Navy Sports

GreatAmerican · March 11, 2007, 11:10am

For Immediate Release
Saturday, March 10, 2007
Contact: Jonathan Maggart (410) 293-8771

Paul Harris Earns All-America Honors at NCAA Championship

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Navy men’s track & field junior middle distance runner Paul Harris (Woodbury, Minn.) claimed All-America honors in the 800-meter run with his sixth-place finish during the finals at the NCAA Championship on Saturday evening at the Randal Tyson Track Center.

Harris becomes Navy’s first All-American in the 800-meter run and the program’s first All-American performer since Erik Schmidt brought home the honors in the mile run at the 2004 national championship.

“This wasn’t the usual race, but was a lot of fun,” said Harris. “It definitely feels great to earn All-America honors, especially after finishing 23rd at last year’s outdoor national championship.”

Harris added, “I was really excited to run with some great runners. I tried to put myself into a positive mindset, focusing on my race and running how I normally do.”

The Navy junior ran the event in 1:50.02, the third-fastest time in school history. Harris currently owns the four-quickest indoor 800-meter run times in school history. He finished 1.62 seconds behind national champion Ryan Brown’s 1:48.40 time from Washington.

“Everyone in the stadium knew he was going to lead,” stated Navy assistant coach Al Cantello. “He has a signature race and he went out and led the first-400 meters. With this being the national championship, the pack caught up to him and he tightened up a little bit. He was able to regain his composure near the end, but by that point, it was too late.”

Harris advanced to the NCAA Championship 800-meter run finals following a second-place showing during his preliminary heat on Friday afternoon. He crossed the finish line in 1:48.91 during that race, only 0.33-second off Jamaal James’ first-place clocking from LSU.

The product of Woodbury, Minn., qualified for this year’s national championship with a 1:48.46 showing at the Iowa State Classic on Feb. 9. The showing established a new school record by more than two full seconds and ranked third among the accepted qualifying runners for this year’s championship.

During the 2006 outdoor season, Harris became the first Navy runner in 61 years to compete in the national championship in the 800-meter/800-yard run. He finished 23rd during the preliminary round.

Navy will open its 2007 outdoor season next Saturday, March 17, when it heads to San Diego, Calif., for the Point Loma Invitational.

2007 NCAA INDOOR TRACK & FIELD CHAMPIONSHIP
March 10, 2007
Randal Tyson Track Center
Fayetteville, Ark.
800-meter Run Finals

<pre><code>Name Year School Finals Points

</code></pre>

========================================================= 
1 Ryan Brown SR Washington 1:48.40 10 
2 Andrew Ellerton SR Michigan 1:48.55 8 
3 Kyle Smith SR Northern Iowa 1:49.09 6 
4 Austin Abbott JR Washington 1:49.65 5 
5 Jamaal James FR LSU 1:49.69 4 
6 Paul Harris JR Navy 1:50.02 3 
7 Shaun Smith JR Oral Roberts 1:50.41 2 
8 Thomas Chamney SR Notre Dame 1:50.74 1

GreatAmerican · March 11, 2007, 11:13am

<h1>6 Navy def. Lehigh, 9-5</h1>

For Immediate Release
Saturday, March 10, 2007
Men's Lacrosse Contact: Stacie Michaud (410) 293-8773

Sixth-Ranked Navy Lax Remains Unbeaten at 4-0

BETHLEHEM, Pa. - The sixth-ranked Navy men's lacrosse team scored eight-consecutive goals, seven in the second quarter, to rally back from an early 3-0 deficit and defeat Patriot League foe Lehigh, 9-5, Saturday afternoon at Urlich Sports Complex in Bethlehem, Pa. Six different players scored goals for the Midshipmen as Navy improved to 4-0 on the year, including a 2-0 record in Patriot League action.

"I thought that we struggled to finish off some of our shots today, but I was impressed with our players keeping their composure and battling back," said Navy head coach Richie Meade. "Defensively, we did a pretty good job. Colin Finnegan (Arnold, Md.) had another solid game in goal for us and Jordan DiNola (Ballston Lake, N.Y.) did a great job of covering Alec Hooff, who was a First-Team All-Patriot League midfielder last year."

The Midshipmen were led by senior midfielder Billy Looney (Silver Spring, Md.) who picked up his first hat trick of the season, while becoming the third different player this season who has pitched in three-plus goals in a game for Navy. Fellow first-line midfielder senior Tommy Wallin (Mountain Lakes, N.J.) turned in a pair of goals and added an assist, while attackmen Nick Mirabito (Binghamton, N.Y.) and Bruce Nechanicky (Montgomery Village, Md.) each scored a goal and assisted on a pair. Stephen Marino paced Lehigh with a pair of goals, while Matthew Diehl, Chris Linko and Ricky Cornetta each scored.

Shots were few and far between in the opening quarter as the two teams combined for just 10. It wasn't until the 3:11 mark that either team got a solid shot off, as Lehigh rookie Chris Linko curled around the left side and poked in his first-collegiate goal to give the Mountain Hawks a 1-0 lead. Less than a minute later, Jeff Wiener fed Marino who took a shot from five yards out on the left side of the goal, sliding it just over Finnegan's shoulder to the far side of the net. The Mountain Hawks pushed their lead to three when Cornetta came around the left side of the goal and literally rolled the ball past short stick defensive midfielder Geoff Leone (Massapequa, N.Y.) with just under a minute to play in the opening quarter.

Just as time ran out in the first quarter, Lehigh's Kevin Houk was called for pushing, setting up the Mids for their second extra-man opportunity of the day. Navy took 26 seconds to set up the goal they need as Wallin fed Looney for a 10-yard power shot up the middle. That goal was the first of eight in a row for the Mids, including seven straight in the second quarter.

For the second-straight game, Navy long stick defensive midfielder Victor Barger (Clifton Park, N.Y.) scored a goal as Nechanicky fed Barger in transition who got off a left-handed shot and his second-collegiate goal.

Two of the most impressive plays of the day came at the end of the run. Wallin scored his second of the day when we whipped a shot from behind the back thanks to a feed from rookie middie Basil Daratsos (Niskayuna, N.Y.) with just 32 seconds left in the opening half.

Navy's final goal in the run was scored with 5:37 remaining in the third quarter as Leone precisely threw an outlet pass from near his own defensive goal to Terence Higgins (Chappaqua, N.Y.) who was just inside the offensive box who then found Nechanicky for the score.

After more than a 35-minute scoring drought, Lehigh put its fourth goal on the board as Marino shot up the gut as he was spinning to the middle of the field. The Mountain Hawks scored off a Navy error at the 8:53 mark in the fourth quarter as Diehl intercepted a pass by Finnegan and popped the ball right back into the net.

The Mids scored their final goal of the game when Looney exposed Lehigh's 10-man ride and tossed a 40-yard shot from the left side into an empty goal.

