Navy Sports

GreatAmerican · April 27, 2008, 8:21am

by Gary Lambrecht, The Examiner

BALTIMORE (Map, News) - During the past four, hectic months, Navy rookie head football coach Ken Niumatalolo has allowed himself a few moments to contemplate the strange path that led to this.

Twenty years ago, he was a backup quarterback at the University of Hawaii, and not too thrilled with an offensive coordinator named Paul Johnson for keeping him on the bench. Niumatalolo also could not imagine leaving his beloved native land under any circumstances.

But Johnson, struck by Niumatalolo¹s cerebral grasp of the game in general and the triple-option in particular, successfully urged him to try his hand at coaching. Later, in 1995, as Navy¹s new offensive coordinator, Johnson convinced Niumatalolo to follow him all the way to Annapolis to become the Midshipmen¹s running backs coach.

Two years later, after Johnson took his first head coaching job at Georgia Southern, Niumatalolo took over the Navy offense and enjoyed some initial success. But by the end of a disappointing 1998 season, he was butting heads with Navy head coach Charlie Weatherbie over matters of philosophy and schemes.

Niumatalolo lost that battle by getting fired. Then, he found his way to UNLV as an assistant.

But back he came to Navy in 2002, when Johnson rejoined the failing program as the head coach and began grooming his old Hawaii quarterback as his successor. Five straight winning seasons, five consecutive bowl games and Commander-In-Chief¹s Trophies later, Johnson was off to pursue a national championship at Georgia Tech.

And Niumatalolo suddenly was seated in Johnson¹s old chair, with a tough act to follow.

Talk about an unlikely career coming full circle.

³Never in my wildest dreams did I think I¹d leave Hawaii. I was coaching Division I football in my home state at my alma mater,² Niumatalolo said. “Then, I never thought I would come back to become a head coach where I got fired. I¹ve been humbled by that fact.”

Navy handled the coaching change swiftly and intelligently. For Chet Gladchuk, Navy¹s athletics director who waited just 24 hours to name Johnson¹s replacement, it was an easy call. Johnson had hired Niumatalolo as his offensive line/assistant head coach, meaning he was grooming the Hawaii native from the start to run the show one day.

It never occurred to Niumatalolo he was making history by becoming the first Polynesian to run a Division I football program. Then, after he took the job and was beginning to prepare to coach the Mids in the Poinsettia Bowl, the outside world let him know about it.

A flood of calls and e-mails came from Hawaii, along with a proclamation from the governor of Hawaii. It is framed and hanging on the wall next to Niumatalolo¹s desk.

“I didn¹t really sense it when I first got hired,” he said. “I just looked at myself as a football coach that happened to be Polynesian, not as a Polynesian football coach. I wasn¹t until I got all of the calls and e-mails that it really hit me.”

It started to hit Niumatalolo more as he prepared Navy for its eventual, close loss to Utah in the Poinsettia Bowl. Then, as he coordinated the team¹s recruiting, monitored players¹ off-season conditioning and planned the spring football session that concluded this past Saturday, the weight of the job really settled in.

Niumatalolo is a serene, reserved man immersed in his religious faith. On the practice field or sidelines, he also is a demanding type capable of the occasional, paint-peeling outburst of temper. He knows Johnson¹s offense, which will stay intact at Navy, but doesn¹t pretend to be as good a play caller. Niumatalolo gave that job to offensive coordinator Ivin Jasper, who he wisely secured before Johnson lured Jasper away to Georgia Tech.

Niumatalolo also is at peace with the black-and-white world he has inherited.

“People always ask me about following Paul, how there must be tremendous pressure,” Niumatalolo said. “This is a bottom-line profession. Ultimately, if you don¹t win on Saturdays, you get fired. That¹s how simple it is. That¹s the truth.”

Gary Lambrecht writes about the NFL, Major League Baseball and college sports. He can be reached at <a href="mailto:glambrecht@baltimoreexaminer.com">glambrecht@baltimoreexaminer.com</a>.

GreatAmerican · April 27, 2008, 8:22am

For Immediate Release
Sent Monday, April 21, 2008
Contact Justin Kischefsky (410) 293-8772

Navy’s Dinh Tabbed as Mid-Major All-American

ANNAPOLIS, Md. – Thuy-Mi Dinh (So., Anaheim, Calif.) headlined the list of six members from the Navy swimming and diving programs who were named to the CollegeSwimming.com Mid-Major All-America Teams that were announced this week by the web site.

The Mid-Major designation is given to those colleges and universities that are not affiliated with a Bowl Championship Series conference for football, as well as those institutions awarding less than half of the maximum-allowable scholarships for the sport. Members of the Mid-Major All-America Team received the honor by virtue of their qualification for the NCAA Championship, while Honorable Mention All-America accolades were bestowed upon those student-athletes who posted a high NCAA ‘B’ cut qualifying time for the NCAA Championship but did not compete at the meet.

Dinh, the first women’s swimmer in both Navy and Patriot League history to attain an ‘A’ cut qualifying time for the NCAA Championship, was the lone Mid to receive All-America honors. She competed at the national championship by virtue of her ‘A’ cut time of 22.37 in the 50 freestyle and her ‘B’ cut clocking of 49.91 in the 100 free. Both of her times are school and league records and came during her victorious efforts in the respective events at the Patriot League Championship.

Dinh was one of 30 women’s swimmers and divers from programs across the country to receive All-America honors, while 77 women and 78 men garnered Honorable Mention All-America laurels. A total of five Mids received the latter accolade: Tara Chapmon (So., Virginia Beach, Va.), ‘B’ cut times in the 200, 500 and 1,650 free events; Erik Hunter (Fr., Placerville, Calif.), 500 free; Adam Meyer (So., Bethesda, Md.), 200 fly, 200 and 400 IM; Allison Ranzau (Fr., Alpharetta, Ga.), 200 and 500 free; and Kelly Zahalka (Jr., Richmond, Va.), 200 individual medley.

GreatAmerican · April 27, 2008, 8:23am

ANNAPOLIS, Md. – The Navy women’s lacrosse team, competing in its first season of Division I lacrosse, will meet top-seeded American on Friday afternoon in the semifinals of the Patriot League Tournament, beginning at 1:00 pm at Jacob’s Field on the campus of American University in Washington, D.C. The other semifinals pits Colgate against Lehigh with the two winners competing in the title game on Sunday.

“Our goal at the start of the year was to make the Patriot League Tournament,” said Navy head coach Cindy Timchal. “Now that we have done that, we know that anything can happen and we want to take it a step further. The other three teams are very good squads and it is going to be a very exciting weekend. We are excited to be part of it.”

