushed back to Monday, as the opener was delay twice due to rain for a total of three hours and 10 minutes. In front of a national audience on CBS College Sports Network on Sunday, Mitch Harris fired 7.2 innings of three-hit baseball with seven strikeouts, but could not get the run support he needed, as the Mids fell in eight innings, 2-1.
• The Midshipmen bounced back on Tuesday with a 17-hit attack in defeating Maryland-Eastern Shore, 16-6. One day later, Kendall Bolt blasted a two-run home run, but Navy could not produce more offense in dropping a 6-2 ballgame at Georgetown.</p>

<p>88 WINS AND COUNTING SINCE 2006
• The Midshipmen have set a school record for most wins over a three-year stretch in the 113-year history of the baseball program. Since the start of the 2006 season, Navy has won 88 games, matching the topping the previous mark of 84 triumphs produced by the 1981-83 Midshipmen.
• Navy won 67 games between the 2006 and ’07 seasons, the highest win total over a two-year span in program history. The previous record stood at 60 wins between the 1982 and ’83.</p>

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

<p>HISTORY OF SUCCESS IN THE PATRIOT LEAGUE
• The Navy baseball team has enjoyed significant success since joining the Patriot League in 1993. Over that span, Navy has gone 186-128 (.592) in league play and advanced to the NCAA Tournament four times. The Midshipmen have won the league postseason title five times, more than any other school in the league.</p>

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

<p>FAST-STARTING MIDS
• Since taking over the reigns in 2006, head coach Paul Kostacopoulos has started Patriot League play on the right foot. Over his first-three seasons, Navy is 11-1 (.917) in its league-opening weekend. The Midshipmen swept Holy Cross in a four-game set in 2006 and ’07, followed by a 3-1 mark at Lafayette this season.
• Navy’s 6-2 mark in Patriot League play after the second weekend of action ranks as one the best in school history. The 1994, 1997 and 1999 squads each went 7-1 to start league play, while the 1995, 1998 and 2006 teams each jumped out to a 6-2 start. In four of those six years, Navy went on to win the Patriot League Tournament.</p>

<p>TEN AND IN?
• Since the Patriot League went to six teams in 1996, only three teams have had to record a .500-plus record to rank fourth in the league. The only team that posted a winning mark to finish fourth was the 2002 Army squad.</p>

<p>KOSTACOPOULOS LOOKING FOR WIN NO. 600 THIS YEAR
• Navy head coach Paul Kostacopoulos will aim for his 600th career victory in his 19th year as a head coach in 2008. The third-year Navy skipper needs just eight more victories to reach the mark, as he owns a career record of 592-391-3 (.602). Kostacopoulos has won 30-plus games in each of his last-seven seasons and 11 times in his career.</p>

<p>KOSTACOPOULOS GOES FOR CAREER WIN NO. 100 WITH NAVY
• Navy head coach Paul Kostacopoulos will go for another milestone mark in 2008, attempting to become the fourth Navy coach to earn 100 career victories with the Mids. Over his first-two-plus seasons in Annapolis, he owns a career mark of 88-59-1 (.598).</p>

<p>HOME SWEET HOME
• Navy is scheduled to play 34 games on its home field, Terwilliger Brothers Field at Max Bishop Stadium, this spring. The 34 home games would set a program record for most in a season, as the Midshipmen went 22-11 in a school-record 33 ballgames in Annapolis last season. Through 25 home game this spring, the Midshipmen own a 14-11 record.
• Since the installation of FieldTurf at Terwilliger Brothers Field at Max Bishop Stadium before the start of the 2006 season, Navy has gone 52-33-1 (.610) in its 81 home games.</p>

<p>PLAYING FIVE-STRAIGHT DAYS
• Due to heavy rains that forced the second game of the April 12 doubleheader against Army to be postponed until April 14, the Navy baseball teams played on five-consecutive days between April 12-16.
• It marked the second time this season that the Midshipmen hit the diamond over five-straight days and just the sixth time in school history. In fact, it was the first time that the Midshipmen played on five-consecutive days in the month of April.</p>