Both teams finished the contest with 35 shots, while the Mids claimed the ground ball war with a 32-25 advantage. Navy won 10 of the 17 face-offs with senior William Wallace (Bloomfield Village, Mich.) taking eight of the 11 draws he took. Finnegan played an impressive second half where he made 12 of his career-high tying 14 saves.

Navy will have little time to reflect upon its win, as the Midshipmen will be back in action on Tuesday when they play host to Canisius in a nonconference matchup. Game time is slated for 10:00 am at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium.

The Voice of Navy Lacrosse Pete Medhurst will call the game which will be available only on Navy All-Access via <a href="http://www.NavySports.com%5B/url%5D">www.NavySports.com</a>. Navy All-Access provides fans with access to numerous live and archived video events including selected Midshipmen athletic contests from a variety of sports. Fans can begin purchasing the Navy All-Access pass ($4.95/month) immediately by clicking on the Navy All-Access icon on <a href="http://www.NavySports.com%5B/url%5D">www.NavySports.com</a>.

GreatAmerican · March 11, 2007, 11:14am

Navy Rifle Places Fifth In Air Rifle At NCAAs

FAIRBANKS, Alaska -- The Navy rifle team closed out its season with a fifth-place finish in the air rifle discipline after firing a 2336 on Saturday on the final day of the NCAA rifle championships. Coupled with yesterday's score of 2253 in smallbore, the Mids finished seventh overall with a combined score of 4589. Alaska-Fairbanks won its second straight NCAA title by winning both disciplines and finishing with a combined score of 4662.

It was an extremely competitive race following Alaska-Fairbanks and Jacksonville (2348), the top two finishers in Saturday's air rifle discipline. Four teams were separated by one point, with Army claiming third with a 2337, winning a tiebreaker over Kentucky, which also fired a 2337. Navy then won a tiebreaker over Nebraska for fifth, as both teams fired a 2336.

"It was obviously extremely competitive. The top seven teams were decided by just 24 points. There are a lot of good air rifle teams across the country," said Navy head coach Bill Kelley.

Individually, Lisa Kunzelman just missed a spot in the eight-person finals by one point, accumulating a 587. Sarah Bergman fired a 585, Alex Karacsonyi shot a 583 and Josh Albright tallied a 581. Albright won Friday's NCAA smallbore individual title.

"We had a pretty good day on the range, especially after Friday's performance," said Kelley. "We didn't have any great scores, but four very solid scores, which is what you need to be successful here."

The Mids entered the tournament with the eighth-best score on the year, and finished the tournament seventh. Navy was in eighth after yesterday's smallbore score.

"We could have folded the tent after yesterday, but I was pleased with how we came out today and performed," said Kelley. "They wanted to end on a good note and did that today."

The Mids, which finished the dual season with a 9-4 overall mark, competed in their 16th straight NCAA Championships over the weekend. Navy will lose a pair of seniors, Sarah Bergman and Chris Schneider, from its regular lineup, but will return three shooters that competed over the weekend.

NAVY INDIVIDUAL AIR RIFLE SCORES
-- Lisa Kunzelman 587 - 9th
-- Sarah Bergman 585
-- Alex Karacsonyi 583
-- Josh Albright 581

OVERALL SCORES (AIR RIFLE / SMALLBORE)
1. Alaska-Fairbanks 4662 (2354 / 2308)
2. Army 4644 (2337 / 2307)
3. Jacksonville 4639 (2348 / 2291)
4. Kentucky 4636 (2337 / 2299)
5. Nebraska 4623 (2336 / 2287)
Texas Christian 4623 (2330 / 2293)
7. Navy 4589 (2336 / 2253)
8. Murray State 4565 (2303 / 2262)

GreatAmerican · March 11, 2007, 8:41pm

For Immediate Release
Sunday, March 11, 2007
Contact: Jonathan Maggart (410) 293-8771

Navy Edges Monmouth in Series Finale, 2-1

ANNAPOLIS, Md. – Navy sophomore right-handed pitcher Matt White (Yorba Linda, Calif.) delivered eight solid innings of four-hit baseball as the Midshipmen defeated Monmouth, 2-1, in the series finale at Terwilliger Brothers Field at Max Bishop Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

The win improves Navy’s record to 12-5 on the year and marks the 1,600th victory in the program’s 112-year history. Monmouth fell to 4-4-1 with the loss.

“The key for us today was our defense making plays, turning double plays and taking away extra bases,” said Navy head coach Paul Kostacopoulos. “With the pitching being as solid as it has been, that truly allowed us to win today. To have two freshmen (Matthew Curley and Kendall Bolt) playing really well up the middle defensively, it’s a huge plus. Curley made a couple of big plays and had a hand in turning three double plays.”

After a shaky start over his first-three innings, White settled down and yielded only one hit and faced one batter over the minimum during the last-five innings. He finished the afternoon with seven strikeouts, matching his previous career highs against Florida A&M and Georgetown last year. The sophomore right-hander improved to 4-1 on the year with the win on Sunday.

“Matt fought through some adversity early on and cruised afterwards,” stated Kostacopoulos. “From the fourth inning on, he looked as good of a pitcher as he ever has since coming here.”

Monmouth received back-to-back walks with one out in the top of the first, followed by Mike Casale’s single off the fence down the right field line. However, right fielder Mitch Harris (Mt. Holly, N.C.) delivered a strike to cut-off man Matthew Curley (Boston, Mass.) who then fired to catcher Steven Soares (Coral Springs, Fla.) and blocked the plate to get Chris Collazo at home. In addition to the out, the Midshipmen were able to hold the secondary runner, Andy Meyers, at second base. Following a fielding error on the next play to load the bases, White was able to get out of the jam with a groundout back to the pitcher.

The Midshipmen wasted little time in staking a White a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first. Junior leadoff hitter Renaldo Hollins (Virginia Beach, Va.) singled up the middle and stole second base. After a groundout moved him up 90 feet, Harris delivered a sacrifice fly to right that plated Hollins.

The Hawks knotted the ballgame at one in third, when Kyle Higgins led off with a double down the right field line and came home to score on back-to-back groundouts.

Navy had an opportunity to break the tie in the sixth, when a walk and a throwing error put runners on second and third with nobody out. With the infield playing in, Monmouth starter Matt Frazier was able to get back-to-back-to-back groundouts to wiggle out of the jam unscathed.

The Midshipmen wouldn’t let the opportunity go by in the eighth, producing the go-ahead run. Soares drew a full-count walk to lead off the inning and then moved to second on a wild pitch. Freshman designated hitter Drew Lydon (White Plains, Md.) singled back through the box and Soares slid into home safely before the tag of catcher John Dennis.

The Hawks would make things interesting in the ninth off of Navy freshman closer JD Melton (Myrtle Beach, S.C.). The first-two Monmouth hitters led off the ninth with singles, putting runners on first and second. The sacrifice bunt attempt by Rick Niederhaus came right to Melton, who fired to third to get the lead runner. On the next pitch, the Navy right-hander induced a game-ending 5-4-3 double play to pick up his fourth save of the year, tying a Navy freshman record with Todd Bizba (1985).