The Mids enter Tuesday night’s regular-season finale at Villanova (6:00 pm in Villanova, Pa.) with a 12-3 overall mark and winners of four games in a row. Navy finished tied for third with Lehigh in the Patriot League with a 4-2 record, but were given the fourth seed, as Lehigh won the head-to-hear meeting, 15-12 on April 5. American earned the No. 1 seed after beating Colgate on Saturday, 13-10. Both teams went 5-1 during the Patriot League regular season.

Navy defeated American, 13-12, on April 1 at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium to hand the Eagles their only Patriot League loss of the year. The Mids jumped out to a 9-2 halftime lead in that contest, only to see American rally in the second half. The Eagles cut the lead to 13-12 with just under a minute left and had possession on their offensive end, before a turnover essentially ended the contest. Erin Rawlick and Meg Decker each scored four goals in the contest for Navy, while three players scored two goals each for American. The Eagles played virtually the entire second half without the services of leading scorer, Jackie Lane, who picked up two yellow cards, forcing her to sit out the final 26 minutes.

This is the first appearance in the Patriot League Tournament for the Midshipmen. With one more win, Navy can set the NCAA record for most wins by a first-year program, surpassing the 1996 North Carolina team, which won 12 games.

Colgate, the No. 2 seed, defeated Navy, 19-10, on March 22, in Hamilton, N.Y. The game was the first road contest for the Midshipmen.

The winner of the Patriot League Tournament will host the winner of the MAAC Tournament in the NCAA Tournament Play-In Game on May 3 or 4.

For ticket information to this weekend’s tournament, visit [The</a> Patriot League - Official Athletic Site](<a href=“http://www.patriotleague.com%5DThe”>http://www.patriotleague.com) or [Official</a> Athletic Site of American University](<a href=“http://www.aueagles.com%5DOfficial”>http://www.aueagles.com).

GreatAmerican · April 27, 2008, 8:25am

ANNAPOLIS, Md. – For the third time this season, Navy freshman midfielder Meg Decker has been named the Patriot League Women’s Lacrosse Rookie of the Week for her role in two Navy victories last week. Decker previously won the award on March 17 and April 7. It is the fourth time a Navy player has been named Rookie of the Week and the third straight week after Katrina Nietsch earned the accolade last week. All told, Navy players have won nine weekly awards handed out by the Patriot League this year.

Decker, a midfielder from Catonsville, Md., scored 11 points in wins over Robert Morris (17-14) and Lafayette (21-13) last week. She tied a career high with six goals in a mid-week victory over the Colonials. Four of her goals came in the second half, including a pair after Robert Morris had taken a 12-10 lead with 15 minutes to play. She added four draw controls and one ground balls in the victory. The win helped Navy stay undefeated at home with an 11-0 record.

Decker then scored five points in Navy’s 21-13 win over Lafayette on Saturday, which sewed up Navy’s first road win of the season. She tallied four goals and one assist, all in the second half, to help the Mids overcome a Lafayette surge early in the second half. After the Leopards closed to within 11-10 early in the stanza, Decker scored three goals in an eight-minute span to help push the Midshipmen cushion back to four at 16-12. She added seven draw controls and one ground ball in a fine all-around effort.

Decker enters this week’s action ranked second on the team with 67 points, 54 goals and 52 draw controls. She is fourth on the squad with 13 assists. On the Patriot League leaderboard, she is third in goals, fifth in points and third in draw controls. She is third nationally among the nation’s freshmen in scoring, and entering the weekend, she teamed with sophomore Erin Rawlick to reach 50 goals each, one of two duos nationally to accomplish that feat. Decker has had 12 straight games in which she has scored at least three goals.

The Mids, 12-3 overall, will head to Villanova on Tuesday night to wrap up their regular-season slate, then will travel to Washington, D.C., to take on top-seeded American in the Patriot League Tournament semifinals on Friday, beginning at 1:00 pm. The winner of the Navy-American will take on the winner of the Colgate-Lehigh contest in the finals to be played on Sunday at 1:00 pm. The winner of the finals will host an NCAA Tournament Play-In Game on either May 3 or May 4.

GreatAmerican · April 27, 2008, 8:26am

This Week In Navy Sports Sponsored By Navy Federal Credit Union

<a href=“http://www.navyfederal.org/jump/x/navysports_email.html[/url]”>www.navyfederal.org/jump/x/navysports_email.html</a>

Overall Navy Sports Record: 299-144-6 (.673)

Baseball (23-20, 8-8 in the Patriot League)
Last Week: Defeated Coppin State, 16-6; lost to Georgetown, 6-2; defeated Bucknell, 4-0; defeated Bucknell, 16-6; lost to Bucknell, 8-2; lost to Bucknell, 5-4
This Week: Maryland-Eastern Shore (Tuesday, 4 p.m., Annapolis, Md., GameTracker on navysports.com); Coppin State (Thursday, 4 p.m., Annapolis, Md., GameTracker on navysports.com); Holy Cross-DH (Saturday, 12 noon, Annapolis, Md., GameTracker on navysports.com); Holy Cross-DH (Sunday, 12 noon, Annapolis, Md., GameTracker on navysports.com)

Heavyweight Crew (4-2)
Last Week: Defeated Cornell, 5:42.3-5:48.1; lost to Syracuse, 5:40.9-5:42.3; lost to Columbia, 6:02.2-6:04.9
This Week: at Penn, vs. Harvard (Saturday, all day, Philadelphia, Pa.)

Lightweight Crew (4-1)
Last Week: Defeated Delaware, 6:07.6-6:24.5
This Week: Georgetown and Harvard (Saturday, 7 a.m., Annapolis, Md.)

Women¹s Crew (13-4)
Last Week: Defeated Georgetown, 6:51-7:04
This Week: at the Patriot League Championship (Sunday, all day, Pennsauken, N.J.)

Men¹s Golf (1-0-1)
Last Week: Finished first out of 18 teams at the Navy Spring Invitational
This Week: at the Patriot League Championship (Saturday-Sunday, all day, Bethlehem, Pa.)

Men¹s Gymnastics (9-8)
Last Week: Competed at the NCAA Qualifying Meet
This Week: Season concluded

No. 14 Men¹s Lacrosse (9-4, 5-1 in the Patriot League)
Last Week: Lost to No. 7 Johns Hopkins, 12-5
This Week: vs. Colgate at the Patriot League Tournament (Friday, 7 p.m., West Point, N.Y., 1430 WNAV, Live stats at GoArmysports.com, live video on Patriot League All-Access); Patriot League Championship game vs. Army or Bucknell (Sunday, 2 p.m., West Point, N.Y., CBS College Sports, 1430 WNAV, live stats at GoArmysports.com, video also available on Patriot League All-Access)

Women¹s Lacrosse (11-3, 3-2 in the Patriot League)
Last Week: Defeated Robert Morris, 17-14; defeated Lafayette, 21-13
This Week: at Villanova (Tuesday, 6 p.m., Philadelphia, Pa.); at American in the Patriot League Semifinals (Friday, 1 p.m., Washington, D.C.); if Navy wins they will play either Colgate or Lehigh in the Patriot League Championship (Sunday, TBA, Washington, D.C.)

