Navy Sports

GreatAmerican · April 7, 2007, 8:19pm

For Immediate Release
Saturday, April 7, 2007
Contact: Jonathan Maggart (410) 293-8771

Navy Performs Well at Two Meets Over the Weekend

WILLIAMSBURG, Va. and PHILADELPHIA – The Navy women’s track & field team combined for a total of 15 top-five performances after splitting up the squad to compete at Colonial Relays on Friday and the Penn Invitational on Saturday.

After completing the first day of the scheduled two-day Colonial Relays on Friday, the second day was cancelled due to overnight snowfall and strong winds. The Midshipmen stood at fifth place out of 19 teams after the opening day with 32 points. Saturday’s Penn Invitational at Franklin Field was a non-scoring meet.

“We had some really good performances down at the Colonial Relays and were able to get some work in against several teams at the Penn Invitational,” stated Navy head coach Carla Criste. “It’s unfortunate that the second day couldn’t take place (at the Colonial Relays), but I’m looking forward to the Star Meet against Army next week.”

For the third-consecutive week, Navy senior sprinter Loni Forsythe led the way in both the 100-meter and 200-meter dash events at the Colonial Relays. The back-to-back Patriot League Track Athlete of the Week claimed first place in the 100-meter dash with an ECAC time of 12.00 seconds, the fifth-fastest time in school history. During her first-three races of the outdoor slate this year, she has posted three of the five-quickest showings in program history. The Navy senior also placed fifth in the 200-meter dash with a time of 25.08 seconds.

Junior hurdler Michelle Bostic (Rockwall, Texas) qualified for the ECAC Championship in the 400-meter hurdles with a second-place time of 1:02.55 at the Colonial Relays. She also finished ninth in the 100-meter hurdles with a 14.88-second clocking.

Joining Forsythe and Bostic with an ECAC-qualifying effort at the Colonial Relays was senior thrower Danielle Still (Lawnside, N.J.). Still finished third in the javelin throw with a toss of 140’8” (42.89 meters).

With temperatures hovering around 35 degrees in Philadelphia for the Penn Invitational, Navy freshman distance runner Erica Ziel (Saginaw, Mich.) won the 5,000-meter run with a time of 18:21.09. Freshman Lexa Gass (Crescent, Pa.) and sophomore Katherine Wirtz (Willoughby Hills, Ohio) finished fourth and fifth in the event, respectively.

Junior Elizabeth Wrona (Fairfax Station, Va.) came in third in the high jump with a height of 5’2-1/4” (1.58 meters). Sophomore Meg Joyce (West Kingston, R.I.) just missed ECAC qualification in the hammer throw on Saturday, placing fourth with a toss of 153’5” (46.77 meters). Junior Gloria Hill (Mitchville, Md.) landed fourth in the long jump with a distance of 17’10-3/4” (5.45 meters), less than six inches off the 10th-best mark in school history.

The Midshipmen return home to host Army in the annual Star Meet next Saturday at Ingram Field in Annapolis. Navy edged Army, 104-99, in last year’s outdoor Star Meet held in West Point. During this past indoor season, the Midshipmen cruised to a 107-73, N-Star win over the Black Knights on the banks of the Hudson.

GreatAmerican · April 7, 2007, 8:20pm

For Immediate Release
Sent Saturday, April 7, 2007
Justin Kischefsky (410) 293-8772

Navy Splits Varsity Races at George Washington Invite

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Navy women's crew team ended a very successful George Washington Invitational Saturday by seeing its varsity boat split a pair of races and the Mids as a team win five of its eight races contested on the day. Including Friday's results from the two-day regatta held on the Potomac River in Washington, D.C., Navy's varsity entry won two of its three races and the program as a whole combined to post victories in nine of its 13 races.

"It was a great showing by our entire program," said Navy head coach Mike Hughes. "We faced, and beat, some very good teams over the two days."

Conditions were challenging Saturday due to the winter-like weather in our nation's capitol. The blustery conditions forced the crews to row through whitecaps on the river in near-freezing temperatures.

"Considering the weather, I think we rowed as well as we could Saturday," said Hughes. "Water was pouring into every boat and all of the crews from each of the teams were just trying to survive and reach the finish line."

Navy's varsity crew began the invitational by posting a 1.8-second victory over Iowa Friday afternoon. The Mids then ran their record to 2-0 at the regatta by recording a 5.7-second win over St. Joseph's in their first race Saturday. Navy crossed the finish line in a time of 6:26.4, with the Hawks following in a time of 6:32.1

The Mids were unable to finish the weekend undefeated, however, as Clemson, ranked 21st nationally, posted a 5.5-second triumph over Navy. The Tigers recorded a winning time of 6:19.8 to finish ahead of Navy's clocking of 6:25.3.

The additional two losses on the day by the Navy fleet also came to the hands of the Tigers as Clemson crews posted victories over Navy's second-varsity eight and varsity four entries. The margin of the latter race was just three-tenths of a second, 6:22.2-6:22.5.

Both Navy boats bounced back to win their additional races on the day, with Navy's novice eight boat the lone Navy entry to win both of its races Saturday.

Navy will return to the Potomac River April 22 when the Mids race against Georgetown.

First Varsity Eight
Navy, 6:26.4; St. Joseph's, 6:32.1
Clemson, 6:19.8; Navy, 6:25.3
Second Varsity Eight
Navy, 6:44.9; St. Joseph's, 7:01.5
Clemson, 6:40, Iowa, 6:45.9; Navy, 6:49
Varsity Four
Clemson, 7:22.2; Navy, 7:22.5; George Washington, 7:50.7
Navy, 7:40.6; Georgetown, 7:48.8; St. Joseph's, 8:12.2
Novice Eight
Navy, 6:58.2; St. Joseph's, 7:02.7
Navy 'A', no time; Clemson, +9.4 seconds; Navy 'B', +21 seconds.