At the plate, Hollins led the Midshipmen with 2-for-4 performance with a run scored and a stolen base. His career stolen base total moved up to 38 following Sunday’s contest, tying him for fifth on the all-time list with Jason Guidos (1999-02) and Jerry Liscomb (1973-76).

“Renaldo had four really good at bats today,” stated Kostacopoulos. “He’s the key for us offensively and really need him to get going in order for us to effective.”

The Midshipmen return to action tomorrow when they host Buffalo in a 2 p.m. first pitch at Terwilliger Brothers Field at Max Bishop Stadium. Live stats will be available via GameTracker on <a href="http://www.navysports.com(%5B/url%5D.)">www.navysports.com(.)</a>

GreatAmerican · March 11, 2007, 9:22pm

At Naval Academy, bond packs punch

B.J. Richardson and Dan Leahey stand in opposite corners and come from vastly different backgrounds, but they share a common goal -- and a friendship

Published in the BS:

<a href="http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/boxing/bal-sp.maeseboxing11mar11,0,882189.story?coll=bal-sports-headlines%5B/url%5D">http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/boxing/bal-sp.maeseboxing11mar11,0,882189.story?coll=bal-sports-headlines</a>

[quote]
In the center of the ring, they touch gloves and look right into each other's eyes. In just a brief moment, each fighter sees and knows everything possible about his opponent. Not just who he is, but where he's from, where he's going. Each also sees the hard truth behind the night's fight: To win, he must defeat one of his best friends. The bell rings, and the fighter wearing yellow fires two quick jabs, the second finding its target....

[/quote]

GreatAmerican · March 12, 2007, 10:07am

Overall Navy Sports Record, 218-123-3 (.638)

Baseball (12-5)

Last Week: Defeated Monmouth, 2-1; lost to Monmouth, 5-2; defeated Monmouth, 2-1

This Week: Buffalo (Monday, 2 p.m., Annapolis, Md., GameTracker on navysports.com); at Mount St. Mary?s (Wednesday, 2:30 p.m., Emmitsburg, Md.); Buffalo (Thursday, 2 p.m., Annapolis, Md., GameTracker on navysports.com); Duquesne-DH (Saturday, 12 noon, Annapolis, Md., GameTracker on navysports.com); Duquesne (Sunday, 12 noon, Annapolis, Md., GameTracker on navysports.com)

Golf

Last Week: Idle

This Week: at the Cat Classic (Thursday-Friday, All Day, Westin, Fla.)

Gymnastics (9-9)

Last Week: Idle

This Week: at Temple (Saturday, 2 p.m., Philadelphia, Pa.)

<h1>6 Men's Lacrosse (4-0, 2-0 in the Patriot League)</h1>

Last Week: Defeated Lehigh, 9-5

This Week: Canisius (Tuesday, 10 a.m., Annapolis, Md., GameTracker on navysports.com and audio on Navy All-Access); vs Holy Cross (Saturday, 12 noon CDT, Dallas, Texas, 1430 WNAV)

Women's Lacrosse (5-2)

Last Week: Lost to Longwood, 18-16

This Week: Idle

Rifle (9-4)

Last Week: Finished seventh at the NCAA Championship

This Week: Season concluded

Intercollegiate Sailing

Last Week: Finished eighth out of 15 teams at the Admiral Moore Regatta

This Week: at the Truxten Umsted (Saturday-Sunday); at the St. Mary's Women's Spring Intersectional (Saturday-Sunday)

Tennis (5-8)

Last Week: Idle

This Week: vs Eastern Kentucky (Tuesday, 8:30 a.m., St. Augustine, Fla.); at Florida Atlantic (Wednesday, 12 noon, Boca Raton, Fla.)

Men's Indoor Track & Field (6-1)

Last Week: Finished 51st at the NCAA Championship

This Week: Season concluded

Men's Outdoor Track & Field (0-0)

Last Week: Idle

This Week: at the Point Loma Invitational (Saturday, 12 noon, San Diego, Calif.)

No. 21 Wrestling (11-4, 7-0 in the EIWA)

Last Week: Idle

This Week: at the NCAA Championship (Thursday-Saturday, All Day, Detroit, Mich.)

GreatAmerican · March 12, 2007, 12:05pm

For: Immediate Release
Date: Monday, March 12, 2007
Contact: Chris Forman - 410-293-8774

Navy Men's Soccer Announces Spring Schedule

ANNAPOLIS, Md. -- Navy head men's soccer coach Rich Miranda has announced the Midshipmen's 2007 spring schedule with the Mids playing 10 games over the course of a month, highlighted by a visit to Annapolis from 2005 NCAA Champion and 2006 NCAA round of 16 participant, Maryland, on April 21. The Mids will play four of the 10 games at the Glenn Warner Soccer Facility.

Navy will open its spring slate on March 24, in Lexington, Va., with a pair of games against Longwood and Virginia Military, beginning at 11:30 am. Navy's first home game will be on March 25, when it hosts the Crystal Palace F.C. at 6:00 pm, at Glenn Warner Soccer Facility. The Mids' other home games will be on April 21, when it hosts three matches on that day as part of its annual Alumni Weekend. Navy will battle Shepherd University at 11:30 am, UMBC at 1:00 pm and then host Maryland at 5:30 pm. At 2:30 pm, the annual Danny Humphreys Navy Alumni Game will take place at Glenn Warner Soccer Facility. For more information on Alumni Weekend, please contact assistant coach Patrick Kennedy at 410-293-5542.

Navy posted a 5-9-2 record last year, but was decimated by injuries as 12 different players missed at least two games with injuries. Miranda will welcome back eight players that started at least five games last year.

2007 Spring Schedule
Date Time Opponent Site
March 24 11:30 am Longwood Lexington, Va.
March 24 1:00 pm Virginia Military Lexington, Va.
March 25 6:00 pm Crystal Palace F.C. Annapolis, Md.
March 31 10:00 am William & Mary Williamsburg, Va.
March 31 2:00 pm Richmond Williamsburg, Va.
April 14 12:00 pm Kicks Against Cancer Shootout Germantown, Md.
April 14 3:00 pm Kicks Against Cancer Shootout Germantown, Md.
April 21 11:30 am Shepherd University Annapolis, Md.
April 21 1:00 pm Maryland-Baltimore County Annapolis, Md.
April 21 2:30 pm Danny Humphreys Navy Alumni Game Annapolis, Md.
April 21 5:30 pm Maryland Annapolis, Md.

GreatAmerican · March 12, 2007, 6:58pm

For Immediate Release
Monday, March 12, 2007
Contact: Jonathan Maggart (410) 293-8771

Navy Shuts Out Buffalo, 7-0

ANNAPOLIS, Md. – Navy junior right-handed pitcher Mark McCoy delivered eight innings of shutout baseball as the Midshipmen blanked Buffalo, 7-0, on Monday afternoon at Terwilliger Brothers Field at Max Bishop Stadium. With the win, Navy improved to 13-5 on the year and have come away victorious in four of its last-five contests. Buffalo dropped to 1-9 with the setback.

