Navy Sports

Colleges and Universities A-Z Naval Academy - Annapolis
141

<p>For Immediate Release
Thursday, Feb. 8, 2007
Wrestling Contact: Stacie Michaud (410) 293-8773</p>

<p>19th-Ranked Navy Wrestling Faces Bucknell in Home Finale</p>

<p>ANNAPOLIS, Md. - A week after capturing its fourth-consecutive All-Academy Championship, the 19th-ranked Navy wrestling team returns to dual meet action on Saturday evening when it closes out the home portion of its schedule against EIWA foe Bucknell. The evening will begin with a pre-match ceremony honoring Navy's nine seniors starting at 7:00 pm at Halsey Field House and will conclude with an autograph session upon completion of the match.</p>

<p>With the EIWA Championship just three weeks away, the Mids are winding down their dual meet schedule. Following its match on Saturday against the Bison, the Mids will battle arch rival Army in the annual Star Match next Sunday, Feb. 18, at West Point. Action is set for 4:00 pm and will be televised by ESPNU.</p>

<p>"We've been working hard in the wrestling room this week, correcting some of the errors we made at the All-Academy Championship," said first-year Navy assistant coach Brian Antonelli. "We've had a strong week of practice and we're looking forward to wrestling Bucknell. It'll be a challenging match.</p>

<p>"Saturday is a big night for our seniors. It's their last night wrestling on the Blue & Gold mat, their last night to wrestle in front of their home crowd."</p>

<p>The Mids head into Saturday's match against Bucknell owning a 9-4 dual meet record, including a flawless 5-0 mark in EIWA competition, and the program's first No. 1 ranking in the EIWA since claiming the team title in 1990. Last Saturday, all 10 Navy wrestlers place with five walking away with individual titles, four more making the finals bout and a final wrestler finishing third. The Mids claimed individual titles at 157, 174, 184, 197 and 285 weight classes with 11th-ranked Matt Stolpinski (Westfield, Mass.) winning his third-consecutive All-Academy Wrestling Championship at 174 pounds. He is only the fourth wrestler in Naval Academy history to win three individual titles at the All-Academy tournament, joining Greg Gingeleskie (1997-98-99), Mark Conley (2000-01-02) and Tanner Garrett (2004-05-06). Additionally, the junior pushed his win total for the year to 32, becoming just the ninth wrestler in Navy history to etch his name into the 30-win club twice during his car!
ee!
r.</p>

<p>The remaining four champions were first-time winners, including seniors John Jarred (Kansas City, Mo.) and Antonio Miranda (Eugene, Ore.). Jarred clinched the 157-pound title with a 6-1 victory over VMI's Tommy Cunningham, while Miranda scored a 5-3 decision over Army's Richard Starks to win the 184-pound title. Jarred is just three wins away from making his second-consecutive appearance on Navy's 30-win list, as he owns a 27-9 record. Miranda has more than tripled his win total from a year ago, boasting an impressive 27-9 mark. Thirteen of his 27 wins this season have come by major decision, including five of his last five. Miranda enters Saturday night's dual on a seven-match winning streak.</p>

<p>Eighth-ranked Ed Prendergast (St. Louis, Mo.) won his third tournament of the season, as he pinned a pair of foes and outlasted VMI's Scott Buhman in sudden victory to earn the All-Academy heavyweight title. Riding an 11-match winning streak dating back to his pin over Brown's Levon Mock at the Lone Star Duals on Jan. 6, Prendergast reached the 30-win plateau with his victory over Buhman last weekend.</p>

<p>Finally, junior Matt Parsons (Dunkirk, Md.) got the call for the Mids at 197 pounds where he stepped in and won his first-collegiate tournament title by pinning top-seeded Conner Sanders from Army at 4:24. Parsons received a first-round bye, before posting a 7-4 win over Eric Vincent from the Merchant Marine Academy in his semifinal match. He owns a 13-7 record this season, seeing most of his action at 184 pounds.</p>