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

<p>POWER OUTAGE IN ANNAPOLIS…
• While the Midshipmen have produced a stellar mark at home since 2006, they primarily haven’t done so with the long ball. Last season, Navy and its opposition combined to hit just six home runs in 33 games inside the pitcher-friendly confines of Terwilliger Brothers Field at Max Bishop Stadium.
• Among those six long balls, only one came off the bat of a Navy hitter – a Mitch Harris opposite-field blast on Feb. 18, 2007, against Iona. Michael Speciale broke the 32-game drought with a three-run shot to right-center against Dartmouth on March 1. </p>

<p>BUT THE POWER HAS BEEN RESTORED!
• The Midshipmen have belted 10 home runs in their first-25 games on its home field. The most prolific shot came against Rhode Island on March 8, when Steven Soares smashed a 420-foot shot over the scoreboard in left-center. Michael Speciale and Mitch Harris have each hit three long balls in Annapolis already this season.</p>

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

<p>GUADAGNINI GOES DEEP…TWICE
• Navy freshman Mike Guadagnini belted two towering home runs at UMBC on April 8. Guadagnini became the second Navy freshman and the first in 34 years to belt two long balls in the same game. Terry Cook first achieved the feat against Towson on April 30, 1974.
• Guadagnini joins Navy slugger Mitch Harris as Mids that have posted a multi-home run effort this season. Prior to this year, only two other Midshipmen went deep twice in the same game since the 2002 campaign.</p>

<p>THOMAS “THE PATRIOT” HAMILTON
• Navy team captain Thomas Hamilton has feasted on Patriot League pitching over the last-two seasons, as he has hit at a .400 (48-for-120) clip with six doubles, three home runs and 30 RBIs. This year, he’s batting .388 (19-for-49) with three long balls and 10 RBIs.</p>

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

<p>MARATHON BASEBALL
• In a clash among the Patriot League’s top-two teams in the league’s preseason poll on March 29-30, Navy and Lafayette played a four-game set that will be remembered for some time.
• The Midshipmen and the Leopards battled over 37 innings in the four-game set, the longest Patriot League weekend in Navy’s program history. The previous longest league weekend for the Mids came last year at Army, when they squared off for 35 innings.
• The series finale between Navy and Lafayette lasted 13 innings, the longest game in league play for the Mids. The contest lasted four hours and six minutes, as the Midshipmen came away with a thrilling 6-5 win. The 13-inning ballgame was the longest for Navy since a 7-6 loss to UMBC in Annapolis on March 31, 1993.</p>

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

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

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

<p>ON THE WATCH LISTS
• Navy pitcher/designated hitter Mitch Harris and relief pitcher JD Melton have been named to a variety of national watch lists this spring.
• Harris was named a preseason candidate for the Brooks Wallace Award for the second-straight year, which is handed out to the top collegiate player in the country. For the third time in his career, the Navy right-hander has also been selected to the Roger Clemens Award Watch List, which is awarded to the best collegiate pitcher in the nation.
• Melton was among a group of just 45 relievers in the country to be named to the NCBWA Stopper of the Year Watch List. The Navy sophomore was also selected to the list during his rookie year at Navy in 2007.</p>

<p>MITCH HARRIS … 29TH BEST COLLEGE PROSPECT BY BASEBALL AMERICA
• Navy baseball right-handed pitcher Mitch Harris has been tabbed as the nation’s 29th-best college prospect for the 2008 MLB First-Year Player Draft, it was announced by Baseball America. The rankings were compiled by Baseball America through discussions with scouts and represent overall future potential.
• Harris ranks as the second-highest collegiate prospect among seniors in this year’s draft class. Only Georgia senior right-handed pitcher Joshua Fields placed ahead of Harris, coming in at 27th on the list.
• In the 2007 MLB First-Year Player Draft last June, Harris was selected in the 24th round by the Atlanta Braves organization. This past summer, he played in the prestigious Cape Cod League with the Bourne Braves. Facing some of the nation’s best collegiate hitters, he started seven contests and boasted a 3.94 ERA in 29.2 innings with 25 strikeouts. With the help of the Navy right-hander, Bourne won the Western Division regular season title with a 25-17-2 record.
• Harris was selected Second-Team All-Patriot League as both a starting pitcher and a designated hitter last May, becoming the first player in school history to earn all-league accolades at two different positions within the same year. One month later, he became the first player in school history to earn ABCA all-region accolades multiple times during his career, as he was first-team selection in 2006 and a second-team member in 2007.</p>

[GreatAmerican]