GreatAmerican · April 7, 2007, 11:19pm

For Immediate Release
Saturday, April 7, 2007
Contact: Jonathan Maggart (410) 293-8771

Mids Post Qualifying Marks on the Weekend

GAINESVILLE, Fla. and PHILADELPHIA – Navy men’s track & field junior middle distance runner Paul Harris (Woodbury, Minn.) posted a NCAA East Region Championship qualifying mark in the 800-meter run to highlight five postseason qualifying marks at two meets this weekend. The team split up its squad to compete at the two-day Florida Relays in Gainesville, Fla., and Penn Invitational in Philadelphia on Saturday.

At the Florida Relays on Friday, Harris crossed the finish line in 1:48.86 to place fourth overall and second among collegiate competitors, only 0.12-second away from Tim Harris’ time for Miami. Paul Harris’ effort ranks as the second-fastest time in school history and is 0.19-second away from the program record he set at last year’s NCAA regional championship. The Navy junior currently owns eight of the ten-fastest times in program history.

In the same race, Navy junior middle distance runner Craig Meekins (Baldwin, N.Y.) met the IC4A standard with his sixth-place time of 1:50.89. His showing on Friday was a personal record by more than a full second.

One week after winning the 3,000-meter steeplechase in Annapolis, junior distance runner John Olsen (Staten Island, N.Y.) came in third in the event at the Florida Relays on Saturday with an IC4A time of 9:14.63.

In the final event of the Florida Relays, Navy’s 4x400-meter relay team posted an IC4A time of 3:12.74 to finish fourth.

Highlighting Navy’s performance at the Penn Invitational was junior thrower Darryl Hunter (Des Moines, Iowa), as he won the shot put with an IC4A distance for the fourth time in as many outdoor meets this season. With temperatures struggling to get above freezing, Hunter uncorked a toss of 51’5-3/4” (15.69 meters) to top the field.

Junior Ben Kozy (Houston, Texas) won the 1,500-meter run with a time of 3:53.13, while classmate Jeff Sarchione (Alliance, Ohio) followed with a 3:54.55 clocking for fourth place. Sophomore Gavin MacGarva (Bellevue, Wash.) claimed first in the 3,000-meter steeplechase with a 9:42.89 showing and junior Brandon Vier (Cypress, Texas) posted an 11.07-second effort in the 100-meter dash to finish second.

Competing in the event for the first time during the outdoor season, Navy’s 4x800-meter relay team earned first-place honors with a time of 7:52.74.

The Midshipmen will return home to host Army in the annual Star Meet next Saturday at Ingram Field in Annapolis. Navy defeated Army in the last outdoor Star Meet held in Annapolis and the Midshipmen posted a 95-86 win over the Black Knights during the indoor Star Meet two months ago in West Point.

GreatAmerican · April 8, 2007, 1:35pm

But Johnson unhappy with scrimmage

Published in the Annapolis Capital:

<a href="http://www.hometownannapolis.com/cgi-bin/read/2007/04_08-106/NAS%5B/url%5D">http://www.hometownannapolis.com/cgi-bin/read/2007/04_08-106/NAS</a>

[quote]
Navy's offense showed that it's still well ahead of the defense during Navy's first official intrasquad football scrimmage yesterday morning. However, the defense showed improvement over the previous week, making several stops and forcing four turnovers.

Starting quarterback Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada and backup Jarod Bryant both led the first team offense to touchdowns. However, nose guard Nate Frazier, linebacker Jordan Eddington and safety Jeff Deliz led the way as the first team defense forced a pair of turnovers and stopped the first team offense on downs on four series....

[/quote]

GreatAmerican · April 8, 2007, 1:37pm

Published in the Annapolis Capital:

<a href="http://www.hometownannapolis.com/cgi-bin/read/2007/04_08-103/NAS%5B/url%5D">http://www.hometownannapolis.com/cgi-bin/read/2007/04_08-103/NAS</a>

[quote]
The women's tennis team at the U.S. Naval Academy flies under the radar, as they might say in that particular branch of the service. Because they play a club sport, the players do not share the spotlight with the men, who participate in a varsity sport. Yet they practice hard and compete in the fall and spring with club teams from the Mid-Atlantic region, including the University of Virginia, Johns Hopkins, George Washington, UMBC, Georgetown, the University of Maryland, and Towson....

[/quote]

GreatAmerican · April 8, 2007, 8:12pm

For Immediate Release
Sent Sunday, April 8, 2007
Contact Justin Kischefsky (410) 293-8772

Navy Lights Sweep Rutgers and Columbia

NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. - The Navy lightweight crew team overcame rough water conditions to post a four-race sweep of Rutgers and Columbia, Sunday afternoon on the Raritan River in New Brunswick, N.J.

Navy's varsity boat fought through some added problems inside the boat over the closing stretch of its race to record a four-second victory over both the Scarlet Knights and the Lions. The Mids crossed the finish line in a winning time of 6:03.1, with Rutgers clocking in at 6:07.3 to place second and the Lions finishing in third place with a time of 6:07.8.

"It was a good race for us," said Navy head coach Rob Friedrich of the varsity contest. "We had enough of a lead to be able to overcome technical issues with the boat over the last 500 meters to win the race."

Navy's second varsity and varsity four crews also recorded four-second victories in their respective races, with the freshman boat posting a seven-second triumph on the day.

"Overall it was a very good day for our program," said Friedrich. "I thought our freshman did an especially nice job in overcoming the rough water to pick up a very nice win."

The Mids will next race Saturday when Navy competes against Georgetown on the Potomac River in Washington, D.C.