“The key today was that we were able to execute our offense, putting together more competitive at bats that resulted in a better day for us at the plate,” stated Navy head coach Paul Kostacopoulos. “Once again though, our pitching and defense kept us alive as it was still a 1-0 lead for us going into the seventh.”

McCoy scattered eight hits over his eight innings, walking none and striking out six in a 114-pitch outing to up his mark to 3-2 on the campaign. The right-hander got into a little trouble early in innings, but held the Bulls off the scoreboard by limiting the guests to a .188 (3-for-16) batting average with runners on base during the afternoon. McCoy has not allowed a run in 15.0-consecutive innings, dating back to his start against Missouri at the Service Academy Spring Classic.

“Mark has been unbelievable for us over his last-two starts,” commented Kostacopoulos. “He was scraped up a little bit in the early part of innings, but worked his way out each time. For a collegiate pitcher to hold the opposition scoreless for 15.0-striaght innings, that is phenomenal.”

Buffalo threatened in the top half of the first inning, as it led off with back-to-back singles. After a fielder’s choice put runners on the corners, McCoy induced a groundball double play to shortstop to get out of the inning with no damage.

The Midshipmen took a 1-0 lead in the bottom half of the inning when junior Renaldo Hollins (Virginia Beach, Va.) led off with a single, stole second base, advanced to third on an error and came home to score on a Mitch Harris (Mt. Holly, N.C.) one-out sacrifice fly. On the year, Navy has out-scored its opposition, 16-2, during the first inning.

The score would remain 1-0 until the bottom of the seventh, when Navy’s bats came alive for four runs on five hits. The Midshipmen produced four-straight singles to push the lead to 3-0, then after a sacrifice bunt, senior Dominic Lopez (Quincy, Mich.) smacked a two-run single to left to cap off the inning.

The Midshipmen would tack on two insurance runs in the eighth, as Harris belted a RBI-triple and pinch-runner Bill Maugeri (Edgewater, Md.) came home to score on a Drew Lydon (White Plains, Md.) single up the middle.

Senior reliever James Lee (Asheville, N.C.) came on and worked a perfect ninth inning for Navy, including a strikeout. Lee has not allowed a base hit during his last-five outings, a span of seven-straight innings.

Harris, Lydon and Lopez each had two hits and drove in a pair of runs as the Mids out-hit their guests, 10-8, on Monday.

Navy returns to action on Wednesday when it takes on Mount St. Mary’s for a 2:30 p.m. contest.

GreatAmerican · March 14, 2007, 3:43pm

For Immediate Release
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
Contact: Jonathan Maggart (410) 293-8771

Wednesday?s Navy-Mount St. Mary?s Game Moved to Annapolis

ANNAPOLIS, Md. ? Navy?s baseball game scheduled for Wednesday at Mount St. Mary?s has been moved to Terwilliger Brothers Field at Max Bishop Stadium in Annapolis, with the first pitch slated for 3 p.m.

The scheduled contest between the two teams in Annapolis on Tuesday, March 27, has been moved Mount St. Mary?s Golibart Field in Emmitsburg, Md.

Navy (13-5) has won four of its last-five games after defeating Buffalo, 7-0, on Monday afternoon in Annapolis. Live stats for Wednesday?s game will be available via GameTracker on <a href="http://www.navysports.com(%5B/url%5D.)">www.navysports.com(.)</a>

GreatAmerican · March 14, 2007, 3:46pm

2007 NCAA Wrestling Championship
Session 1 • Thursday, March 15 • 11:00 am
• Pigtails and First Round
Session 2 • Thursday, March 15 • 6:30 pm
• Preliminaries
• Wrestle-back First Round
• Wrestle-back Preliminaries, as needed
• Consolation Pigtail Championship Round
• Consolation Round
Session 3 • Friday, March 16 • 11:00 am • ESPNU
• Quarterfinals (middle four mats)
• Wrestle-back Second/Third Rounds (outside mats)
Session 4 • Friday, March 16 • 7:00 pm • ESPNU/MASN
• Semifinals (inside two mats)
• Wrestle-back Fourth Round (outside four mats)
• Wrestle-back Fifth Round (all six mats)
Session 5 • Saturday, March 17 • 10:00 am • ESPNU
• Wrestle-back semifinals
• Third - Seventh-place medal round matches
Session 6 • Saturday, March 17 • 8:00 pm • ESPN
• Championship Finals & Awards Ceremony
*ESPN360 (internet) will provide live coverage of sessions 3-6 *

The Road to the 77th NCAA Wrestling Championship
• Six members of the No. 21-ranked Navy wrestling team will begin their journeys for an NCAA title on Thursday morning at the Palace of Auburn Hills in Michigan. Session 1 of the tournament is set to begin at 11:00 a.m. EDT, at the home of the NBA's Detroit Pistons
• Representing Navy are three seniors (John Cox-149, team captain John Jarred -157 and Antonio Miranda-184), juniors Matt Stolpinski (174) and Ed Prendergast (HWT), along with sophomore Joe Baker who makes his second appearance in as many years.
• For the third-consecutive year, Navy has at least five wrestlers advancing to the championship ... it's the second time (6 in 2005) in the last three years in which six wrestlers have represented Navy at the championship. Navy is advancing at least five wrestlers to the championships for the second straight season.
• The Mids are shooting for a top-30 finish for the first time since the 2001 season ... that team, despite having just one qualifier, finished in 30th place with 12 points ... Mark Conley scored all of the Mids' points in the tournament where he finished in fifth place ... Navy's last top-20 finish came in 1990 with a 13th-place showing.
• Navy's best finish under seventh-year head coach Bruce Burnett was in his first season when the Mids finished tied for 30th with 12.0 points in '01.
• The program's best finish in NCAA Tournament action was a fourth-place finish in 1954.
• Navy is also looking for its first All-American since 165-pounder Frank Edwards placed seventh at the 2003 NCAA Championship to garner All-America recognition.

Quick Hits
• Heavyweight Ed Prendergast owns Navy's longest winning streak with 17-consecutive wins dating back to Jan. 6 ... nine of the 17 wins in the streak have come by fall ... Prendergast's last loss was against Boise State's Andy Patrick in the third-place match at the Southern Scuffle.
• Prendergast's 15 pins this year are tied as the third most in program history and the most since Scott Kelly won 15 matches by fall in 1987-88 ... he is just a pin away from moving into the top 14 all-time in falls ... he has recorded 21 pins during his career.
• Wrestlers in eight of the 10 weight classes are ranked among the top five in Navy's most season wins by current weight class ... Alex Usztics (125) and NCAA Championship qualifiers Matt Stolpinski (174) and Antonio Miranda (184) own the most wins in their respective weight classes.
• Matt Stolpinski is just two wins shy of becoming only the third wrestler in program history to reach 40 wins in a season ... he stands tied for fifth on the Navy single-season wins chart with a team-best 38 ... heading into the championship with 93 victories, he is just two wins shy of joining Navy's top-10 career victories list.
• Ed Prendergast is just five wins away from becoming only the third wrestler in school history to record 40 wins in a season ... he id tied for ninth with 35 wins.
• Dating back to Jan. 3 2004, Navy has won 45 of its last 54 duals ... eight of the nine losses have come against competition ranked in the top 12 at the time of the competition (Wisconsin was not ranked earlier this year).
• Navy owns a 32-7 EIWA dual meet record under head coach Bruce Burnett ... the Mids are 31-1 against teams in the league other than Lehigh ... earlier this season, Burnett led Navy to its first win over the Mountain Hawks in seven years (1-6).
• The Midshipmen have won 29-straight matches against league competition other than Lehigh.