<p>By Tim Lemke
April 18, 2008</p>

<p>The NCAA will decide in the next two weeks on the District’s bid to become the host of a new college bowl game, to be played on Dec. 20 at either Nationals Park or RFK Stadium.</p>

<p>Officials from the Washington, D.C. Bowl Committee have submitted a formal proposal for the new Congressional Bowl, which potentially would involve Navy and a team from the ACC or Mid-American Conference. The committee will make a 30-minute presentation to the NCAA on April 30 in Weston, Fla., and is expected to receive a response by the next day, according to committee co-founder Sean Metcalf.</p>

<p>“We see D.C. as a sports town, and it’s our job to convey the message that we have more than federal buildings and the president, that we have people that live here, there’s an economy here, some life here,” Metcalf said. “This would be a boon to the city.”</p>

<p>The bowl committee has a signed contract with Navy for 2008. A bowl played in the District would be a change from recent postseason appearances for the academy in which the Midshipmen traveled to California three times in a four-year span. Navy played in the Poinsettia Bowl in San Diego in 2007 and 2005 and the Emerald Bowl in San Francisco in 2004. The team played in the Meineke Car Care Bowl in Charlotte in 2006.</p>

<p>“We’re certainly excited about the possibility,” Navy deputy athletic director Eric Ruden said. “We think it’d be a great venue and a great town for a game.”</p>

<p>Metcalf said he hopes to formalize an agreement with the ACC in a matter of days; under the ACC deal, the conference would send its ninth-best team to the bowl. If the ACC does not have nine teams that qualify, the bowl would include a team from the MAC. Contract discussions with the MAC are still ongoing. Bowl organizers are also in talks with Air Force and have a deal in place with Army for 2009.</p>

<p>In order to receive a bowl invitation, a team must finish the regular season with at least six wins.</p>

<p>For the NCAA to grant approval for the Congressional Bowl, the NCAA first must decide whether it wants to add a new bowl at all. Last year, there were 31 bowls, plus the national championship game.</p>

<p>In its 29-page proposal to the NCAA, the committee included letters of support from the Greater Washington Sports Alliance, the D.C. Sports and Entertainment Commission and several other sports and tourism groups in the District. The bowl committee also presented proof of an agreement with ESPN to televise the event, plus estimates of its potential economic impact.</p>

<p>The bowl committee has sought to reserve Dec. 20 at both Nationals Park and RFK Stadium, and a final decision on location will be based on a number of factors, including what works best economically. Though RFK Stadium is better suited for football, holding the game at a baseball facility like Nationals Park would not be unprecedented. AT&T Park, home to Major League Baseball’s San Francisco Giants, has held the Emerald Bowl since 2002, and the Insight Bowl, now played at Sun Devil Stadium, formerly was played at the Arizona Diamondbacks’ Chase Field.</p>

<p>If the game is played at Nationals Park, plans would call for one end zone to be placed in left-center field and another to the right of home plate. The configuration could require the benches of both teams to be located on the same sideline, separated by the 50-yard line.</p>

[GreatAmerican]

<p>The ACHA announced the 2007-2008 ACHA Men’s Division 1 Academic All-Americans. Navy is honored to received seven selections.</p>

<h1>4 JR D Matt Swezey 3.70</h1>

<h1>5 SR D Adam Shields 3.77</h1>

<h1>9 JR F Charlie Daniel 3.40</h1>

<h1>16 JR F Jon Westerman 3.68</h1>

<h1>19 SR F Derek Johnson 3.62</h1>

<h1>20 JR F Jeff Martin 3.84</h1>

<h1>27 JR D Matt Gross 3.51</h1>

<p>The Navy Hockey team would like to congratulate these players for their hard work on the ice and in the classroom!!</p>

[GreatAmerican]

<p>By David Selig
The Winchester Star (April 18, 2008)</p>

<p>Winchester ‹ Preparing to sit at a table with a powder blue Millbrook basketball jersey to his right and a bright white Navy one on his left, Jordan Sugars readjusted his gold tie and flattened out a wrinkle on his khakis.</p>

<p>“I¹d rather wear a jersey any day than dress up,” Sugars said as his parents laughed standing at his side.</p>

<p>The Millbrook High School senior will need to get used to both after he signed his Certificate of Acceptance Wednesday to continue his education and play basketball at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md.</p>