First Varsity
Navy, 6:03.1; Rutgers, 6:07.3; Columbia, 6:07.8
Second Varsity
Navy, 6:10.6; Columbia, 6:14.5; Rutgers, 6:25.6
Varsity Four
Navy 'A', 7:09.9; Navy 'B', 7:14.5; Columbia, 7:24.5
Freshman
Navy, 6:12.3; Columbia, 6:19.1; Rutgers, 6:29.4

GreatAmerican · April 8, 2007, 8:13pm

For Immediate Release
Sunday, April 8, 2007
Contact: Jonathan Maggart (410) 293-8771

Navy Swept by Lafayette in Sunday Doubleheader

ANNAPOLIS, Md. – The Navy baseball team dropped a pair of contests against Lafayette during Sunday’s baseball doubleheader at Terwilliger Brothers Field in Max Bishop Stadium in Annapolis. The Mids fell 3-2 in eight innings during the opener before coming up short on a 5-0 decision in the nightcap.

With the losses, Navy fell to 22-11 overall and 4-2 in the Patriot League. Lafayette improved its mark to 15-10 and 6-0 in league play.

“The starting pitching was there for both teams today,” stated Navy head coach Paul Kostacopoulos. “Mitch (Harris) and Mark (McCoy) both pitched well, but Lafayette’s duo was just as good.

“Baseball is all about the next day. You can’t get too excited or too down after each game. We’ll see tomorrow if we can come back and play.”

In the opener, Lafayette jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the third when James Conrad tripled and scored on a wild pitch. That score would remain the same until the sixth, when Kevin Leasure hit a solo shot to right.

Navy answered back with two runs in the bottom half of the sixth. Junior Renaldo Hollins (Virginia Beach, Va.) singled with one out and moved to third on senior Michael Garcia’s (Kailua, Hawai’i) single and a fielding error by the center fielder. Junior Mitch Harris (Mt. Holly, N.C.) drove in Hollins with a fielder’s choice in which the shortstop dropped the throw from second. Junior Thomas Hamilton (Houston, Texas) laced a single to the gap in right-center to plate Garcia and send Harris to third with one out. After Lafayette starter Ted Gjeldum was lifted for Brad Woodfield, Harris was gunned down at the plate on a groundball to third.

The Midshipmen had an opportunity to win the ballgame in the seventh, as freshman Mike Hoosier (Pomona, N.Y.) reached on a fielding error and senior Dominic Lopez (Quincy, Mich.) came in as a pinch-runner. After a sacrifice bunt and a groundout to the right side move Lopez to third with two outs, Woodfield forced extra innings with a strikeout.

In the top half of the eighth, Lafayette’s Conrad hit a ground-rule double to center to open the inning. After Navy’s Harris got two outs without the runner advancing, Conrad stole third and came home to score as catcher Joshua Martinez’s (Denver, Colo.) sailed into left field.

Navy would make things interesting yet again in the bottom half of the eighth, as Garcia singled to left-center, advanced to second on a one-out walk and moved to third on a fly ball to right. However, he would remain at third as Woodfield closed out the contest with a strikeout.

Harris went the distance on the mound for the Midshipmen, as he allowed only four hits and two earned runs with four walks and nine strikeouts in a 127-pitch afternoon. Despite falling to 6-3 on the year, Harris fanned more batters than innings pitched for the ninth time in as many starts this year.

Garcia was the lone Navy hitter to post a multi-hit performance in the opener, going 2-for-3 with a walk and a run scored. Navy out-hit Lafayette, 5-4, in the first game.

In the nightcap, Lafayette took a 2-0 lead in the third with a RBI-groundout and run-scoring single with one out. The Leopards extended their margin to five in the seventh with a run-producing fielder’s choice, a RBI-single and a sacrifice fly.

Mark McCoy pitched well for the Mids in game two, but was tagged for the loss to drop to 4-4 on the campaign. He went seven innings, gave up ten hits and five runs, four of which were earned, with two walks and seven strikeouts.

Lafayette starter Matt Kamine shut out Navy for the second-straight year, as he scattered six hits with one walk and ten strikeouts in a 126-pitch effort.

Martinez went 2-for-3 in game two with a double and a walk, while freshman Drew Lydon (White Plains, Md.) contributed with a 2-for-4 effort at the plate.

Navy and Lafayette will close out the four-game series with a 1 p.m. doubleheader in Annapolis. Live stats will be available for both contests via GameTracker on <a href="http://www.navysports.com%5B/url%5D">www.navysports.com</a>, and live audio coverage will be provided for the first game through Navy All-Access, as Pete Medhurst will call the action in Monday’s opener.

GreatAmerican · April 9, 2007, 12:25pm

Navy Men's Basketball Hands Out Awards at Team Banquet

For: Immediate Release
Date: Monday, April 9, 2007
Contact: Chris Forman - 410-293-8774

ANNAPOLIS, Md. -- The Navy men's basketball team celebrated its 2006-07 season on Friday night at the annual team banquet held at the Bo Coppedge Room in Alumni Hall. Head Coach Billy Lange honored Navy's lone senior, Calvin White, and handed out several team awards.

In his third season as Navy's head coach, Lange guided the Mids to a 14-16 overall record, producing the most wins for the Navy program since the 2000-01 season. The Mids finished 4-10 in the Patriot League, good for a tie for sixth, and fielded a roster that was the youngest in the League. Five of Navy's losses were to teams that reached the NCAA Tournament and seven were by single-digits. In addition, the squad played a team in the regular-season that reached the Final Four (Georgetown) for the first time since David Robinson's senior year (1987 - UNLV). Lastly, Navy won its fifth straight, and 24th of the last 27, Star Games against Army, when the Mids knocked off the Black Knights, 76-68. The game was played in front of a regionally-televised CBS audience and 5,247 fans at Alumni Hall, the ninth-largest crowd in the venue's history.