Intercollegiate Sailing
Last Week: No results reported
This Week: ICSA Semifinals (Saturday-Sunday, Geneva, N.Y. and Los Angeles, Calif.)

Offshore Sailing
Last Week: Finished fourth out of 12 teams at the Intrepid Trophy Regatta
This Week: National Offshore One Design Championship (Saturday-Sunday, Annapolis, Md.)

Tennis (18-8, 5-0 in the Patriot League)
Last Week: Defeated Army, 4-3 (Star Match)
This Week: at Patriot League Tournament (Friday-Sunday, Hamilton, N.Y.)

Men¹s Outdoor Track & Field (10-0)
Last Week: Idle
This Week: at the Penn Relays (Thursday-Saturday, all day, Philadelphia, Pa.)

Women¹s Outdoor Track & Field (4-1)
Last Week: Competed at the non-team scoring Greyhound Invitational
This Week: at Penn Relays (Thursday-Saturday, all day, Philadelphia, Pa.)

GreatAmerican · April 27, 2008, 8:30am

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

Navys Late Rally Falls Just Short in 5-4 Setback at Bucknell

LEWISBURG, Pa. The Navy baseball team scored twice in the final inning and loaded the bases with two outs, but a groundout cut the comeback short as the Midshipmen dropped the baseball series finale, 5-4, at Bucknell on Monday afternoon. The Mids fell to 23-20 on the year and 8-8 in Patriot League play, while the Bison improved to 20-18 and 9-7 in league action.

Trailing 5-2 going into the ninth, Navys bats came alive. Mike Guadagnini (Fr./Virginia Beach, Va.) drew a leadoff walk and advanced to second on a fielding error by the third baseman. Michael Speciale (So./Pearland, Texas) loaded the bases with a single to center before Thomas Hamilton (Sr./Houston, Texas) delivered a two-run single to center that pulled the Mids within one at 5-4. Bucknell called upon Trey Frahler, who came in and got a strikeout and a fielders choice to record two outs with runners on the corners. After a walk loaded the bases, Jonathan Wright (Fr./Arden, N.C.) stepped to the plate and rocketed a one-hopper to the first baseman, who stepped on the bag to end the game.

Navys offense out-hit Bucknell, 13-6, drew four walks and was hit by a pitch, while striking out only twice on the day. The Bison turned two double plays and came up with the key pitch in forcing the Midshipmen to strand 12 runners on base.

We had our opportunities and were in a good spot in the ninth, but their reliever (Frahler) did a nice job of getting the first-two outs. Jonathan stepped up hit the ball really hard. We were about two feet away from having the lead, stated Navy head coach Paul Kostacopoulos. We hit the ball hard all day, but did not get a lot of breaks. We had a lot of hard outs and got a little snake-bitten trying to get runners through. In the end, you need your four and five hitters in the lineup to come through and they did not today.

The Mids jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the second, as Mitch Harris (Sr./Mt. Holly, N.C.) led off the frame with a double, moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on a Jeff Bland (Fr./Basking Ridge, N.J.) single to center. The Bison knotted the score at one in the bottom half of the inning and had runners on the corners with nobody out, but Navy starter Yale Eckert (So./La Selva Beach, Calif.) settled in and induced three flyouts to avoid further damage.

Navy re-gained the lead in the fifth, as Renaldo Hollins (Sr…/Virginia Beach, Va.) led off the stanza with a double down the left-field line and scored on a Hamilton single to center.

Bucknell again answered, this time with a three-run fifth to take the lead for good. With runners on first and second with two outs, Jason Buursma deposited the Eckert offering over the left-field fence for his league-leading 10th round-tripper of the year. One inning later, the Bison tacked on what proved to be the game-winning run with a run-scoring fielders choice to second base.

The Midshipmen had a chance to cut the deficit in the seventh and eighth innings. After a walk and hit batsmen put two runners on in the seventh, Bucknell turned a double play to end the frame. One stanza later, Navy got a runner on with one out, but was again victimized by an inning-ending double play.

Eckert was tagged for the loss and fell to 1-5 on the year. He allowed five runs on six hits over five-plus innings of work with two walks and two strikeouts. Navy reliever Kevin Heasley (Sr./Cincinnati, Ohio) kept the Midshipmen within striking distance, as he did not yield a hit or a walk in three innings.

This was probably Yales best performance in the last month, said Kostacopoulos. He was able to locate and had three pitches working for the first time in a while. He made one mistake out over the plate against a good hitter and he crushed it.

Kevin just comes out and takes care of business. He has given us great effort every day.

Hamilton led the offensive attack with a 4-for-5 effort at the plate with three RBIs. Wright and Speciale each had two hits, while Hollins crossed home twice in Mondays loss.

Navy will return to Annapolis to begin a six-game homestand, starting with Maryland-Eastern Shore tomorrow at 4 p.m. Live stats for all of Navys home games will be available via GameTracker on <a href=“http://www.NavySports.com(%5B/url%5D.)”>www.NavySports.com(.)</a>

GreatAmerican · April 27, 2008, 8:39am

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

Speciale and Guadagnini Recognized by the Patriot League

CENTER VALLEY, Pa. Navy baseball outfielder Michael Speciale (So./Pearland, Texas) and infielder Mike Guadagnini (Fr./Virginia Beach, Va.) have been honored as the Patriot League Player and Rookie of the Week, respectively, it was announced by the league office on Monday afternoon.

Speciale became the first student-athlete in the Patriot League this season to earn player-of-the-week kudos for a second time. He hit .385 (10-for-26) on the week with eight runs scored, one home run and seven RBIs. In league play, the Navy outfielder boasted a .533 (8-for-15) batting average with seven runs scored and a home run.

A native of Pearland, Texas, Speciales best performance came in Navys 16-6 victory at Bucknell last Saturday. He reached base safely in all-six plate appearances, going 4-for-4 with two walks, a home run and two RBIs. Speciale crossed home plate five times in that contest, matching the school record shared by Mark Zematis (April 3, 1999, vs. Lafayette), Toph Lake and Tony Mauro (March 28, 1998, at Lafayette).

On the year, Speciale is hitting .349 (60-for-172) with 45 runs, 11 doubles, four triples, eight home runs, 31 RBIs and 11 stolen bases. His 45 runs scored ranks 10th in school history, while his eight long balls are tied for the third-most in the program annals.

Guadagnini enjoyed a productive week at the week, finishing with a .412 (7-for-17) batting average. In the series-opening doubleheader at Bucknell last Saturday, the Navy freshman went 6-for-8 with a home run and six RBIs. In Navys 4-0 victory in game one, he went 3-for-3 with a double, RBI and run scored against Bucknell ace Jason Buursma. One game later, Guadagnini finished 3-for-5 with a towering home run and three RBIs as the Midshipmen cruised to a 16-6 win.