<p>Bucknell enters the match with a 10-8 dual record, including a 2-2 mark against EIWA competition. The Bison have defeated Princeton (46-0) and Franklin & Marshall (31-6), while dropping bouts to Army (36-6) and Brown (22-12). Bucknell has won its last two matches by a combined score of 76-3, defeating Millersville (34-3) and James Madison (42-0).</p>

<p>Bucknell's entire 17-man slate is made up of freshmen, including 165-pounder Andy Rendos who is ranked 18th in the nation. Rendos, who won the Navy Classic in November, owns a 25-3 record, including a 16-2 dual record. He enters Saturday's match having won 10 in a row, including four by fall. Both David Marble and Eric Lapotsky join Rendos in the 20-win club. Marble has turned in a 22-7 record at 133 pounds and is on a 10-match winning streak, while Lapotsky has recorded a 21-4 mark at 197 pounds and has won three of his last four by fall.</p>

<p>Navy owns an 18-1-0 series advantage over Bucknell, winning 14 in a row. The last time the two teams met on the mats was Feb. 16, 2001, when Navy claimed a 31-8 victory over the Bison in Annapolis. Bucknell's only win in the series came in a Feb. 15, 1986, match in Lewisburg, Pa., where the Bison produced a 19-12 victory. Following the 2001-02 campaign, Bucknell dropped wrestling to club-varsity status, but restored the program to full varsity status this year.</p>

142

<p><a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/news/story?page=CampusCall%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/news/story?page=CampusCall&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

143

<p>For Immediate Release
Thursday, Feb. 8, 2007
Men's Golf Contact: Stacie Michaud (410) 293-8773</p>

<p>Navy Picked to Finish Third in Patriot League Preseason Golf Poll</p>

<p>CENTER VALLEY, Pa. - The Navy golf team has been picked to finish third in the Patriot League based on a preseason poll voted on by the league's coaches and sports information directors. The 2007 Patriot League Championship is slated to be played April 21-22 at the West Point Golf Course.</p>

<p>The poll mirrored last year's Patriot League Championship finish with defending champion Bucknell selected as the preseason favorite, receiving eight of the 14 first-place votes (eligible for 12 since you cannot vote for your own team). Led by 2006 Patriot League Coach of the Year Jim Cotner, the Bison return five of their six starters, including two-time Patriot League medalist Charlie Waddell. Army picked up five first-place votes and was just two total points behind Bucknell in the poll, 66-64. Navy grabbed the final first-place vote and fell in at third, followed by Lehigh, Colgate, Holy Cross and Lafayette.</p>

<p>Despite shooting the lowest round of the 2006 Patriot League Tournament, a final-round 293, the Midshipmen finished 12 strokes out of second place with a 58-over par 910. Two of its three All-Patriot League golfers return this spring, including 2006 Patriot League Rookie of the Year Ryan Wielgus (Bethesda, Md.) who tied for eighth in the league championship with a 16-over par 229. Also returning is junior Chris Renninger (Darnestown, Md.) who turned in the second-lowest round of the tournament, a 1-under par 70, and tied for fifth place with a three-round tournament score of 226 (+13). The Mids also return sophomores Eric Stinson (Spotsylvania, Pa.) and David Miller (Chillicothe, Ohio) who each tied for 12th at the league championship with a 20-over par 233, as well as junior Erich Schoen (Sylvania, Ohio) who placed 24th with a 24-over par 237.</p>

<p>The Mids open the spring season on March 15-16 at the Cat Classic in Weston, Fla.</p>

<p>2007 Patriot League Preseason Golf Poll
1. Bucknell (8) 66
2. Army (5) 64
3. Navy (1) 52
4. Lehigh 45
5. Colgate 28
6. Holy Cross 22
7. Lafayette 17</p>

144

<p>For: Immediate Release
Sent: February 9, 2007
Contact: Scott Strasemeier (410) 293-8775</p>