Navy Among Top 20 in RPI
• InterMat Wrestling has devised a Ratings Point Index using the same formula the NCAA created for men's basketball, among other sports ... the RPI is based on a formula that's based 25% on winning percentage, 50% on opponents' winning percentage and 25% on the opponents' opponents' winning percentage.
• According to the latest RPI (released Feb. 26), Navy is ranked No. 14 (.5901) out of 89 Div. I varsity programs, the highest of all EIWA member schools ... Penn is the next-closest ranked EIWA program coming in at No. 19 (.5621).
• Minnesota is atop the RPI with a score of .6972.

A Sign of Success
• Navy finished the regular season with an 11-4 record, including a flawless 7-0 performance against EIWA foes ... it's the sixth time in Bruce Burnett's seven years that Navy has won at least 11 duals.
• The Mids won two of the four tournaments (Navy Classic, All-Academy Championship) in which team competed, while placing second (out of 14) at the EIWA Championship and fifth (out of 32) at the Southern Scuffle.
• Navy won individual titles at six different weight classes over the season:
• John Cox, 149 (Navy Classic)
• John Jarred, 157 (All-Academy Championship)
• Matt Stolpinski, 174 (EIWA Championship, All-Academy Championship, Navy Classic)
• Antonio Miranda, 184 (All-Academy Championship, Navy Classic)
• Matt Parsons, 197 (All-Academy Championship)
• Ed Prendergast, HWT (EIWA Championship, All-Academy Championship, Nittany Lion Open, Navy Classic)

GreatAmerican · March 14, 2007, 3:48pm

For Immediate Release
Sent Tuesday, March 13, 2007
Contact Justin Kischefsky (410) 293-8772

Mids Top Colonels to End Skid

ANNAPOLIS, Md. -- After losing the doubles point to Eastern Kentucky, the Navy tennis team posted victories in four of the six singles matches to rally for a 4-3 victory over the Colonels, Tuesday at Flagler College in St. Augustine, Fla.

The victory snaps a five-match losing streak for the Mids and raises their record on the year to 6-8, while the Colonels fell to 8-6 on the season with the loss. Three of Navy's most recent five losses came to teams who hold a national ranking.

"We played a much improved match today," said Navy head coach John Officer. "Eastern Kentucky recently beat UNC Greensboro, who we lost to by a score of 4-3 last week. We are getting closer to where we need to be in time for the start of the Patriot League season."

Navy's No. 1 doubles team of Jason Hill (So. Marietta, Ga.) and Nate Nelms (So., St. Mary's, Ga.) won its match Tuesday, but the Colonels won the remaining two matches to claim the lone available doubles point. The deciding contest was a 9-7 victory by Chad Becker and Frederico Goncalves over the Navy duo of Alex James (Jr., Visalia, Calif.) and Ramsey Lemaich (Fr., Danville, Calif.) at the No. 3 flight.

The Mids then went out and won four of the six singles matches, including a trio of matches which were extended into a third set, to rally for the victory.

James had one of the top performances on the day for Navy as he recorded a 1-6, 6-1, 6-1 victory at No. 6 singles over Vadzim Ivanis.

"Alex lost the first set decisively, but responded by winning the next two sets the same way," said Officer. "It was a great turnaround by him."

Also winning in three sets for Navy were Hill at No. 2 singles and Adrian Lai (Sr., Tucson, Ariz.) at No. 3. Hill recorded a 3-6, 6-0, 6-3 over Lars Gratzki, while Lai posted a 6-2, 3-6, 7-5 win over Becker.

Navy's lone straight-set victory on the day was a 6-2, 6-2 triumph recorded by Stanley Kahl (Sr., Richland, Pa.) against Zach Itzstein at No. 4 singles.

"Stanley played fantastic today," said Officer.

Navy will remain in Florida for a Wednesday afternoon match at Florida Atlantic. The match is slated to begin at 12 Noon in Boca Raton.

"We will have to play better tomorrow against Florida Atlantic than we did today," said Officer.

Navy (6-8) def. Eastern Kentucky (8-6), 4-3
Doubles -- EKU wins the doubles point
1 - Hill/Nelms (N) def. Itzstein/Kiefer, 8-4
2 - Gratzki/Mario Simic (EKU) def. Kahl/Lai, 8-5
3 - Becker/Frederico Goncalves (EKU) def. James/Lemaich, 9-7
Singles
1 - Florian Kiefer (EKU) def. Nate Nelms, 7-6, 6-4
2 - Jason Hill (N) def. Lars Gratzki, 3-6, 6-0, 6-3
3 - Adrian Lai (N) def. Chad Becker, 6-2, 3-6, 7-5
4 - Stanley Kahl (N) def. Zach Itzstein, 6-2, 6-2
5 - Max Schindler (EKU) def. Ramsey Lemaich, 4-6, 6-3, 1-0 (10-5)
6 - Alex James (N) def. Vadzim Ivanis, 1-6, 6-1, 6-1

GreatAmerican · March 14, 2007, 3:52pm

Leaving court for gridiron

Published in the Annapois Capital:

<a href="http://www.hometownannapolis.com/cgi-bin/read/2007/03_14-20/NAS%5B/url%5D">http://www.hometownannapolis.com/cgi-bin/read/2007/03_14-20/NAS</a>

[quote]
Junior guard Corey Johnson has left the Navy basketball team and intends to join the football program. Johnson was a three-year starter who served as co-captain for the Midshipmen this past season. He was a Patriot League All-Rookie selection after averaging 9.6 points and leading the team in both assists (3.1) and steals (2.0).

Injuries curtailed Johnson's sophomore season as he played in only 19 of 28 games. However, the 6-foot-2, 192-pounder ranked fourth on the team in scoring (9.5) along with third in rebounding (4.1), assists (56) and steals (33)....

[/quote]

GreatAmerican · March 14, 2007, 3:56pm

For Immediate Release
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
Contact: Jonathan Maggart (410) 293-8771

Navy Duo Earns Weekly Honors

CENTER VALLEY, Pa. - Navy freshman catcher Steven Soares (Coral Springs, Fla.) has been named Patriot League Rookie of the Week, while junior right-handed pitcher Mitch Harris (Mt. Holly, N.C.) earned recognition on the College Baseball Foundation National Honor Roll, it was announced on Tuesday.