<p>The Pioneers¹ all-time leading scorer and rebounder will become the first player in the program¹s five-year history to reach the Division I level.</p>

<p>And, just as important, he feels the decision will lead to a promising future after basketball.</p>

<p>“There¹s no way you can fail there,” Sugars said, donning a Navy baseball cap after the signing. “You set yourself up for life. It¹s great being able to play basketball and continue my career, but it¹s even better to go to a great academic school. Overall, it¹s just a great fit for me.”</p>

<p>Wednesday marked the first day of the national signing period for men¹s basketball, and Sugars¹ event ‹ which took place in the Millbrook lobby before coaches, administrators and a handful of students peering out of the nearby library ‹ was a mere formality. He verbally committed to Navy back in September and said his mind never wavered between that day at the moment he inked his name and checked the “I Accept” box around 1:30 p.m.</p>

<p>A Naval Academy policy prevents its coaches from commenting on Sugars before he enrolls in Plebe Summer this July, but it turns out the Midshipmen sought the 6-foot-2 guard before he even seriously considered the school.</p>

<p>Back in the fall before Sugars¹ junior season, Millbrook coach Scott Mankins sent game film of his star player to the Navy coaching staff as well as a few other programs he felt might be a good fit.</p>

<p>After watching the tape and seeing Sugars compete in an AAU tournament last spring, Navy assistant coach Joe Burke attended an open gym at Millbrook and first expressed his interest.</p>

<p>“I could tell from talking to him that he was serious about Jordan,” Mankins said. “I pulled Jordan aside and said, ŒHey, you¹re talking about the U.S. Naval Academy. You¹re going to be set for life.¹”</p>

<p>Sugars was hesitant at first, but the more he learned about the academy and its basketball program, the more he became intrigued.</p>

<p>One visit to the campus and his mind was all but made.</p>

<p>“Right when I went down there I fell in love with the place,” Sugars said. “I just get that comfortable feeling there, and that¹s what I was looking for.”</p>

<p>Sugars realizes his new school will be have a much different atmosphere than he is accustomed ‹ for one, no more wearing basketball jerseys to class ‹ but he has always sought a challenging academic institution and considered High Point, Columbia, Brown, Siena and The Citadel before choosing Navy.</p>

<p>“We stressed academics at a very young age,” Sugars¹ father, James, said. “The academic life in our household stresses ŒA¹s, not ŒB¹s, because we know what he¹s capable of. He¹s had that standard at a very young age and he sees now that it¹s paying off for him.”</p>

<p>Sugars has yet to choose a major ‹ he thinks he¹ll study something related to business and marketing ‹ but he¹s decided on jersey No. 25, because it was the only one in the 20s available.</p>

<p>Wearing No. 21 at Millbrook, Sugars set career records for points (1,322), rebounds (623) and steals (190). He ranks third on the Pioneers¹ all-time assist list with 190 and has the Group AA state championship earned last month to carry with him his entire life.</p>

<p>Sugars says he isn¹t yet sure what role he¹ll play on the court as a freshman, but he¹s scouted the team heavily and watched in agony on the computer last month when Bucknell upset the second-seeded Midshipmen after three overtimes in the first round of the Patriot League tournament.</p>

<p>Still, head coach Billy Lange led Navy (16-14) to its best finish since 2001 and was named the Patriot League Coach of the Year. He also earned a contract extension through 2012-2013 after his team won 13 of its final 19 games using primarily a four-guard lineup.</p>

<p>“I think (Jordan) is going to a pretty good situation,” Mankins said. “I went down to watch a practice and was very impressed with the way (Lange) ran practice. He likes the up-tempo game, he likes the 3-point shot, so I think Jordan is stepping into a system he¹s going to be pretty comfortable with.”</p>

<p>As far as the new uniform, Millbrook athletic director Chris Garber teased that she didn¹t like seeing Sugars wearing blue and gold, but Mankins says he can get over that.</p>

<p>“I think he¹ll look good in any jersey,” Mankins said. “I just better get some tickets.”</p>

[GreatAmerican]

<p>For: Immediate Release
Sent: April 18, 2008
Contact: Scott Strasemeier (410) 293-8775</p>