The product of Virginia Beach, Va., owns a .295 (31-for-105) batting average during his rookie campaign with three doubles, four home runs and 15 RBIs. Guadagninis four round-trippers this year are just one shy of tying the Navy freshman record of five home runs, shared by Marcus Lee in 1991 and Terry Cook in 1974.

The Midshipmen (23-20) kick off a six-game homestand today against Maryland-Eastern Shore (5-33) at 4 p.m. Live stats for all of Navys home games will be available via GameTracker on <a href=“http://www.NavySports.com(%5B/url%5D.)”>www.NavySports.com(.)</a>

GreatAmerican · April 27, 2008, 8:46am

For the third year straight, the Intrepid Trophy Regatta came down to a tiebreaker among the top four teams, each posting a 9-2 record at the end of the round-robin match race competition. Navy was among the group, but ended up on the losing end of the tiebreak procedure finishing fourth out of the 12 teams competing.

Navy was represented by skipper Cullen Shaughnessy, Sarah Horn, Mark McClure and Chris Nicolet.

Next up for VOST is the National Offshore One Design Championship this weekend in Annapolis.

Final Results

Maine Maritime Academy (9-2)
New York Maritime Academy (9-2)
US Merchant Marine Academy (9-2)
US Naval Academy (9-2)
Washington College (8-3)
St. Mary’s College of Maryland (6-5)
US Coast Guard Academy (6-5)
University of Michigan (4-7)
Northeastern University (3-8)
UMass Boston (2-9)
Miami University of Ohio (1-10)
Webb Institute (0-11)

GreatAmerican · April 27, 2008, 8:53am

Written by Dave Ruthenberg
Tuesday, 22 April 2008

The political season is in full swing with Washington DC all aflutter over the upcoming presidential elections as 2008 has all the markings of a watershed year in the national political spectrum. It could also be the year that the nation’s capitol sees a college bowl game introduced to its sports landscape and the MAC could play a significant role.

The Congressional Bowl is one of three proposed new bowl games (joining other proposed bowl games for Salt Lake City, UT and St. Petersburg, FL) that will be presented April 30 to the NCAA for potential approval and the odds appear to be in favor of the proposed Washington, DC bowl game and if things work out, the Mid-American Conference may be sending a team to the inaugural edition of the new bowl game under an agreement recently worked out between the bowl organizers and the MAC.

Headed by the Washington, DC Bowl Committee, and co-founder Sean Metcalf, the new bowl has already shored up television support with ESPN on board with a commitment to televise the proposed bowl game on one of its family of networks on December 20. The bowl game is expected to be played in the brand new home of the Washington Nationals baseball team, Nationals Park, or RFK Stadium.

Navy is already on-board as a potential participant in the Congressional Bowl, with a guaranteed slot assuming the Midshipmen finish no worse than 6-6 in 2008. The Naval Academy, which plays as an independent without conference affiliation, has been to five consecutive bowl games and has most recently participated in the 2007 Poinsettia Bowl, as it did in 2005. The Naval Academy however is not contractually signed to return to the Poinsettia Bowl until 2010. Meanwhile the Congressional Bowl has already worked out a deal for Army to play in their game in 2009 should the Cadets be bowl eligible, which is far from guaranteed considering the Black Knights have not appeared in a bowl game since the 1996 Independence Bowl.

The bowl deal gets especially intriguing for MAC fans however when reviewing the bowl’s tie-in with the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).

The ACC has signed on to potentially provide Navy’s opponent in 2008 but the ACC is only able to promise its number nine selection among its bowl eligible teams. The ACC however has never had more than eight bowl eligible teams since going to its current twelve-team, two-division alignment in 2005 and, prior to the ACC’s recent expansion, had never had more than seven bowl eligible teams.

In the event that the ACC (or Navy) cannot provide a bowl eligible team, the MAC is the Congressional Bowl’s backup option and would supply the new bowl with one of its bowl eligible teams.

The MAC had four bowl eligible teams in 2007 but only three bowls were available for the MAC as Ohio, at 6-6, sat home as the odd man out.

Using today’s formula for bowl eligibility, the MAC, since going to divisional play in 1997, has had no fewer than five teams that have finished “bowl eligible” at the end of the season from 1997 through 2006 and three times (2000, 2002 and 2005) had as many as seven teams with records that would have qualified them for a bowl appearance. Last season’s tally of four bowl eligible teams was the conference’s lowest such number of bowl eligible teams in the past ten seasons.

Mid-American Conference commissioner Rick Chryst acknowledged that the MAC is involved in discussions with the proposed Congressional Bowl but emphasized that many of the details are contingent upon the bowl’s approval.

“My understanding is that there are three bowls applying for approval before the NCAA licensing committee on April 30. Our conversations (regarding possible approval) have been very positive to this point,” stated Chryst who also confirmed that the MAC would act as a “backup” contingency for the Congressional Bowl in the event that either Navy or the ACC were unable to provide a bowl eligible team for the bowl game. However Chryst was also careful to stress that no contracts or deals have been formalized nor will they likely be until the bowl organizers hear from the NCAA on their application.

If the Congressional Bowl receives approval and the conference alignments go forth as currently being reported, the MAC would supply a bowl eligible team, but not necessarily the number four team in the pecking order as determined by the conference’s final standings.

“As we have done with our current bowl alliances, we would look to provide the best possible matchups for our teams and for the bowls,” added Chryst.

The Congressional Bowl, if approved, would represent the fourth bowl tie-in for the MAC which has agreements currently in place with the Motor City, GMAC and International bowls. Prior to Chryst’s arrival as commissioner in 1999, the MAC had only one bowl tie-in with the Motor City Bowl. The additional bowl tie-ins represent areas of ongoing development that Chryst sees as vital to the MAC’s continued competitiveness and growth.

“We are stronger in regards to bowl representation than at any point in our (the MAC’s) history and these opportunities are significant and vital to our members’ football programs,” noted Chryst. “We continue to expand our opportunities by playing bowl games in world-class cities and competing against some of the nation’s premier conferences and teams.”

According to Chryst, the MAC’s currently in-place bowl alliances remain on solid ground, including the conference’s spot in the GMAC Bowl. “We have a very good relationship with the GMAC Bowl and have had a lot of success there,” said Chryst. “We just need to re-engage our competitiveness from the last couple of years.” The MAC is 5-2 against Conference USA in the Mobile, AL based bowl but has lost the last two games, including a 63-7 loss by Bowling Green to Tulsa in the most recent edition of the game, after winning the first five in the series.

“The International Bowl continues to grow and we couldn’t be happier with the progress they have made in bringing NCAA and MAC football to Canada in only two short years,” added Chryst when discussing the MAC’s relationship with the only bowl game north of the border.