<p>Navy Announces 2007 Football Scheduleh</p>

<p>ANNAPOLIS, Md.-The Navy football team will face a challenging schedule in 2007 with five teams from BCS conferences and three programs who earned bowl bids in 2006 highlighting the slate. Two of the three bowl teams played in BCS games, while a third narrowly missed out on playing in a BCS game. The Mids return 11 starters (seven on offense, two on defense and both kickers) off a squad that posted a 9-4 record, won the Commander-In-Chief's Trophy for a school-record fourth-straight year and participated in a fourth-straight bowl game.</p>

<p>Navy's Sept. 29 showdown against Service Academy rival Air Force, the Oct. 20 Homecoming contest against defending ACC champion and Orange Bowl participant Wake Forest and the annual Army-Navy game on Dec. 1 at Baltimore's M&T Bank Stadium highlight the seven-game home and neutral site schedule.</p>

<p>"This will be the most challenging and entertaining schedule we have faced," said Naval Academy Director of Athletics Chet Gladchuk. "The pageantry of college football at its finest in one of the most impressive venues in the nation makes for a very special weekend in Annapolis. We look forward to welcoming our fans back and expect our attendance in 2007 will surpass the record numbers we enjoyed last season."</p>

<p>"This is a very challenging schedule with a cross-section of teams that has a national appeal to it," said Navy head coach Paul Johnson. "Our football team has appreciated the support our loyal fans have given us in making Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium a tough place to play and we look forward to another exciting football season in 2007."</p>

<p>Navy will open up the 2007 campaign with back-to-back road games at Temple (Sept. 1) and Rutgers (Sept. 7). Rutgers is coming off a storybook 11-2 season, including a 37-10 pasting of Kansas State in the Texas Bowl.</p>

<p>Navy's home opener will take place on Sept. 15 when the Mids play host to an underrated Ball State squad that finished the year as one of the hottest teams in the Mid-American Conference. The Cardinals finished 5-7 last year and won three of their final four contests. Their only loss was a 34-26 squeaker at Michigan in a game that Ball State led throughout.</p>

<p>The Ball State game is the first of three-straight home games for Navy, as the next week (Sept. 22) the Duke Blue Devils come calling to Annapolis.</p>

<p>First-year Air Force head coach Troy Calhoun and the Falcons will make a visit to Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium the following week, as the Mids will be looking to beat Air Force for the fifth-consecutive year. Navy has won nine-straight Service Academy games dating back to 2002 and is just three wins away from the all-time Service Academy record of 12-straight wins set by Air Force (1997-02).</p>

<p>After an off-week, Navy will travel to Heinz Field in Pittsburgh (Oct. 13) to take on the Pitt Panthers. The contest will be Navy's first against Pitt since 1989. The Panthers finished last season 6-6 after starting the year 6-1.</p>

<p>Wake Forest will provide an extremely tough opponent on Homecoming as the Demon Deacons are coming off an historic season, posting an 11-3 record and winning the ACC Championship for the first time since 1970. Wake head coach Jim Grobe, who was named National Coach of the Year by several media outlets, and a host of returning starters will visit Annapolis for the first time since 2000.</p>

<p>The Mids will play host to Division I-AA power Delaware (Oct. 27) the following week before traveling to South Bend, Ind. to take on Sugar Bowl participant Notre Dame on Nov. 3. The Mids have not beaten the Irish since 1963.</p>

<p>Navy will travel to the fertile recruiting ground of Texas on Nov. 10 when the Mids take on North Texas for the first time in school history. It is just the Mids second trip to the state of Texas in the last four years.</p>

<p>On Senior Day, Navy will play host to a Kent State squad that finished 6-6 a year ago. The Mids edged Kent State in 2005, 34-31.</p>

<p>The Mids will then have two weeks to prepare for the Black Knights of Army before their Dec. 1 showdown in Baltimore. Navy has won five-straight games against Army, outscoring the Cadets, 212-68.</p>

<p>Game times for all Navy home games will be set in the spring due to television considerations, while game times for the road games will be announced by the host institution when available.</p>