<p>Sale Of The Century II Set For Saturday</p>

<p>Annapolis, Md.-The Naval Academy Athletic Association will conduct Sale of the Century II on Saturday, April 19 at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in conjunction with the Navy-Johns Hopkins lacrosse game.</p>

<p>The NAAA will be selling shoes, helmets, game jerseys, shorts, t-shirts, hats, travel bags and a wide variety of other NAAA team apparel.</p>

<p>The sale will be open to the public from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. inside the gates of Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. Fans interested in purchasing gear must have a game ticket for the lacrosse game to gain entry into the stadium
after 10:30 a.m. Fans arriving before 10:30 a.m. will be able to enter the area of the stadium where the sale is being held, but will not have access to the rest of the stadium until purchasing a ticket. The ticket office will open at 10:30 a.m. in the North End Zone of Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. Tickets are $8 for adults, $5 for students.</p>

<p>Payment will be by cash only. ATM machines will be located inside the stadium. Credit cards and checks will not be accepted.</p>

[GreatAmerican]

<p>For Immediate Release
Friday, April 18, 2008
Contact: Jonathan Maggart (410) 293-8771</p>

<p>Navy’s Season Ends at NCAA Qualifying Meet</p>

<p>PALO ALTO, Calif. – Navy all-around gymnasts Christopher Tam (Sr./Draper, Utah) and Dylan Parrott (Fr./Rockwell, N.C.) both placed among the top-10 competitors during their session as the Midshipmen concluded their 2008 campaign at the NCAA Qualifying Meet at Stanford’s Maples Pavilion on Thursday night.</p>

<p>The top three all-around competitors not on one of the qualifying teams, plus the top three individuals on each event not already qualified on a team or as an all-around competitor, advanced from each pre-qualifying session to the NCAA Championship, which will be held on tonight and tomorrow night.</p>

<p>Tam landed ninth in the all-around with a score of 82.4 points, highlighted by 14.0-plus performances on the vault (14.4), high bar (14.25) and still rings (14.15). Parrott followed his teammate in 10th place, as he racked up 81.6 points. Parrott’s best scores came on the floor exercise (14.6) and high bar (14.5).</p>

<p>Joseph Atzenbeck (Jr./Broomfield, Colo.) finished 26th in three events on Thursday. Atzenbeck scored a 13.65 on the parallel bars, a 13.55 on the high bar and a 12.85 on the pommel horse. Classmate Adam Stanton (Jr./Centennial, Colo.) also participated in three disciplines, placing 30th on the parallel bars (13.4), 32nd on the pommel horse (12.5) and 36th on the still rings (13.35).</p>

<p>Three other Midshipmen saw action during the second and final pre-qualifying session. Grant Waldron (Fr./Columbia, Md.) came in 35th place on the vault with a 14.5, while Isaac Olson (Sr./Spokane, Wash.) scored a 12.9 on the high bar to finish 36th and Trey James (Jr./Matthews, N.C.) landed 38th on the pommel horse with an 11.6.</p>

<p>Navy finished the year with a 9-8 record, won the USAG Collegiate Division Championship and placed fourth at the ECAC Championship.</p>

[GreatAmerican]

<p>ANNAPOLIS, Md. – The Navy women’s lacrosse team hits the road this weekend for its final Patriot League regular-season game with a 1:00 pm battle at Lafayette on Saturday. The Mids have already wrapped up a Patriot League Tournament berth and own an 11-3 overall record and a 3-2 mark in Patriot League play. Lafayette enters with a 2-14 record and is 0-5 in Patriot League play. </p>

<p>The game is an important one for tournament seeding purposes. Colgate and American will battle this weekend for the right to host the tournament on April 25-27. A Colgate win, a Navy win and a Lehigh loss at Bucknell would give the Mids the No. 2 seed with the tournament being at Colgate. An American win, a Navy win and a Lehigh win would give Navy the No. 4 seed with the tournament being at American. For Navy to get the No. 3 seed, it would need an American win, a Navy win and a Lehigh loss. A Navy loss sends the Mids to the No. 4 seed no matter what happens in the two other games this weekend.</p>

<p>The Mids have won three games in a row and sport an 11-3 mark entering the weekend. Navy needs just one more win to match the NCAA record for wins by a first-year program, tying the 1996 North Carolina team that had 12 victories. Navy has defeated American, Holy Cross and Bucknell in league play by a combined nine goals. The wins over Holy Cross and American gave Navy victories over the top two teams in the preseason, while Navy has exceeded its preseason expectations as the Midshipmen were picked fifth in the same poll.</p>