The success of the Motor City Bowl, the bowl with the longest MAC tie-in, remains the lynchpin of the MAC’s current bowl alliances. Last year’s game, featuring Central Michigan and Purdue, set a new Motor City Bowl attendance record of 60,624. The MAC has posted a 6-5 mark in the Motor City Bowl.

The MAC is 12-12 overall in bowl appearances since the conference expanded to its current two-division setup in 1997.

Meanwhile, a decision on whether the Congressional Bowl receives approval from the NCAA’s licensing committee could come as soon as May 1.

GreatAmerican · April 27, 2008, 8:59am

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

Pitching Powers Navy Past Maryland-Eastern Shore, 5-1

ANNAPOLIS, Md. Navy starting pitcher Wes Olson (Fr./Indianapolis, Ind.) fired five innings of one-hit, shutout baseball to lead the Midshipmen to a 5-1 victory over Maryland-Eastern Shore on Tuesday afternoon at Terwilliger Brothers Field at Max Bishop Stadium. The Mids improved to 24-20 on the year, while the Hawks saw their mark dip to 5-34.

Olson needed only 66 pitches to record 15 outs on Wednesday to earn his first-collegiate win. The Navy right-hander struck out five, walked just two and allowed only a bloop single to right in the first inning. Relievers Chris Murray (So./Navarre, Fla.) and JD Melton (So./Myrtle Beach, S.C.) threw the final-four innings and combined with Olson to limit Maryland-Eastern Shores offense to three base knocks on the day.

Wes threw the ball very well today, stated Navy head coach Paul Kostacopoulos. He was able to command both his fastball and off-speed pitches really kept them off balance. This is the second-straight time he has gone out and pitched well for us, which is encouraging to see.

Navys offense got on the board with a run in the third and fourth innings. Thomas Hamilton (Sr./Houston, Texas) drove in a run with a single to center in the third. One frame later, Jonathan Berkowitz (So./Parkland, Fla.) led off with a single through the right side and would eventually score on a double play.

In the fifth, the Midshipmen used the long ball to extend their cushion to 4-0. Matt Sweisthal (So./Spring, Texas) began the stanza with a single to center before Kendall Bolt (So./Stockton, Calif.) blasted his third home run of the year, a two-run shot over the left-field fence. The round-tripper is Navys 30th of the season, tying the school record set by the 1998 squad.

After Maryland-Eastern Shore plated a run in the seventh, Navy countered with its fifth and final run of the day in the eighth. Jonathan Wright (Fr./Arden, N.C.) drew a walk and would score on a Mike Guadagnini (Fr./Virginia Beach, Va.) double down the right-field line.

Navys offense totaled 12 base knocks on Tuesday, with four Mids registering multi-hit performances. Bill Maugeri (Sr./Edgewater, Md.), Hamilton, Berkowitz and Guadagnini each came through with hits in the win.

The Midshipmen will return to action on Thursday, when they play host to Coppin State in a 4 p.m. contest. Live stats for all of Navys home games are available via GameTracker on <a href=“http://www.NavySports.com(%5B/url%5D.)”>www.NavySports.com(.)</a>

GreatAmerican · April 27, 2008, 9:02am

VILLANOVA, Pa. – Erin Rawlick scored seven goals and the Navy women’s lacrosse team won 21-of-28 draw controls to breeze past Villanova, 19-8, in the regular-season finale on Tuesday night. Navy improves to 13-3 overall and broke the NCAA record for wins by a first-year program with 13. The old record of 12 was held by North Carolina in 1996.

“I don’t really know if the team knows about the record, but it’s a reflection on the hard work and dedication the team has showed right from the beginning,” said Navy head coach Cindy Timchal, who won her 349th game as a head coach. “This team wanted to make a statement, and we hope we can continue it heading into the Patriot League Tournament.”

The win was Navy’s second in a row on the road after opening the season 0-3 on the road. Overall, the Mids have won five games in a row entering the Patriot League Tournament on Friday.

After the two teams traded goals in the opening six minutes, the Mids broke the game open with four goals by four different players in the next 10 minutes to take a 6-2 advantage with 13:22 to play.

Navy would lead 9-4 at halftime, before Rawlick took over early in the second half. The sophomore from Forest Hill, Md., scored Navy’s first four goals of the half and five of the first six to give Navy a 15-6 cushion with 18:31 to play. The seven goals tied a school record and gives Rawlick 64 goals and 87 points on the season. The 64 goals are the sixth most in Patriot League history, while the 87 points are the 4th most.

In addition, Navy has set the Patriot League record for most goals in a season with 268, surpassing the 240 set last year by Holy Cross.

Freshman Katrina Nietsch scored four points (3 g, 1 a), while classmate Meg Decker added three goals for her 13th hat trick in a row. Amanda Towey added two goals and one assist, giving her 32 helpers on the season, the third most in Patriot League history. Mary Ruttum and Lexi Dauernheim scored twice, while Kaylene Klingenstein dished out two assists.

Natalie Blandon stopped three shots in goal, while Ellyn Creasey made one stop.

Navy outshot the Wildcats, 38-16, and grabbed 22 ground balls to Villanova’s 19. Navy had 22 turnovers to the Wildcats’ 18. Navy recorded a season-high 21 draw controls, the sixth-best single-game total in NCAA history.

“We have been working a lot on winning draws, because we know they will be key in the Patriot League Tournament,” said Timchal. “We spent a lot of time on it during our shootaround today and it paid off. It was encouraging to see.”

Navy, the fourth seed in the Patriot League Tournament, will battle top-seeded American at 1:00 pm at Jacobs Field in Washington, D.C. in the semifinals on Friday. The winner of that game will face the winner of Colgate and Lehigh on Sunday. The champion of the Patriot League Tournament will host an NCAA Tournament Play-In Game on May 3, beginning at 1:00 pm.

GreatAmerican · April 27, 2008, 9:14am

By David Ausiello

Posted Apr 21, 2008

It took almost the entire spring game for it¹ to happen, but when it¹ did; well, it¹ was very nice. The it¹ that I am referring to is the Ricky Dobbs Show. With starting quarterback Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada not participating and due to the familiarity fans have with back-up Jarod Bryant, most of the anticipation for the annual Blue-Gold game was focused on the rising sophomore.

The Ricky Dobbs Show

It took awhile for Dobbs to get into gear, fumbling the ball on his first series and failing to gain any yards on his second. However with less than seven minutes to play, Dobbs gave fans a glimpse of what they were waiting for. On a play designed to go to the left, Dobbs managed to escape a headlock put on him by a Navy defender as he raced around the right end. Once in space, Dobbs made at least one other player miss as he showed a burst of speed to advance the ball 32 yards down the field. It was easily the highlight of the evening for the 3,000 fans in attendance on the balmy 75-degree night. After the game, in recalling the scamper, Dobbs uttered a phrase that could very well define the type of player he could become.