Individually, Navy had two players that earned All-Patriot League honors. Junior guard Greg Sprink (Cardiff by the Sea, Calif.) was Navy's first All-League honoree since 2002, when he was voted to the All-Patriot League second team. Freshman forward Trey Stanton (Friendswood, Texas) was named an All-Rookie Team honoree, the fourth such honor in Lange's three years at Navy.

As a team, Navy showed dramatic improvement on the defensive end. The Mids ranked 45th in the country in scoring defense (62.7 ppg), one year after finishing 231st. The Mids were 21st in free throw percentage (.747) and 24th in three-pointers made per game (8.67). Sprink was 28th in the country in free throw percentage (.864). Navy set school records for three-pointers made (260), three-pointers attempted (726) and free throw percentage (.747).

Sohomore guard Kaleo Kina (Phoenix, Ariz.) and junior forward Ben Biles (Cramerton, N.C.) were the recipient of the evening's first award, the Kevin Sinnett Academic Achievement Award. The award is presented to the player who demonstrates work ethic, commitment and pride in the classroom and in his efforts to represent the team in the academic arena, Kina owns a 2.57 GPA in his three semesters so far with his GPA rising each semester he has been at Navy. Kina, an economics major, ranked second on the team in scoring (9.2 ppg) and led the team in assists (81) and steals (52). Biles has recorded a 2.78 GPA in five semesters at Navy, including a 3.63 GPA during the fall. Biles, who is majoring in economics, appeared in seven games, yanking down five rebounds during the year.

Awarded to the player who performed exceptionally as an individual and team defender, freshman Derek Young (Seat Pleasant, Md.) was the recipient of the Defensive Player of the Year Award. The award was given to Young for his commitment, focus and energy to playing Navy defense. Young appeared in 28 games, drawing one start and grabbing 10 steals in just 169 minutes of action, an average of almost 2.50 per game per 40 minutes. Young was inserted into games in crucial defensive situations and was an outstanding defender in practice as well.

The Most Improved Award was given to sophomore Adam Teague (Hickory, N.C.) who demonstrated a desire and will to improve for the benefit of himself and his teammates. The award represents a commitment to being the best player one can be through responsibility, positive energy and passion. Teague was a17-game starter as a freshman, but came off the bench in 2006-07 and saw his game take off. One of Navy's most accurate shooters, the 6-8 forward ranked fourth on the team with a 7.4 ppg average, despite playing just 22.6 minutes per game. He shot 44.7 percent from the field and 36.8 percent from long distance, connecting on 43-of-117 from beyond the arc. Teague is also an outstanding passer, ranking fourth on the team in assists and recording an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.00, one of four players with an assist-to-turnover ratio of at least 1.00.

Junior guard Greg Sprink was the recipient of the Charles McDonough Most Outstanding Team Player Award, given to the player whose performance, ability and statistics had the greatest impact throughout the season. The award marks the second straight season that Sprink has won the award after tying for the league lead in points per game at 17.2. Sprink became the 17th player and just the fifth junior in school history to score 1,000 points and his 507 points this year were the 10th most in school history and third most by a Navy junior. He became the first Mid to lead the Patriot League in scoring in league games only, averaging 17.9 ppg and added a 4.8 rpg average for the season, pacing the Navy squad. Sprink connected on 66 three-pointers this year, the second most in school history and his .864 free throw percentage is the third highest ever. On the career charts, Sprink ranks 16th in scoring (1,132 points), 13th in points per game (13.8 ppg) and second in three-pointers m!
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e (161) and attempted (435). He is on pace to become just the third player in school history to score1,000 career points, grab 500 rebounds and dish out 200 assists, joining past Navy greats Vernon Butler and Kevin Sinnett.

Senior Calvin White (Loveland, Ohio) won the final two awards of the evening as he was the recipient of the David Robinson Award, which recognizes that member of the graduating class who has contributed the most to the team's success over his playing career, as well as the highest honor bestowed upon a Navy basketball player, the Rear Admiral Ronald Marryott Award. Awarded to the player who embodies what a Navy basketball player is about, he not only plays for Navy, but demonstrates commitment to character, to leadership and to his teammates. White, who showed improvement throughout the course of his senior season, appeared in 15 games with one start, but saw the majority of his playing time late in the year. He scored two points with four rebounds, one assist and one steal on the year, but made significant contributions on and off the court as a leader. Despite ending his playing career on Feb. 28, White has remained active with the team in postseason workouts.

GreatAmerican · April 9, 2007, 4:34pm

Posted on GoMids.com:

<a href="http://navy.scout.com/2/633935.html%5B/url%5D">http://navy.scout.com/2/633935.html</a>

[quote]
GoMids.com contributor Pete Medhurst offers his opinions on the Navy men's lacrosse team and his outlook for the rest of the season....

[/quote]

GreatAmerican · April 9, 2007, 5:30pm

Overall Navy Sports Record, 273-139-3 (.661)

Baseball (22-11, 4-2 in the Patriot League)

Last Week: Lost to Lafayette, 3-2 (8 innings); lost to Lafayette, 5-0

This Week: Lafayette-DH (Monday, 1 p.m., Annapolis, Md., GameTracker on navysports.com); at UMBC (Tuesday, 7 p.m., Baltimore, Md.); at Coppin State (Wednesday, 6 p.m., Severn, Md.); at Lehigh-DH (Saturday, 12 noon, Bethlehem, Pa.); at Lehigh-DH (Sunday, 12 noon, Bethlehem, Pa.)