<p>Navy is searching for its first road win of the season after finishing their home campaign with an 11-0 record. Navy is 0-3 on the road, losing the three contests by an average of 5.7 goals per game. Navy has given up at least 15 goals in all three road contests this year.</p>

<p>The Mids are coming off a hard-fought 17-14 victory over Robert Morris on Wednesday in Annapolis. Meg Decker tied a career high with six goals, while Mary Ruttum and Erin Rawlick added five and four points, respectively. Navy needed a five-goal run in second half to rally from a two-goal deficit with 15 minutes to play to secure its perfect home record.</p>

<p>Rawlick, a sophomore midfielder, and Decker, a freshman midfielder, continue to lead the Mids in scoring. Both players reached the 50-goal plateau in the win over Robert Morris, as Rawlick now has 52 goals and 22 assists for 74 points. Decker has 50 goals and 12 assists for 62 points.</p>

<p>Rawlick ranks fifth nationally in points with 74, but is second in the country in points per game at 5.28 per game. She and Decker, who is third nationally among freshmen in scoring, are one of two duos nationally (Syracuse’s Katie Rowan and Christina Dove) to record 50 goals each.</p>

<p>Senior Amanda Towey has 48 points (19 g, 29 a) and is among the nation’s leaders in assists with 29. Ruttum has contributed 43 points (28 g, 15 a), while freshman Katrina Nietsch, the reigning Patriot League Rookie of the Week, has 37 points (32 g, 5 a).</p>

<p>Natalie Blandon has started all 14 games in goal for the Midshipmen, recording a 10.37 GAA and a .424 save percentage.</p>

<p>As a team, the Mids are among the national leaders in scoring offense (16.29 goals per game), scoring margin (+6.18) and draw controls per game (16.50).</p>

<p>Lafayette is coming off back-to-back home wins over Central Connecticut State (19-8) and Villanova (13-12 in 3 OT), and boasts one of the league’s top players in senior Maddy Booth. Booth has scored 76 points (37 g, 39 a) to lead the Patriot League in scoring. She is aided by Kristin Ruminski with 34 points (25 g, 9 a) and Maria Drehwing (23 g, 6 a). Emily Bjork has played most of the time in goal, recording a 16.88 GAA and a .305 save percentage.</p>

<p>As a team, Lafayette is getting outscored by over six goals a game (16.27 to 10.18) and outshot by 5.4 shots per game. The Leopards are also just 18-of-59 on free-position attempts, while opponents are 41-of-69.</p>

<p>The Mids will wrap up their regular-season with a Tuesday night tilt at Villanova, beginning at 6:00 pm. Navy will then play its first Patriot League Tournament game in school history next Friday at either Colgate or American against a foe to be determined.</p>

[GreatAmerican]

<p>ANNAPOLIS, Md. – The Navy water polo team will wrap up its spring season this weekend with its annual post-season banquet on Friday night, then will host four games on Saturday and Sunday. The Mids will battle Eastern rival Princeton at 11:30 am and service-academy rival Air Force at 5:45 on Saturday. On Sunday, Navy will host the New York Athletic Club at 11:30 am and the Northern Virginia Club at 2:00 pm. All games will be played in Lejeune Hall and are free of charge.</p>

<p>“The team has had a good spring, with many of our up and coming players getting lots of game experience,” said Navy head coach Mike Schofield, who won his 500th game at Navy this past fall. “We’ll all need to take full advantage of the summer season in order to come back in the fall ready to live up to the standards that the Class of 2008 has set for us.”</p>

<p>The games this weekend will put a cap on a strong spring season for the Midshipmen. Eleven players participated in the USA Water Polo Division I Premier League Tournaments.</p>

<p>“We feel that we have improved significantly this spring and we have a challenge to every player to put in a great summer,” said Schofield. “How successful we are in the fall depends on what we do now in the offseason.”</p>

<p>The Mids are coming off their most successful season in school history in 2007, posting a 30-6 record. The 30 wins set a new school record and the Mids finished third at the NCAA Championships, Navy’s highest finish ever. Navy finished the season ranked seventh in the country, the highest for the program in school history.</p>