<p>Navy has already locked in nine nationally-televised games with the Kent State, Duke, Air Force, Wake Forest, Delaware and Ball State games being televised by CSTV: College Sports Television, the Rutgers game will be on ESPN, the Notre Dame game will be televised by NBC and the Army-Navy game by CBS. The game at Pittsburgh is likely to be televised, as well.</p>

<p>Season tickets for the 2007 season are on sale now at <a href="http://www.navysports.com%5B/url%5D"&gt;www.navysports.com&lt;/a>.
Season tickets are $190, which includes all six games at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. Each season ticket holder will also have the opportunity to purchase a like number of tickets for the Army-Navy game. Single game tickets are $30, except for the Air Force ($38) and Wake Forest ($32) games. A season parking pass will cost $90.</p>

<p>2007 Navy Football Schedule</p>

<p>Date Opponent Location Time TV
Sept. 1 at Temple Philadelphia, Pa. TBA TBA
Sept. 7 at Rutgers Piscataway, N.J. 7 p.m. ESPN
Sept. 15 Ball State Annapolis, Md. TBA CSTV
Sept. 22 Duke Annapolis, Md. TBA CSTV
Sept. 29 Air Force Annapolis, Md. TBA CSTV
Oct. 13 at Pittsburgh Pittsburgh, Pa. TBA TBA
Oct. 20 Wake Forest (HC) Annapolis, Md. TBA CSTV
Oct. 27 Delaware Annapolis, Md. TBA CSTV
Nov. 3 at Notre Dame South Bend, Ind. 2:30 p.m. NBC
Nov. 10 at North Texas Denton, Texas TBA TBA
Nov. 17 Kent State Annapolis, Md. TBA CSTV
Dec. 1 Army Baltimore, Md. TBA CBS</p>

145

<p>Navy Looks For Two-Game Road Sweep Of Lehigh Valley Squads</p>

<p>GAME-DAY DATA
NAVY (12-12 / 2-7) at LAFAYETTE (8-16 / 2-7)
February 10, 2007 • 4:00 pm (EST)
Kirby Sports Center (3,500) • Easton, Pa.
TELEVISION: CSTV (Gary Laubach, John Leone and Dan Mowdy)
RADIO: WNAV (1430 AM), WFED (1050 AM) (Bob Socci)
VIDEO STREAMING: <a href="http://www.patriotleague.com%5B/url%5D"&gt;www.patriotleague.com&lt;/a>, <a href="http://www.navysports.com%5B/url%5D"&gt;www.navysports.com&lt;/a>
GAMETRACKER: <a href="http://www.navysports.com%5B/url%5D"&gt;www.navysports.com&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>The Navy men's basketball team looks for its second straight Patriot League road win on Saturday with a nationally-televised tilt against Lafayette, beginning at 4:00 pm (EST) from the Kirby Sports Center in Easton, Pa. Navy, which snapped a five-game losing streak overall and an eight-game road losing streak to PL foes with a 70-65 win at Lehigh on Wednesday, enters the contest with a 12-12 overall record and is 2-7 in the Patriot League.</p>

<p>Lafayette enters the contest with a matching 2-7 league record and an 8-16 record overall. The Leopards are coming off a hard-fought 54-51 loss at home to Colgate on Wednesday and have dropped three in a row and six of the last seven. The Leopards boast a balanced lineup, as nine players average at least 4.9 ppg and 10 players average 10 minutes per game. The Leopards are second in the league in scoring (64.9 ppg), but are giving up a Patriot League-worst 72.9 ppg, the most points allowed per game by almost eight points per outing. Foes are shooting 47.8 percent from the field against Lafayette, including 36.9 percent from long distance. On the glass, opponents are outrebounding the Leopards, 34.8 to 26.4 per game.</p>