The Midshipmen have swept the Patriot League Rookie-of-the-Week honors in 2007, having won the award during each of the four weeks. Soares becomes the first Navy player in school history to garner multiple league rookie-of-the-week awards.

The Navy backstop logged all-25.0 innings during the squad's three-game set against Monmouth last weekend. He gunned down three-of-five base stealers and blocked the plate as he tagged out a runner at home in a scoreless ballgame during the series finale. At the plate, he reached base safely at a .455 clip, walking four times and not striking out during 11 plate appearances.

On the year, Soares leads the team with a .479 on-base percentage and has thrown out nearly one-quarter of all base stealers this season.

Harris earned College Baseball Foundation National Honor Roll distinction for the second time in his career following a two-hit, 10-strikeout, complete game performance in a 2-1 win over Monmouth last Saturday. The Navy right-hander carried a no-hitter into the fifth inning and faced only three over the minimum on the day.

Harris? 10 strikeouts marked a season-high and represented the eighth time he has reached double-digit strikeouts during his career. The right-hander has also fanned more batters than innings pitched during 11 of his last-13 starts, dating back to the 2006 season. He also moved into sixth place on the career strikeouts list with 178, only four away from Kevin Carlson's (1994-97) 182 strikeouts in fifth place all time.

On the year, Harris owns a 4-1 record with a 1.99 ERA in 31.2 innings of work and has held the opposition to a .161 batting average. He leads the Patriot League in strikeouts (43) and WHIP (0.95).

Navy (13-5) returns to action on Wednesday when it plays host to Mount St. Mary's at Terwilliger Brothers Field at Max Bishop Stadium in Annapolis. Game time is slated for 3 p.m., and live stats will be available via GameTracker on <a href="http://www.navysports.com%5B/url%5D">www.navysports.com</a> (.)

GreatAmerican · March 14, 2007, 3:57pm

For: Immediate Release
Sent: March 13, 2007
Contact: Scott Strasemeier (410) 293-8775

Navy Football Media Guide Tabbed As The Fifth Best In The Nation

ANNAPOLIS, Md.?The 2006 Navy football media guide was voted as the fifth
best football media guide in the country according to the College Sports
Information Directors of America. Navy finished first in District 2 and
fifth overall out of 119 schools.

The Navy Sports Information office produces the annual 208-page media guide
that gives fans, media and recruits an in-depth look at the Navy football
program. Contributors to the 2006 media guide include Scott Strasemeier
(writer/editor), Kelli Sheesley (layout and design), Phil Hoffmann
(photographer), Stacie Michaud (lead editor), Justin Kischefsky (editor),
Chris Forman (editor) and Jonathan Maggart (editor).

2006 Division 1A Football Brochures

<ol>
<li>Kansas State</li>
<li>Ohio State</li>
<li>Oklahoma</li>
<li>UCLA</li>
<li>Navy</li>
<li>Penn State</li>
<li>UNLV</li>
</ol>

GreatAmerican · March 14, 2007, 8:10pm

For: Immediate Release
Date: Wednesday, March 14, 2007
Contact: Chris Forman - 410-293-8774

Four Shooters Gain All-America Status

ANNAPOLIS, Md. -- For the second straight year, four Navy rifle shooters earned All-America honors, the National Rifle Association announced recently, putting the cap on another successful season for the Navy rifle team. Chris Schneider, Sarah Bergman, Lisa Kunzelman and Josh Albright all earned the honors for the second straight year.

Senior Chris Schneider led the Navy contingent with a first-team All-America honor in smallbore. Schneider became a four-time All-American after earning first-team accolades last year, second team as a freshman and honorable mention as a sophomore.

Senior Sarah Bergman was a second-team air rifle selection, and also became a four-time All-American with the honor. Bergman was a first-team selection last year and was a second-teamer as a freshman and sophomore. Bergman and Schneider are Navy's first four-time All-Americans since William Suggs accomplished the feat in 1987-90.

Despite winning the smallbore national championship, Albright was named to the second-team smallbore unit. Albright was a second-team honoree as a sophomore in smallbore and was honorable mention in air rifle last year. With the national championship, Albright receives an automatic spot on the United States National Developmental Team.

Navy's last All-American is sophomore Lisa Kunzelman. Kunzelman garnered second-team air rifle accolades for the second straight year.

Navy has now had at least four rifle All-Americans in four straight years. The Mids finished their season last weekend at the NCAA Championships, placing seventh.

To be named an All-American is the pinnacle of athletic achievement. Consistent and exemplary performance is a hallmark, perhaps the most evident characteristic, of the honor. All-Americans also embody intangible attributes such as integrity, respect, and responsibility. Therefore, these highly motivated men and women distinguish themselves on another level. Whether NRA All-Americans continue outstanding marksman careers or pursue other fields such as medicine, architecture, education, law, the military, and even space exploration, they accomplish notable successes in their careers.

The selection criteria for Rifle All-American status has evolved from performance in specific matches and personal knowledge of the shooter to move objective guidelines, including: full time undergraduate or graduate status with or without team affiliation, average score for the season, minimum number of shots fired, number of matches fired, specific matches required, recommendations from coaches and other school officials.

GreatAmerican · March 14, 2007, 8:16pm

Florida Atlantic 6, Navy 1

For Immediate Release
Sent Wednesday, March 14, 2007
Contact Justin Kischefsky (410) 293-8772

Owls Defeat Mids in Tennis

BOCA RATON, Fla. -- Florida Atlantic won the doubles point and posted five straight-set singles victories on its way to recording a 6-1 victory over the Navy tennis team, Wednesday afternoon at Patch Reef Park in Boca Raton, Fla.

"Florida Atlantic is a good team who played very well today," said Navy head coach John Officer. "We played okay, but not good enough. It was a case where FAU had a little too much firepower for us today. However, we feel facing a team like this will only help us as we prepare for the start of our Patriot League season in 10 days."

Navy's (6-9) lone point of the day was recorded by Alex James (Jr., Visalia, Calif.), who posted a 7-6 (7-5), 6-4 victory over Lawrence Harradine at No. 6 singles.

The Mids also saw their No. 1 doubles team of Jason Hill (So., Marietta, Ga.) and Nate Nelms (So., St. Mary's, Ga.) tally an 8-4 victory over Karol Szmurlo and Corey Smith, but Florida Atlantic (6-8) won the remaining two doubles matches to earn the doubles point.

Navy will next play March 21 when the Mids face Penn in Philadelphia.