“I was just trying to make a play * trying to make something out of
nothing,” said Dobbs. “The play broke down, but we had to just keep going.”

And while all indications are that the Douglasville, Georgia native will see a lot of time on the sideline this year, there is the potential with Bryant being a possible starter at slot back, for Dobbs to be one play away from the field. But does he think he¹s ready for that possibility?

“³Yes * I¹m ready for that. Yes,” he said.

Some fans have gone as far as to label Dobbs as the future of Navy football. It seems as though the youngster does not mind the hype.

“Yes, I¹m comfortable with [the label] and I¹m ready to take on the role.
Kaipo and Jarod are both doing their part in getting me prepared. I¹m ready to take it forward,” said Dobbs.

“With Kaipo * he¹s going to help me with his long distance speed and Jarod
is going to help me with the quickness. And then [I¹ll] try to learn from each of them and from the mistakes they make as well.”

Happy Paul Johnson is Gone?

Guess which member of the Navy staff told me earlier this spring that he was ³excited about [Coach Paul Johnson] being gone?² If you guessed Ashley Ingram, the Mids¹ new offensive line coach, pat yourself on the back because you are correct. Now before you run to the GoMids.com message boards to heckle the first-year assistant, allow me to give you some context for the exchange.

I started a question by asking the coach if “With Coach Johnson gone, are you excited” and before I could finish my question and without hesitation, Ingram answered * “Yeah I¹m excited, because if he wouldn¹t have left, I wouldn¹t be here. Yeah, I¹m excited he¹s gone,” he laughed.

I then continued with my original question in regards to whether or not, with Johnson gone, the staff is excited about continuing to build on the momentum the former coach helped to create.

“There¹s no doubt that [Johnson] did a great job here but I think they¹ve got the right guy for the job here. Coach Niumatalolo has coached every position in this offense and obviously he learned from the best,” said Ingram. “He¹s not Coach Johnson * he¹s his own man. I think he¹s done a great job of keeping Ivin Jasper here to run the offense, and done a great job of keeping Buddy Green. Is there pressure to win? Sure there is but I don¹t think there is any added pressurethere¹s no pressure from outside that we don¹t already put on ourselves.”

With plebe summer approaching for the latest batch of recruits, Ingram said that he is well prepared when it comes to the number one question he will have for his offensive line: Are you getting enough to eat?

“I¹m sure [the question] will come up,” said Ingram.

“³Let¹s hope they come here in pretty good shape,” he continued. “They are no different than any other midshipmen that come here. It¹s required of them. We fully expect them to hold their end of their obligation and when we get them back, we¹ll bulk them back up. It¹s part of the reality here.”

Cart Gate

During the media luncheon press conference in March, Navy head coach Ken Niumatalolo said that there would be very few differences on the field from what his predecessor did while at the helm of the team. The new head coach did say, though, that one change would be that players probably wouldn¹t see him sitting in a cart during practices.

A few weeks ago, I had a chance to ask Paul Johnson about Niumatalolo¹s comment regarding the all-terrain golf vehicle and he responded with a chuckle, “It was Kenny¹s idea in the first place to get the cart.”

GreatAmerican · April 27, 2008, 9:16am

07:24 AM CDT on Friday, April 18, 2008

By Butch Alsandor / 11 News Sports

ANNAPOLIS, Md. Life at the Naval Academy for Houston native Thomas Hamilton is all good.

navysports.com

Thomas Hamilton in both his uniforms.

When he spoke with 11 News Sports on Friday morning, he was about to attend a lecture by Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates.

Later that weekend he was lacing up his cleats as captain of the Navy baseball team for a big series versus rival Army.

“The main thing I had to do when I first got to the Academy was to learn how to manage my time,” Hamilton said. “Between school and baseball and other obligations, it was overwhelming.”

But Thomas almost didn¹t end up at the Academy. In 2004, he played on a stellar baseball team at Lamar High School with future standouts such as former Rice University star Joe Savery.

The Cardinals were loaded with talent that year, and many of the players went on to compete in college. Hamilton received a recruiting call from the Naval Academy the summer before his senior year, but he really wasn¹t interested. He even took a trip to Annapolis, Md., but not even the beauty of the small town with the great Navy tradition could seduce him. But a few weeks later he changed his mind.

“I started to realize it was a once in a lifetime opportunity, when you think of the superior education and the service to your country how I have turned that down?² he said. ³Besides , I would still be playing Division 1 baseball, and if I just hated it, I could always come home.”

But according to Hamilton, going from Houston to the Academy presented some major lifestyle changes.

“I wasn¹t used to military life,” he said. “My parents were really strict when I was growing up, so I had some ideas where the boundaries were, but living with so many people in such close quarters took some getting used to.”

There are always lots of dignitaries visiting the Academy. President Bush has been on campus twice during Hamilton¹s four years. Sen. John McCain was there two weeks ago for one of the Academy¹s 4-star lectures. The visit is something Thomas and the other middies took a lot pride in.

“President Carter was the first Naval Academy graduate to become Commander-in-Chief,² he said. ³We can all be very proud Sen. McCain is running for the highest office in the land.”

In his four years at the academy, Hamilton has gotten to see the world. He recently took part in a summer training course at Pearl Harbor and has met people from all over the nation, from all walks of life and said it¹s been great.

What¹s next for the 22-year-old senior? He will have to do five years of active duty and has already been assigned to the USS Mobile Bay CG53, which is stationed in San Diego. Hamilton will be an Ensign when he departs in late June and will be gone six to eight months serving our country.

GreatAmerican · April 27, 2008, 9:19am

For: Immediate Release
Sent: April 23, 2008
Contact: Scott Strasemeier

Navy-Ohio State to Play in Football in 2009 and 2014

ANNAPOLIS, Md.-Navy and Ohio State have agreed to play in football in 2009 and 2014 Naval Academy Director of Athletics Chet Gladchuk announced today. The Mids will open up the 2009 season on Sept. 5 in Columbus, while the Buckeyes will play Navy on Aug. 30, 2014, at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium or at a neutral site in the Annapolis area.

This will be the fourth meeting between the Midshipmen and Buckeyes and the first since the 1981 Liberty Bowl when Ohio State hung on to beat Navy, 31-28. The 2009 season opener will mark the first time Navy has played a school from the Big 10 since September 21, 2002, when the Mids took on Northwestern. Navy is 23-31-2 all-time against schools currently in the Big 10.

GreatAmerican · April 27, 2008, 9:20am

For Immediate Release
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Contact: Jonathan Maggart (410) 293-8771

Thursdays Navy-Coppin State Game Moved to Joe Cannon Stadium

ANNAPOLIS, Md. Navys home baseball game scheduled against Coppin State for Thursday afternoon at Terwilliger Brothers Field at Max Bishop Stadium has been moved to Joe Cannon Stadium in Hanover, Md. First pitch for Coppin States home game tomorrow will be 4 p.m., and there will be no live statistics available for the contest.