Heavyweight Crew (3-2)

Last Week: Lost to Harvard and defeated Penn

This Week: Idle

Lightweight Crew (3-1)

Last Week: Defeated Rutgers and Columbia

This Week: at Georgetown (Saturday, Washington, D.C.)

Women's Crew (12-2)

Last Week: Defeated Iowa and St. Joseph's and lost to Clemson

This Week: Idle

Golf

Last Week: Finished tied for 15th out of 25 teams at the Navy Spring Invitational

This Week: at the Princeton Invitational (Saturday-Sunday, all day, Princeton, N.J.)

Gymnastics (9-11)

Last Week: Idle

This Week: at the NCAA Qualifying Meet (Thursday, 1 and 7 p.m., University Park, Pa.); at the NCAA Championship (Friday-Saturday, 7 p.m., University Park, Pa.)

<h1>8 Men's Lacrosse (8-2, 5-0 in the Patriot League)</h1>

Last Week: Lost to No. 11 Maryland, 8-7 (2 OT)

This Week: Army (Saturday, 12 noon, Annapolis, Md., GameTracker on navysports.com, CSTV, 1430 WNAV)

Women's Lacrosse (11-3)

Last Week: Defeated Howard, 14-13; defeated Maryland Club, 14-5

This Week: at Villa Julie College (Saturday, 11 a.m., Baltimore, Md.)

Intercollegiate Sailing

Last Week: Finished third out of eight teams at the Capt. Prosser Trophy

This Week: Women's Dellenbaugh Trophy (Saturday-Sunday); Admiral's Cup (Saturday-Sunday); South Spring No. 2/Arrigan Memorial

Varsity Offshore Sailing

Last Week: Finished second out of 12 teams at the Intrepid Trophy Regatta

This Week: Idle

Tennis (11-10, 2-0 in the Patriot League)

Last Week: Defeated UMBC, 4-3

This Week: at Lehigh (Saturday, 10 a.m., Bethlehem, Pa.); at Army (Sunday, 1 p.m., West Point, N.Y.)

Men's Outdoor Track & Field (8-0)

Last Week: Competed at the non-scoring Florida Relays; competed at the non-scoring Penn Invitational

This Week: Army (Saturday, 12 noon, Annapolis, Md.)

Women's Outdoor Track & Field (9-0)

Last Week: Finished fifth at the Colonial Relays; competed at the non-scoring Penn Invitational

This Week: Army (Saturday, 3 p.m., Annapolis, Md.)

GreatAmerican · April 9, 2007, 7:54pm

For Immediate Release
Monday, April 9, 2007
Contact: Jonathan Maggart (410) 293-8771

Navy Splits Monday Doubleheader with Lafayette

ANNAPOLIS, Md. – Navy freshman starting pitcher Yale Eckert (La Selva Beach, Calif.) tossed 5.1 innings of two-run baseball in the nightcap as the Midshipmen split their twinbill with Lafayette at Terwilliger Brothers Field at Max Bishop Stadium on Monday afternoon. The Leopards won the opener, 6-3, before the Mids took game two, 4-3.

The Midshipmen moved to 23-12 overall and 5-3 in the Patriot League, while the Leopards went to 16-11 on the year and 7-1 in league action.

“I told our guys afterwards that this was our biggest win of the year,” stated Navy head coach Paul Kostacopoulos. “Coming back from three tough games, we won in one of our best games of the year. As a coach, you can’t be anything but happy about that.”

Eckert earned his second win in as many career Patriot League starts, as he scattered six hits with two walks and four strikeouts. The Navy southpaw held the visitors to only one hit over his first-four innings of work.

“Yale pitched very well today,” said Kostacopoulos. “He had two very good get-outs, meaning runner on third with less than two outs and not allowing the runner to score. For a freshman fourth-game starter, he gave us exactly what we needed.”

Navy jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the nightcap during the third inning. Senior B.J. Bickel (Benson, N.C.) laced a triple down the right field line and would come home to score on junior Renaldo Hollins’ (Virginia Beach, Va.) single up the middle in the next at bat. After Hollins stole second, he would cross the plate on senior Michael Garcia’s (Kailua, Hawai’i) single through the left side. Following Garcia’s swipe of second base, junior Thomas Hamilton (Houston, Texas) smacked a RBI-double down the left field line.

That score would remain until the sixth, when Lafayette plated two runs before Navy senior reliever James Lee (Asheville, N.C.) induced a groundout and a flyout to get out of the inning unscathed. Lee provided the Mids with 2.2 innings of two-hit, shutout relief on Monday afternoon. The Navy right-hander threw 32 pitches, 25 of which were strikes.

“James did a solid job of getting out the inherited jam without any damage,” commented Kostacopoulos. “He pitched is some very tough innings for us, but got eight outs without yielding a run.”

Lafayette would mount a tying threat in the eighth inning, but Navy came up with two key defensive plays to maintain the one-run lead. The Leopards posted back-to-back singles to lead off the inning before Lee induced a double play with the lead runner advancing to third. With the tying run standing 90 feet away, Navy third baseman Drew Lydon (White Plains, Md.) laid out and snared a line drive to protect the one-run cushion.

“Drew’s effort at third was obviously a very big play,” stated Kostacopoulos. “We played very well defensively. I think our defense took four hits away and also turned of double plays on the afternoon. I thought that our defense was the difference in the second game.”

Navy scored a significant insurance run in the bottom half of the eighth, with freshman Michael Speciale (Pearland, Texas) singling home Garcia with two out. In the top of the ninth, Lafayette would produce a lead-off double that would come home to score following back-to-back groundouts. Navy closer JD Melton (Myrtle Beach, S.C.) completed his seventh save of the year with a come-backer with two outs and nobody on.