<p>Individually, leading the Lafayette charge is Matt Betley. The 6-4 junior forward is averaging team bests in points (10.3 ppg) and rebounds (4.2 rpg) and had 19 points and 12 rebounds in the first meeting between the two teams. Sophomore guard Andrew Brown is averaging 9.6 ppg, 3.1 apg and 2.3 rpg.</p>

<p>For Navy, the Mids are paced by Greg Sprink's 16.3 ppg and 4.9 rpg. Five other players are averaging at least four points a game and the Mids have had nine players connect on at least eight three-pointers this year.</p>

<p>Both teams are tied for seventh in the league with a 2-7 record, but are just 1.5 games behind the fourth and final home playoff spot.</p>

146

<p>For Immediate Release
Sent Friday, Feb. 9, 2007
Contact Justin Kischefsky (410) 293-8772</p>

<p>Navy Tennis Match to Start at 12 Noon Saturday</p>

<p>ANNAPOLIS, Md. - Saturday afternoon's tennis match between Navy and No. 70 Maryland will start at 12 Noon at the Severn Valley Tennis & Fitness Club. It was previously announced as a 1 p.m. match.</p>

147

<p>For: Immediate Release
Date: Friday,February 9, 2007
Contact: Chris Forman - 410-293-8774</p>

<p>Navy Rifle To Compete In NCAA Qualifier on Saturday</p>

<p>ANNAPOLIS, Md. -- The Navy rifle team will host John Jay on Saturday morning at Bancroft Rifle Range in the NCAA Qualifier. The Qualifier, added with an average of two other scores, will determine the qualifiers for the NCAA Championships next month in Alaska. Seven teams will be selected for the national championship and Navy needs a good performance on Saturday to earn a spot.</p>

<p>"We definitely have our work cut out for us," said Navy head coach Bill Kelley. "There are about 10-12 teams really going after the top seven spots and we are right in the middle of the pack. We need to put up a good score tomorrow and take some people out ahead of us. We have the people to do it, we just have to go out and compete and perform well."</p>

<p>The Mids have posted their three highest scores of the year in the last three matches, recording a 4648 against Alaska-Fairbanks, and a 4634 and 4633 at the University of the Sciences two weekends ago. Kelley said a similar score should be good enough to earn a spot in the NCAA Tournament, but doesn't want to take any chances.</p>

<p>"We need a solid score near our season high and that should be good enough," said Kelley. "But I don't want to take any chances. We are at the point in the season where we should be shooting our best scores and hopefully tomorrow we can do that. We are ready to go and excited to compete."</p>

<p>Action will start at 8:00 am in Bancroft Rifle Range.</p>

148

<p>Mids shoot for balance with recruits</p>

<p>Published in the Annapolis Capital:</p>

<p><a href="http://www.hometownannapolis.com/cgi-bin/read/2007/02_08-10/NAS%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.hometownannapolis.com/cgi-bin/read/2007/02_08-10/NAS&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>
[quote]
Head coach Paul Johnson used the word "balanced" numerous times to describe Navy's 2007 football recruiting class.</p>

<p>That term would apply in a lot of ways to the 60-player haul, which features a wide range of sizes and positions while drawing from all over the country....

[/quote]
</p>

149

<p>Stanton scores 16 in win over Lehigh</p>

<p>Published in the Annapolis Capital:</p>

<p><a href="http://www.hometownannapolis.com/cgi-bin/read/2007/02_08-24/NAS%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.hometownannapolis.com/cgi-bin/read/2007/02_08-24/NAS&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>
[quote]
Trey Stanton scored 16 points and Navy withstood a furious comeback for a 70-65 victory over Lehigh last night.</p>

<p>Kaleo Kina scored 15 points and Greg Sprink added 10 points for Navy (12-12, 2-7 Patriot League), which snapped Lehigh's seven-game home winning streak against conference opponents....