Following tomorrows ballgame, the fourth-place Midshipmen (24-20, 8-8 Patriot League) will close out league regular season play with first-place Holy Cross (18-21, 10-6 Patriot League) in a pivotal four-game set in Annapolis this Saturday and Sunday. The top-four team advance to this years Patriot League Tournament, which begins with semifinal series action on May 10-11.

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

GreatAmerican · April 27, 2008, 2:16pm

For: Immediate Release
Sent: April 23, 2008
Contact: Scott Strasemeier (410) 293-8775

Navy Women’s Soccer Media Guide Ranked No. 1 In The District

ANNAPOLIS, Md.-The Naval Academy Women’s Soccer media guide, produced by the Navy Sports Information Office, was ranked No. 1 in the district by the College Sports Information Directors of America. West Virginia finished second in the district.

Associate Sports Information Director Stacie Michaud served as the writer and editor of the publication, Kelli Sheesley handled the layout and design and Phil Hoffmann was the photographer.

GreatAmerican · April 27, 2008, 2:17pm

Army-Navy Update

All-Time Army-Navy Record: 883-670-38 (.567)

2007-08 Record Against Army: 16-13 (.552)

2007-08 N-Star Record Against Army: 15-7 (.682)-Mids win N-Star series against Army for the 12th-straight year

Last 11 Years Against Army: 220-118-5 (.649)

Last 11 Years N-Star Record Against Army: 166-71-5 (.696)

2007-08 Results

Sprint Football: Won, 30-17; Won, 41-13 (N-Star)

Women¹s Volleyball: Lost, 3-1 (N-Star); Lost, 3-0

Golf: Won, 6.5-4.5 (N-Star)

Men¹s Cross Country: Won, 23-35 (N-Star)

Women¹s Cross Country: Won, 23-38 (N-Star)

Women¹s Soccer: Won, 2-0 (N-Star)

Men¹s Soccer: Lost, 2-1 in overtime (N-Star)

Women¹s Swimming & Diving: Won, 206-94 (N-Star)

Men¹s Swimming & Diving: Won, 231-69 (N-Star)

Football: Won, 38-3 (N-Star)

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

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

Men¹s Indoor Track & Field: Won, 95-86 (N-Star)

Women¹s Indoor Track & Field: Won, 93.5-87.5 (N-Star)

Rifle: Lost, 5842-5745 (N-Star)

Men¹s Gymnastics: Won, 340.75-322.6 (N-Star)

Wrestling: Won, 22-12 (N-Star)

Women¹s Outdoor Track & Field: Lost, 119.5-83.5 (N-Star)

Men¹s Outdoor Track & Field: Won, 118-85 (N-Star)

Men¹s Lacrosse: Lost, 9-6 (N-Star)

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

Men¹s Tennis: Won, 4-3 (N-Star)

GreatAmerican · April 27, 2008, 2:19pm

ANNAPOLIS, Md. – Navy women’s lacrosse players Erin Rawlick, Meg Decker and Katrina Nietsch were named to the All-Patriot League women’s lacrosse teams, the league office announced on Wednesday. Rawlick and Decker were selected to the first team, while Nietsch was a second-team honoree. American and Lehigh led the way with six selections, while Colgate had five. Just five freshmen were named to the two squads, with two of them coming from Navy.

Rawlick, a sophomore midfielder from Forest Hill, Md., was a first-team honoree after scoring a league-best 87 points on 64 goals and 23 assists, ranking first in the country in goals and second in points. She has scored at least two goals and three points in every game, and has seven games of at least six points. She scored a school-record nine points (7 g, 2 a) in a 15-12 win over Canisius, the eighth-highest single-game total in the country this year. She scored seven goals against both Canisius and Villanova, the fourth-best goal total in the country this year. She added eight points (4 g, 4 a) in a win over Howard. Her 87 points are the fourth most in a single season in Patriot League history, while the 64 goals are the sixth most. Rawlick has been a vital part of an offense that has scored a Patriot League-record 268 goals entering this weekend’s tournament. Rawlick also ranks among the nation’s leaders in draw controls (56), and is sixth on the team with 25 ground bal!
ls!
.

Decker, a freshman midfielder from Catonsville, Md., joined Rawlick on the first team after scoring 70 points on 57 goals and 13 assists, ranking among the league’s leaders in both goals (3rd) and points (4th). Decker has recorded a hat trick in 13 straight games and in 15-of-16 games played this year, and is a three-time winner of the Patriot League Rookie of the Week award. She ranks 16th nationally in points and eighth in goals and is the third-highest scoring freshman in the country. Decker has scored at least five points in a contest eight times this year, and set career highs in goals and points with six against both Niagara and Robert Morris. Decker is second on the team in draw controls (55) and caused turnovers (17) and is third in ground balls (28). She has also converted 14-of-27 free-position opportunities on the season.

Nietsch, a freshman midfielder from New Canaan, Conn., was Navy’s lone representative on the second team, after scoring 45 points (38 g, 7 a) during the regular season. She is sixth in the Patriot League in goals with 38, and served a vital role in Navy’s success in its clearing game, helping the Mids convert 85.1 percent of all clear attempts. Nietsch was named Patriot League Rookie of the Week on April 14, after scoring a career-high six goals in a win over Bucknell, a victory that secured Navy a spot in the Patriot League Tournament. Nietsch has scored 16 goals in the last five games and has 12 multi-goal games this year. When she scores at least two goals in a game, the Mids are 12-0. Nietsch has added 37 ground balls and 29 draw controls.

Fourth-seeded Navy, which set an NCAA record for wins by a first-year program with 13, will battle top-seeded American at 1:00 pm at Jacobs Field in Washington, D.C. in the semifinals on Friday. The winner of that game will face the winner of Colgate and Lehigh on Sunday. The champion of the Patriot League Tournament will host an NCAA Tournament Play-In Game on May 3, beginning at 1:00 pm.

GreatAmerican · April 27, 2008, 2:24pm

For Immediate Release
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Men’s Golf Contact: Stacie Michaud (410) 293-8773

Mids Win Navy Spring Invitational, Freshman Hayes Claims Individual Title

ANNAPOLIS, Md. - Ben Hayes (Carmichael, Calif.) became the first Navy freshman in Pat Owen’s 18 years as Navy’s head coach to win a tournament as his two-day 3-under par 139 led the Navy Gold team to Navy Spring Invitational team title Sunday afternoon at the Naval Academy Golf Course in Annapolis. The Mids (296-293) and Iona (291-298) both finished the tournament with a 21-over par 589, however the playoff was wiped out after a tornado watch was issued and lightning surrounded the course. Navy was awarded the win by virtue of Eric Stinson’s 77 vs. Iona’s Anthony Rubeo’s 79 in the final round.