Garcia went 2-for-4 with two runs scored and a RBI in game two, while Hamilton provided a 2-for-4 effort at the dish with a RBI.

In the opener, the Midshipmen claimed an early 2-0 lead in the second inning with a two-out, two-run single from Bickel. The Leopards would tie the game at two in the next half inning before the Mids reclaimed the lead in the bottom of the third. Speciale doubled down the left field line with two outs to give the hosts a 3-2 advantage.

The Mids would maintain the 3-2 lead until the fifth, when Lafayette led off with a triple to center and scored on a fielding error one at bat later. The Leopards took the lead for the first time in the sixth, crossing the plate three times.

Navy freshman starting pitcher Oliver Drake (Gardner, Mass.) was tagged for the loss, as he yielded four hits and six runs, five of which were earned, over 5.2 innings with three walks and two strikeouts.

Hamilton went 2-for-3 in game one with a double and a run scored. The Navy junior finished the doubleheader with a 4-for-7 effort at the plate with a pair of doubles.

Navy will play the first of seven-straight road games tomorrow when it heads to UMBC for a 7 p.m. contest at The Baseball Factory Field.

GreatAmerican · April 10, 2007, 2:29pm

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

Erica Ziel Named League’s Rookie of the Week

CENTER VALLEY, Pa. – After winning the 5,000-meter run at the Penn Invitational last Saturday, Navy women’s track & field freshman distance runner Erica Ziel (Saginaw, Mich.) has been named the Patriot League’s Rookie of the Week, it was announced by the league office on Tuesday morning.

Ziel is the first Navy runner to earn Patriot League Rookie-of-the-Week accolades during the outdoor season and the second on the year, as Abby Gesecki was honored following the team’s indoor season-opening meet.

Competing in frigid temperatures at Franklin Field on Saturday, Ziel raced to a time of 18:21.09 to edge Delaware’s Yianna Antonopoulos for first in the 5,000-meter run. The first-place performance was the first in her collegiate career and the second top-two showing in the event this year, as she placed second in the Navy Invitational two weeks prior.

The Midshipmen (9-0) will host Army in the annual Star Meet on Saturday afternoon at Ingram Field in Annapolis. Navy edged Army, 104-99, in last year’s outdoor Star Meet held up in West Point. Earlier this year during the indoor slate, the Mids cruised to a 107-73 victory over the Black Knights on the banks of the Hudson.

GreatAmerican · April 10, 2007, 2:31pm

2006 Navy Football Highlight Tape Now Available On Navysports.com

ANNAPOLIS, Md. - The 2006 Navy football highlight DVD is now available on navysports.com for just $20 plus $5 for shipping and handling.

The 25-minute DVD will highlight each of Navy's 13 contests, including the 24-17 victory over Air Force and the 26-14 win over Army that clinched a fourth-consecutive Commander-In-Chief's Trophy.

To order the 2006 Navy football DVD call the Navy Ticket Office at 1-800-US4-NAVY or go to: <a href="http://ev12.evenue.net/cgi-bin/ncommerce3/SEGetEventList?groupCode=V&linkID=navy&shopperContext=&caller=&appCode%5B/url%5D">http://ev12.evenue.net/cgi-bin/ncommerce3/SEGetEventList?groupCode=V&linkID=navy&shopperContext=&caller=&appCode</a>

GreatAmerican · April 10, 2007, 3:44pm

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

Navy to Send Seven to NCAA Qualifying Meet

ANNAPOLIS, Md. – Seven members from the Navy gymnastics team have earned the right to compete at the NCAA Qualifying Meet on Thursday at Penn State’s Rec Center with the opportunity to partake in the NCAA Championship on Friday and Saturday night.

The NCAA Qualifying Meet is broken into two sessions, with the first starting at 1 p.m. and the second beginning at 7 p.m. on Thursday. The top-three all-around gymnasts not on one of the 12 qualifying teams and the top-three performers not already qualified with a team or as an all-around competitor will advance to the national championship.

Ranked 17th in the nation in the all-around, Navy junior Christopher Tam (Draper, Utah) will look to advance to the national championship as both an all-around gymnast and in several events. The Navy junior owns a national qualifying average score of 48.68 and has scored above that mark on five occasions this year. He enters Thursday’s action also ranked as the 22nd-highest scoring gymnast in the nation on the high bar, where he has a ranking score of 8.82. He has scored an 8.85 or higher on the apparatus during three of his last-five performances. The product of Draper, Utah, also maintained an average mark above an 8.0 in the floor exercise (8.7), still rings (8.46) and the parallel bars (8.07).

Navy sophomore Joseph Atzenbeck (Broomfield, Colo.) will see action on the pommel horse, parallel bars and high bar this Thursday. Atzenbeck leads the team with a 25th-place national ranking on the pommel horse (8.5) and 59th-place ranking in the country on the parallel bars (8.32), while also owning an 8.65 qualifying average score on the high bar for 36th in the nation. The Navy sophomore has scored above an 8.0 in each of his last-seven performances on the pommel horse and six-straight times on the high bar.

Junior Brandon Cook (Longmont, Colo.) placed among the top-50 gymnasts in both the vault and floor exercise disciplines to earn a spot in both events on Thursday. Cook was crowned the ECAC champion on the vault over a week ago with an 8.6-point performance. Ranked 39th in the country, he has scored higher than an 8.0 on the vault in 10 of his 11 performances this year. Cook owns the 48th-highest qualifying score in the country in the floor exercise with an 8.84, highlighted by his 9.15-point performance during the opening day of the USAG Collegiate Division Championship.