Florida Atlantic (6-8) def. Navy (6-9), 6-1
Doubles - FAU wins the doubles point
1 - Hill/Nelms (Navy) def. Szmurlo/Smith, 8-4
2 - Sajous/Harradine (FAU) def. Kahl/Lai, 8-2
3 - Vardag/Majcher (FAU) def. James/Lemaich, 8-4

Singles
1 - Olivier Sajous (FAU) def. Nate Nelms, 6-3, 6-3
2 - Karol Szmurlo (FAU) def. Jason Hill, 7-6 (4), 6-4
3 - Daniel Vardag (FAU) def. Adrian Lai, 6-0, 6-2
4 - Corey Smith (FAU) def. Stanley Kahl, 6-3, 6-1
5 - Eddie Majcher (FAU) def. Ramsey Lemaich, 7-5, 6-3
6 - Alex James (Navy) def. Lawrence Harradine, 7-6 (7-5), 6-4

GreatAmerican · March 14, 2007, 8:17pm

For Immediate Release
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
Contact: Jonathan Maggart (410) 293-8771

Navy Falls to Mount St. Mary’s, 18-3

ANNAPOLIS, Md. – Mount St. Mary’s crossed the plate 12 times after the fifth inning as the Navy baseball team fell, 18-3, to the Mount at Terwilliger Brothers Field at Max Bishop Stadium on Wednesday afternoon. The loss snaps Navy’s winning streak at three games and drops its record to 13-6, while the Mount won their fourth in a row to up their mark to 7-9.

“We were beat in every facet of the game today,” stated Navy head coach Paul Kostacopoulos. “The key for us now is to bounce back tomorrow against Buffalo. We need to focus on tomorrow’s game and get back in the right direction.”

Mount St. Mary’s jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning, as Ryan Murray belted a three-run home run to left after back-to-back infield singles with two outs.

Navy would cut the deficit to two in the second inning, as freshman Mike Hoosier (Pomona, N.Y.) legged out an infield single with two outs to score junior Thomas Hamilton (Houston, Texas).

The Mount extended their lead with a three-run fifth, but Navy came back with two runs in the bottom half of the inning to remain within three runs at 6-3. Junior Mitch Harris (Mt. Holly, N.C.) and Hamilton provided back-to-back RBI-groundouts to cut into the deficit.

However, Mount St. Mary’s answered with three runs in the sixth, one in the eighth and eight in the ninth inning to pull away from the Midshipmen.

Navy freshman southpaw Yale Eckert (La Selva Beach, Calif.) was tagged for the loss in his first-collegiate start, as he allowed five hits and five runs, four of which were earned, over four-plus innings with one walk and two strikeouts. The Midshipmen relied upon seven pitchers in Wednesday’s contest, four of whom were making their first appearance of the season.

“Yale did a good job for his first-career start,” said Kostacopoulos. “He gave up the two infield hits then the home run in the first, but really settled down afterwards and pitched decent.”

Freshman Michael Speciale (Pearland, Texas) reached base safely in all four of his plate appearances, going 3-for-3 with a walk. Junior Renaldo Hollins (Virginia Beach, Va.) went 2-for-4 with a run scored on the afternoon.

Bucky Kosyk earned the win for Mount St. Mary’s, as he scattered seven hits and three runs over six innings on the hill. The Mount’s top-five hitters in the order combined to go 11-for-23 on the day with 13 runs scored and 13 runs batted in.

The Midshipmen return to action tomorrow with a 2 p.m. first pitch against Buffalo at Terwilliger Brothers Field at Max Bishop Stadium in Annapolis. Navy defeated Buffalo, 7-0, in their first meeting of the year this past Monday. Live stats for Thursday’s game will be available via GameTracker on <a href="http://www.navysports.com%5B/url%5D">www.navysports.com</a> (.)

GreatAmerican · March 15, 2007, 9:43am

For: Immediate Release
Sent: March 15, 2007
Contact: Scott Strasemeier (410) 293-8775

Navy Sports Magazine Show Airs Tonight On 1430 WNAV

ANNAPOLIS, Md.-The Comcast Navy Sports Magazine Show airs tonight at 6 p.m. on 1430 WNAV in Annapolis. The 30-minute show, hosted by Bob Socci, will feature interviews with Navy head football coach Paul Johnson and the pitching coach for the baseball team, Scott Friedholm.

The Navy Sports Magazine Show will also air on WLRT (1490 AM, <a href="http://www.1490theoutlaw.com%5B/url%5D">www.1490theoutlaw.com</a>) on Friday at 5 p.m. and on 1050 WFED (<a href="http://www.federalnewsradio.com%5B/url%5D">www.federalnewsradio.com</a>) in Washington, D.C. on Saturday morning at 7 a.m.

Navy All-Access will also archive the show and it will be available for subscribers every Friday (<a href="http://navysports.cstv.com/)%5B/url%5D">http://navysports.cstv.com/)</a>.

GreatAmerican · March 15, 2007, 4:54pm

For Immediate Release
Thursday, March 15, 2007
Contact: Jonathan Maggart (410) 293-8771

Navy Completes Season Sweep of Buffalo, 9-7

ANNAPOLIS, Md. – Navy junior right fielder Mitch Harris (Mt. Holly, N.C.) went 3-for-4 with a double and three runs batted in to lead the Midshipmen to a 9-7 win over Buffalo on Thursday afternoon at Terwilliger Brothers Field at Max Bishop Stadium. The Mids topped the Bulls, 7-0, in their first meeting this past Monday in Annapolis.

With the win, Navy improved to 14-6 on the year and head coach Paul Kostacopoulos recorded his 550th career victory. Buffalo dropped to 1-12 on the campaign.

“It was very important that we bounced back from yesterday’s loss,” stated Kostacopoulos. “More than just the win, this helps get rid of yesterday. I thought we played pretty well, helped by some solid defense and coming up with the hits we needed.”

Harris’ three hits match his career high, while the three RBIs match his season high, as he has driven in a run during each of the last-four games.

“Mitch has done a very good job of taking advantage of his RBI situations,” said Kostacopoulos. “It doesn’t always have to be a base hit, but the sacrifice flies and the hard hit balls that are just as successful.”

Navy jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first inning when Harris lifted a sacrifice fly to center to score junior Renaldo Hollins (Virginia Beach, Va.), who led off the inning with a double.

The Midshipmen exploded for five runs on five hits in the following inning off Buffalo starting pitcher Kori Korinek. After one run had already crossed the plate and with the bases loaded, freshman Drew Lydon (White Plains, Md.) delivered a bases-clearing triple down the right field line. He would come home to score on the next at bat, as Harris laced a RBI-single though the left side.

Buffalo would not go quietly, scoring four runs in the top of the fourth. However, Navy answered back with a pair of runs in the bottom of the inning. Following a leadoff walk and single, Harris drove in his third run of the day with an infield single. Freshman Kendall Bolt (Stockton, Calif.) extended the lead to 8-4 with a run-scoring fielder’s choice.

The Bulls tacked on run in the fifth and two in the sixth to pull within one at 8-7, but would not get any closer. The Midshipmen tacked on an insurance run in the bottom half of the sixth, as Harris led off with a double and came home to score on a Michael Speciale (Pearland, Texas) single to left.