Navy is the only team in the last 11 years to win the team title multiple times, earning bragging rights in 2003, '06 and now '08.

All three of Navy’s teams improved their scores in Sunday’s final round and were able to move up in the standings, including the Gold team which leapt from fourth to first by shaving three strokes off its first-round score, while Iona tacked on seven strokes.

“We had a great team effort by the gold team today, but the other two teams pushed just as hard and had strong performances on Sunday,” said Owen. “I was really pleased and proud of our three seniors who really did a nice job of leading the teams this weekend.”

Hayes sat in second place heading into the final round, just a stroke behind George Washington’s Sebastian Palomares. Hayes, who shot a 2-under par 69 on Saturday, followed up with a 1-under par 70, the low round of the day, to capture his first collegiate title. He bested Iona’s Russel Giglio by five strokes and was the only player to finish the tournament under par.

Hayes tied the tournament record for lowest 36-hole score, as well as the lowest 36-hole scores to par. Both records were previously set by teammate Erich Schoen (Sylvania, Ohio) in 2006, while Brian Crum was the first to turn in a 139 (-1) in 2003.

Junior Ryan Wielgus (Bethesda, Md.), who has battled an injury this spring, played an impressive tournament, finishing tied for 14th with a 5-over par 147 as a member of the Navy Gold squad. Rookie Josh Ziska (Camarillo, Calif.) moved up 10 spots in the standings by turning in a 4-over par 75 in the final round to place 27th with a 9-over par 151. Senior Ryan Sload (Lancaster, Pa.) finished just outside of the top 30 and a stroke behind Ziska in 31st with a 10-over par 152 (77-75), while junior Eric Stinson (Spotsylvania, Va.) placed 52nd with a 14-over par 156 (79-77).

The Navy Blue team, which is traditionally the No. 1 Navy team, captured a top-10 finish by shedding six strokes off its first-round score. The Blue squad placed ninth with a 42-over par 610 (308-302). Schoen, one of the Mids’ three seniors, jumped from 12th to seventh in the final standings after turning in a 4-over par 146, shooting a pair of 73s. Classmate and team captain Chris Renninger (Darnestown, Md.) turned in the low round for the Blue squad, shooting par to move up from 61st to 23rd (79-71-150, +8). Chip Hardie (Arnold, Md.) finished 52nd with a 14-over par 156, followed by junior David Miller (Chillicothe, Ohio) in 66th (79-80-159, +17) and John Montemayor (Woodbridge, Va.) in 78th (83-79-162, +20).

The Navy White squad, meanwhile, bettered its score by 13 strokes in the final round as it came from 15th place to finish in 11th with a two-round mark of 613 (+45), just a stroke behind St. Francis (Pa.) in 10th. Newcomer Rob Merkert (Severna Park, Md.) put together his finest tournament showing of his young career by placing 23rd with an 8-over par 150 (74-76). Junior John Fischer (West Des Moines, Iowa) trimmed eight strokes off his score from the opening round, turning in a 2-over par 73 on Sunday to jump from 73rd to 39th with a two-day 12-over par 154. Also placing 39th was freshman Marcus Heyland (Fort Madison, Iowa) who put together back-to-back 77s. Meanwhile, sophomore Michael Harrigan (Moorestown, N.J.) also solved his woes on the final day, as he bounced back from a first-round 11-over par 82 to shoot a 3-over par 74 on Sunday. He finished 52nd with a 14-over par 156, while sophomore Joshua Howell (New Bern, N.C.) rounded out the lineup with a 74th-place fin!
is!
h with a 19-over par 161 (81-80).

In addition to fielding three teams, Navy also put four individuals on the course, including freshman Steve ‘Beau’ Guidry (Durham, N.C.) who tied for 39th (75-79-154, +12). Additionally, sophomore Andrew Hutchison (Jonesboro, Ark.) finished 58th (77-80-157, +15), while sophomore John Moore (Winnetka, Ill.) (81-77-158, +16) and rookie Blaine Henning (Simonton, Texas) tied for 64th (84-74-158, +17).

The Midshipmen will be back in action next Saturday and Sunday when they travel to Bethlehem, Pa. to take part in the 2008 Patriot League Championship played at Saucon Valley Country Club.

GreatAmerican · April 27, 2008, 2:25pm

This Week in Navy Club Sports:

Boxing: 
Last Week: Idle
This Week * Idle.

Cycling *
Last Week: @ Wake Forest ACCC Conference Championships * Saturday Team
Trial * Conference Champions for Men¹s A, Men¹s B and Women¹s A
Saturday Road Race * 1 Third Place win;
Overall Season: Team: 2nd Place, 1st Place overall Women¹s A: Erin Moss; 3rd
Place Overall Men¹s A: Ryan McFeely, 2nd Place Overall Men¹s B: Paul Lietzan
This Week: Idle

Hockey * (20-18-1)
Last Week: Idle
This Week: Idle

Karate *
Last Week: @ PA National Tournament: Five first place finishes in sparring,
one in forms and one in weapons, including Grand Champion.
Also had four second place finishes as well as eight third place finishes.
This Week: @ Eastern Regional Tournament (Sat, 9:00am, Rockville MD)

Pistol * (7-0)
Last Week: @ USA Shooting 2008 National Jr Olympic Championships * NO
RESULTS POSTED.
This Week: Idle

Lacrosse * (10-5)
Last Week: Idle
This Week: Idle

Marathon *
Last Week: @ Boston Marathon National Competition *
Team did exceptionally well this year with 9 runners setting personal
records & 16 members re-qualifying for next year¹s Boston Marathon!
This Week-
Powerlifting *
Last Week: Idle
This Week - Idle

Rugby (M) (7-1)
Last Week: Idle
This Week: Idle

Rugby (W) *A Side 25-3-1/ B Side 12-2-2
Last Week: @ Sweet Sixteens / Elite 8: Defeated Vassar 21-5, Defeated Texas
A&M 27-22
This Week * Idle.

Soccer * (1-0-3)
Last Week: Round Robin Brotherton Spring Classic : Tied with Delaware
2-2; Tied with Towson 1-1
This Week:

Softball *
Last Week: @ NCSA World Series: Lost to JMU 10-0, lost to PENN ST 5-2,
lost to Colorado 6-5
This Week *

Tennis * (5-0)
Last Week: @ 2008 USTA National Campus Championship * placed 28th in the
NATION!
This Week :

Triathlon * 
Last Week: @ USAT Collegiate National Championships (Sat, Tuscaloosa,
AL)-NO RESULTS POSTED.
This Week: @ St. Anthony¹s Triathlon, (Sun, St. Petersburg, FL)

Volleyball * (18-12)
Last Week: Idle
This Week * Idle

Field Hockey *(1-2)
Last Week: Idle
This Week: Idle

Navy Sports

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