Another Navy gymnast will partake in two events on Thursday, as sophomore Adam Stanton (Centennial, Colo.) advanced on the pommel horse and parallel bars. Stanton edged out Atzenbeck on the pommel horse with an 8.65 from the judges to win the event at the ECAC Championship. During his last-two performances on the pommel horse, the 29th-ranked gymnast in the nation has bested his season-best mark. The product of Centennial, Colo. has also emerged on the parallel bars, scoring an 8.0 or higher during each of his last-four efforts.

After missing nearly a month during the middle of the season, junior Isaac Olson (Spokane, Wash.) has made an impressive return on the high bar. He ranks 24th in the country on the apparatus, including 9.0-point performances at the USAG Collegiate Division Championship and the ECAC Championship. He was crowned the event champion at the USAG Collegiate Division Championship and finished at the conference championship finals with a near flawless routine.

Senior team captain Sean Blackman (Fayetteville, Ga.) has also worked his way back from injury to make it to Thursday’s competition on the still rings. The 45th-ranked gymnast in the discipline owns five-straight scores above an 8.0, highlighted by his impressive 9.25-point showing in the preliminary round of the ECAC Championship.

Rounding out the Navy contingent at the national qualifying meet is junior Jon-Michael Chombeau (Beaverton, Ore.) on the vault. He has registered a mark of 8.0 or higher in four-consecutive meets, including an 8.2 at the USAG Collegiate Division Championship where he stuck his landing.

This year’s group of seven Midshipmen advancing to the NCAA Qualifying Meet is the second-largest contingent over the last-seven years. Navy has sent at least five gymnasts to the national qualifier over that seven-year stretch.

In 2006, the Mids advanced eight gymnasts to the national qualifying meet, with Cook and Stanton each moving on to the preliminary round of the NCAA Championship. Cook nearly made it through to the finals in the floor exercise with an 11th-place finish, while Stanton placed 40th on the pommel horse.

GreatAmerican · April 10, 2007, 7:35pm

ANNAPOLIS, Md. -- The Navy offshore sailing team hosted the 2007 Intrepid Trophy Regatta over Easter weekend on the Severn River. Both Saturday and Sunday featured a strong breeze and very cold wind chills. Twelve teams competed in the Match Race format event which features one-on-one match competition and the final positions based on win/loss record at the conclusion of racing.

It became apparent during Saturday?s racing that Michigan State and Navy were the teams to beat and it was through fate of Saturday morning?s boat drawing that the two crews would not face off until the final flight in what turned out to be a showdown for the championship.

In that race, both teams dueled to an even start with Navy gaining the upper hand on the first beat. But Michigan State rounded the first weather mark less than a length back, jibed inside and worked over the top of Navy down the run. Navy was first to jibe but could not hold Michigan State from obtaining an overlap at the first leeward mark. Michigan State matched Navy tack for tack upwind and although Navy got close on a couple of shifts, they could not regain the lead. Michigan State held on to win the match and by virtue of their win over Navy, the tie breaker to take the regatta, both teams with a 10-1 record.

Maine Maritime recovered from a tough first few races, beating the University of Michigan to win the tiebreaker for third.

Special thanks to all the NASS volunteers who gave their weekend to make the event such a success including PRO Wayne Bretsch, Chief Umpire Angelo Buscemi, RC personnel Marion Johnson, Jan Richardson, Frieda Wildey, Bill Museler, Gene Gibbons, Taran Teague, Lee Doptis and Marino diMarzo as well as the on-water umpires; Dobbs Davis, Dick Morin, Maureen Mills, Dan Trammell, Mike Jones, Jason Werner and Bruce Bingman.

GreatAmerican · April 10, 2007, 7:44pm

ANNAPOLIS, Md. -- Last weekend, Navy's IC Sailing team qualified for the Team Racing National Championship to be hosted by USNA on May 27-29. Navy beat Georgetown, last year's National Champion, 3-0 in order to qualify. The Midshipmen who competed in the Prosser Trophy at Old Dominion University, qualifying Navy for the National Championship for the first time in over a decade, were Gary Grimes, Kristen Sproat, Andrew Vann, Krysta Anthony, Bryan Rigby and Tina Pryne.

GreatAmerican · April 10, 2007, 9:13pm

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

Navy-UMBC Baseball Game Cancelled

BALTIMORE – Navy’s scheduled baseball game with UMBC at The Baseball Factory Field at UMBC on Tuesday night has been cancelled, as the lights failed to turn on. The game will not be made up.

The Midshipmen (23-12) will head to Joe Cannon Stadium in Severn, Md., to take on Coppin State (0-28) tomorrow at 6 p.m.

GreatAmerican · April 11, 2007, 11:43am

Transcript Of Navy Head Football Coach Paul Johnson's Comments following
practice on Monday, April 9

In Attendance: Dave Ausiello (gomidshipmen.com)

Ausiello: I went through some old transcripts of previous spring practice press conferences so I'm going to go down memory lane with you. Last spring you said the most important thing was to establish depth. This spring, does the term establishing depth take on a whole new meaning since you don't have many people returning, especially on defense?

Johnson: Right now we are just trying to find 11 guys that can play. We aren't worried about depth as much as trying to find 11 guys we can put out on the field. There are a lot of positions that are wide open.

Ausiello: So comparing this year to last, where are you at this point in the spring?

Johnson: We aren't close to where we were defensively last year. Not even close.

Ausiello: The last two years you have come out and said that Lamar Owens and Brian Hampton were the clear starters at quarterback and everybody else was number two. What are you looking for from Kaipo to put himself in that position or is he already there?

Johnson: I don't know that he's already there, but I think he has had a decent spring. He's had some shoulder stiffness which has hampered his ability to throw the ball, but we are trying to get Jarod Bryant and Troy Goss a lot of reps and they have had a pretty good spring as well. We will sit down when spring ball is over and evaluate the position. I don't know that I've seen anything monumental to change my mind, but like I said before we started there isn't a lot of difference between the three of them really. We don't have the separation between the number one and number two quarterbacks like we've had in the past and I don't think that's a bad thing.