Navy senior right-handed reliever James Lee (Asheville, N.C.) held the guests in check over the final-3.1 innings of the contest to get the win. Lee struck out seven and walked none, while yielding only one hit and no runs. On the year, Lee has struck out 19 in 12.1 innings of work with a 0.00 ERA, limiting the opposition to two hits and a .053 batting average.

“No earned runs over 12-plus innings with 19 strikeouts, those are some pretty good numbers,” stated Kostacopoulos. “We were struggling to get outs today and Buffalo was making a very good run at us before James came in. He was key for us, coming in and settling the game down.”

Speciale joined Harris in the three-hit department on Thursday, going 3-for-4 with a RBI and a run scored. Over Speciale’s last-two games, he has recorded a 6-for-7 performance at the plate with a walk.

Hollins and Lydon each posted multi-hit efforts as the Midshipmen out-hit their visitors, 12-11. Hollins went 2-for-4 with three runs scored, while Lydon registered a 2-for-5 effort with two runs scored and a stolen base.

Navy will close out its nine-game homestand over a nine-day stretch this weekend with a three-game set against Duquesne. The Mids and the Dukes are slated for a 12 noon doubleheader on Saturday and a single-game contest on Sunday. All of the games will have live stats available via GameTracker on <a href="http://www.navysports.com%5B/url%5D">www.navysports.com</a> (.)

GreatAmerican · March 15, 2007, 4:58pm

For Immediate Release
Thursday, March 16, 2007
Wrestling Contact: Stacie Michaud (410) 293-8773
For more information on Navy Wrestling, log on to <a href="http://www.NavySports.com%5B/url%5D">www.NavySports.com</a>

Navy Tied for Eighth at NCAA Wrestling Championship

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. - Four of Navy's six wrestlers have advanced in the championship bracket during Thursday afternoon's first session at the 77th NCAA Wrestling Championship at the Palace of Auburn Hills in Michigan. Joe Baker (Poway, Calif.), John Jarred (Kansas City, Mo.), Antonio Miranda (Eugene, Ore.) and Ed Prendergast (St. Louis, Mo.) won their first-round matches, while John Cox (Grand Haven, Mich.) and eighth-seeded Matt Stolpinski (Westfield, Mass.) will be forced to wrestle their way through the consolation bracket. As a team, the Mids produced a 4-2 mark and are tied with Illinois for eighth place with 12 points. Top-ranked Minnesota is atop the field with 22 points with nine wrestlers advancing after session one.

Making his second NCAA Tournament appearance in as many years, 133-pounder Baker scored what on paper would be considered an upset over 10th-seeded Evan Sola of North Carolina. Baker recorded a 5-3 decision over Sola in late January in the Mids' dual victory over the Tar Heels in Chapel Hill.

After a scoreless opening period, Sola chose the down position to start the second and scored the first point with an escape. Baker, however, would quickly score the takedown and ride out the remainder of the period with a 2-1 advantage. He added to his lead in the final period with a double-leg takedown and earned a fifth point at the end of the match thanks to riding time. Baker will face seventh-seeded Mack Reiter (def. Richard Donald, Bloomsburg) in the second round.

Tenth-seeded 149-pound Lance Palmer, a freshman from Ohio State, scored the opening points of his match against Cox on a double-leg takedown and never looked back in the match. Cox escaped out of the initial hold, but Palmer quickly dove for a single-leg takedown to end of the period. The second stanza began with Palmer escaping, followed by another takedown to stretch his lead to 7-1. Palmer recorded a final takedown in the third period, followed by a Cox escape to earn a 10-2 victory (riding time).

Jarred, Navy's team captain, made the most out of his NCAA Championship debut, shutting out Cleveland State's Victer Crenshaw, 8-0, at 157 pounds. Jarred took a 2-0 lead after Crenshaw looked for the shot on Jarred, who was able to counter the move. He added to his lead with an escape to start the second period, followed by a takedown. Crenshaw chose the neutral position to open the final period much to Jarred's delight, who wrapped his legs up for a third takedown of the match. Jarred will battle fourth-seeded C.P. Schlatter from Minnesota (def. Luke Salazer, Northern Colorado) on Thursday evening.

Northwestern's Nick Hayes stunned eighth-seeded Stolpinski at 174 pounds, handing the Navy junior his first loss since Jan. 6. Hayes took a quick 2-0 lead, but Stolpinski evened the match with a reversal. Hayes was able to escape to retake the lead. Stolpinski slithered out of the grasp of Hayes to open the second period and score the escape to knot the match for a third time. Stolpinski took a 5-3 advantage working around Hayes' body, but Hayes earned the escape as time expired with a "sit and roll" move. Hayes tied the score as he got out of Stolpinski's hold to start the third period and the match went into overtime. After a scoreless one-minute sudden victory, the match moved on to a 30-second tie-breaker where Hayes started in the down position and made his way out of the grasp of Stolpinski to earn a 6-5, TB1 win.

Navy's final two qualifiers, Miranda and Prendergast, each won their matches by fall. Following a scoreless opening period, Miranda chose the down position to start the second. We quickly reversed the hold, sending Jared Ricotta (Duquesne) to his back and the eventual pin. It marks Miranda's third pin of the season and his first since posting a fall over N.C. State's Jeremy Colbert at the Southern Scuffle on Dec. 29. Miranda will face No. 1-ranked Jake Herbert of Northwestern (def. Greg Gifford, Arizona State) in the second round. The two met at the Northwestern Duals in mid-November where Herbert recorded a 13-5 major decision over the Navy senior.

Prendergast punched his ticket to the second round after producing his 16th pin of the year and his 18th-consecutive win. Iowa State rookie David Zabriskie was the latest foe to go down on his back against Prendergast in just 1:20. The Navy junior stands third on the Mids' single-season falls list, posting the most pins since John Reich recorded a record-setting 24 in 1982-83. Meanwhile, Prendergast stands tied for 14th with 22-career pins. He will move on to battle West Virginia's Dustin Rogers, who upset 11th-seeded Spencer Nadolsky.

NAVY WRESTLERS AT THE 77th NCAA WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIP
First-Round Matches
133 - Joe Baker dec #10 Evan Sola (North Carolina), 5-1
149 - #10 Lance Palmer (Ohio State) major dec John Cox, 10-2
157 - John Jarred major dec Victer Crenshaw (Cleveland State), 8-0
174 - Nick Hayes (Northwestern) dec #8 Matt Stolpinski, 6-5; TB1
184 - Antonio Miranda WBF Jared Ricotta (Duquesne), 3:20
HWT - #6 Ed Prendergast WBF David Zabriskie (Iowa State), 1:20

Updated Records
133 - Joe Baker; 20-7 Season, 32-13 Career
149 - John Cox; 28-8 Season, 111-37 Career
157 - John Jarred; 32-10 Season, 77-29 Career
174 - #8 Matt Stolpinski; 38-6 Season, 93-34 Career
184 - Antonio Miranda; 33-9 Season, 67-29 Career
HWT - #6 Ed Prendergast; 36-5 Season, 66-22 Career

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