Ausiello: I saw Kaipo was playing slot back, but Scott told me it was because all the slot backs were hurt.

Johnson: Yeah, we have about three of them healthy so all the quarterbacks played some slot today.

Ausiello: Any significant injuries with the slot backs?

Johnson: No, they are just banged up a little bit. They will be OK. We should get most of them back Wednesday.

Ausiello: Last April you said the team wasn't very good. This April you said they were freaking awful. Is it getting difficult to come up with adjectives to describe your displeasure with the team each spring?

Johnson: If last year's team wasn't very good at this point then this year's team is double freaking awful. We have a ways to go, that's for sure.

Ausiello: Have you had a chance to watch the film from the scrimmage?

Johnson: Oh yeah, we've already graded it.

Ausiello: What stood out?

Johnson: We might have made some progress in some areas. We still have to play harder. The big thing that stood out for me was all the penalties on both sides of the ball. A lot of that was concentration. I can deal sometimes with effort penalties, but the mental lapses are the ones that I can't deal with.

Ausiello: Can you talk about Bobby Doyle and the progress he's made this spring?

Johnson: Bobby has had a decent spring. I think he's going to be a good player.

Ausiello: It seems like you recruit a lot of quarterbacks and some of them end up at other positions. Is that something you talk about during the recruiting process?

Johnson: We recruit them as quarterbacks, but most kids are smart and when they see they might be the fourth or fifth quarterback, but they could be the number three slot back and get some playing time they want to move. That's what I've always done. A lot of times the best athlete on a high school football team is the quarterback so we like to recruit them and we give them all a chance at quarterback, but a lot of time the player moves because he wants have a chance to play quicker than he would if he stayed at quarterback. If push comes to shove guys can always move back to quarterback.

Ausiello: Do you anticipate in the last six or seven practices to go from four quarterbacks down to three for the fall?

Johnson: Probably not. We will stick with what we have right now. We will sit down and talk about it after spring practice.

Ausiello: What two or three things do you hope that this year's team can take from last year's?

Johnson: I think last year's team always played hard. The last four teams always played hard, but that is certainly not a given. That doesn't just happen. You have to have that mentality. You have to be hungry. This team is as athletic as any team we've had. They are young, but as far as athletic ability they have some tools. They just need to learn how to play the game and we need to be a lot tougher than we are right now.

Ausiello: Is that something (toughness) that you can make great strides in over the next six practices or is it something that will need to be worked on in the fall?

Johnson: Hopefully we will make some strides, but we'll need fall camp as well. The off-season is going to be huge for this team. We have to get a lot stronger.

Ausiello: In previous years you have talked about the snot flying when the pads come on, is that happening out here this spring?

Johnson: There were some pretty good hits out here today I thought. You could hear some pads popping. There were some good licks passed. I think there is some of that going on.

Ausiello: Overall, outside of the poor weather, have you been pleased with the team? It seems like you have been ****ed off a lot in the press conferences and I want to get something positive.

Johnson: I don't know about ****ed off, I'm just a realist. I'm not going to say it's good if it's not good. They are going to have to bring their standards up to mine; I'm not going to lower mine to meet theirs. We are working towards each other.

Ausiello: Here is your opportunity to sell some tickets. Is Navy going to put a lot of points on the board in 2007?

Johnson: My job is to try and win games. I will let the marketing department sell the tickets.

GreatAmerican · April 11, 2007, 11:45am

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

Drew Lydon Named League Rookie of the Week

CENTER VALLEY, Pa. – Following a solid weekend both at the plate and with the glove, Navy freshman third baseman Drew Lydon (White Plains, Md.) has been named the Patriot League Rookie of the Week, it was announced on Tuesday evening.

The rookie-of-the-week honors are the first for Lydon this season and he becomes the fifth Navy freshman to receive kudos from the league this year. Catcher Steven Soares (Coral Springs, Fla.) has earned the award twice, while first baseman Jonathan Berkowitz (Parkland, Fla.), pitcher Oliver Drake (Gardner, Mass.) and outfielder Michael Speciale (Pearland, Texas) each have won the award once.

The Patriot League Rookie of the Week has come from Navy during six of the eight weeks it has been handed out by the league office. The six rookie-of-the-week awards tie the Patriot League record held by the 2004 Army squad.

Lydon made a spectacular play defensively in the eighth inning during Navy’s 4-3 victory over Lafayette on Monday. With the tying runner standing on third with two outs and clinging to a one-run lead, Lydon fully extended on a dive and snared a line drive that would have tied the ballgame. For the weekend, he cleanly fielded all seven chances at the hot corner and helped turn a double play.

At the plate, Lydon batted .385 (5-for-13) on the weekend and hit safely in each of the four games to extend his hitting streak to seven games, tied for the longest by a Navy freshman this year.

The product of White Plains, Md., is second on the team with a .324 (23-for-71) batting average this season and has slugged two doubles, a triple and a home run, while driving in 13.

The Midshipmen (23-12) will return to action tonight when they travel to Joe Cannon Stadium in Severn, Md., to take on Coppin State (0-28) at 6 p.m.

GreatAmerican · April 11, 2007, 11:47am

Posted on GoMids.com:

<a href="http://navy.scout.com/2/634397.html%5B/url%5D">http://navy.scout.com/2/634397.html</a>

[quote]
Recently, Navy head football coach Paul Johnson has used a variety of different phrases to depict his current crop of players. From being “pea brains” to “not very good,” Johnson is already in mid-season form when it comes to the colorful words he has chosen to describe the performance of his football team....

[/quote]

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