[/quote]
</p>

150

<p>Navy looks for spark from end of slump</p>

<p>Published in the Annapolis Capital:</p>

<p><a href="http://www.hometownannapolis.com/cgi-bin/read/2007/02_09-56/NAS%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.hometownannapolis.com/cgi-bin/read/2007/02_09-56/NAS&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>
[quote]
Sometimes, one big win can change the direction of a season.
Navy coaches and players can only hope Wednesday night’s impressive victory at Lehigh proves a positive catalyst heading into the stretch drive. </p>

<p>The Midshipmen put together their most complete effort since early December in snapping a season-high, five-game losing streak and earning their first road victory against a Patriot League opponent....

[/quote]
</p>

151

<p>Published in the Annapolis Capital:</p>

<p><a href="http://www.hometownannapolis.com/cgi-bin/read/2007/02_09-13/NAS%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.hometownannapolis.com/cgi-bin/read/2007/02_09-13/NAS&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>
[quote]
When the Navy women's lacrosse team takes the field on Sunday against American University it will take the first step toward crossing a bridge that will move the team from one level of lacrosse to another.</p>

<p>The Navy women will begin their final year as a club team. Next year the transition will be completed when the Mids step up to the NCAA Division I....

[/quote]
</p>

152

<p>Let me have a big HOOYAh b/c I just got a call that I got into Naval AcAdEmY. I can finally be able to rest assure that I have fulfilled my biggest goal in high school. I am definitely looking for I-Day, USNA, Commisioning week, and BUD/S once I graduate.
I do wear glasses and haven't received any waiver of sort, this is for all you glasses ppl that will ask me about the waiver.
The person said I got picked by the board on 2/08.
Thank you for all the people helping me answer my q's, even though sometimes my q's get ignored. BUT this forum is truly helpful and I greatly appreciate you guys' help.
All I can say is this is one fine friday night that i will not forget.
Good luck and GOOD NIGHT!</p>

153

<p>I was so excited that i clicked on the wrong forum. My bad</p>

154

<p>For Immediate Release
Friday, February 9, 2007
Contact: Jonathan Maggart (410) 293-8771</p>

<p>Mids Win Season Opener, 12-3, at Florida A&M</p>

<p>TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Navy senior team captain Michael Garcia (Kailua, Hawai’i) went 4-for-4 with a pair of walks and two RBIs to lead the Midshipmen to a 12-3, season-opening victory at Florida A&M on Friday afternoon at Moore-Kittles Field.</p>

<p>The Midshipmen tallied 13 hits and walked nine times in winning their third-consecutive season opener. However, Navy stranded 14 runners and committed four errors. Florida A&M made six errors, leading to six unearned runs, in falling to 0-5 on the year.</p>

<p>“Today was a typical first game from the standpoint of hitting and defense,” stated Navy head coach Paul Kostacopoulos. “We struck out nine times and left 14 guys on base, but we also racked up 13 hits. We have a lot to work on, with the key element being our ability to get into good hitting counts and executing.”</p>

<p>Garcia’s four hits established a career high and his two RBIs matched a career high he set at Bucknell last season. Dating back to the end of the 2006 season, he has hit safely in eight-straight games, recording a .500 (16-for-32) batting average with three doubles during the streak.</p>

<p>“Michael had a good game and was key for our offense today,” Kostacopoulos said. “The sixth hitter has to be a clutch hitter, hitting with guys on base and stringing together the order. He either started or kept something going today.”</p>

<p>Navy scored in each of the first-three innings to storm out to an 8-0 lead. Five different Midshipmen hitters drove in a run over the opening-three innings and sent 10 batters to the plate in the second inning.</p>

<p>The Rattlers would pull within 9-3 after six innings, but the Mids tacked on three insurance runs in the eighth, capped by junior center fielder’s Renaldo Hollins (Virginia Beach, Va.) two-run single down the right field line.</p>

<p>Harris struck out seven Rattlers in five innings and allowed only two hits in getting the win. Harris held the hosts hitless over the first-four innings before Jared Jeffries’ single snapped an 11.2-inning consecutive hitless streak by Harris, dating back to the 2006 season. Harris finished his day on the mound with 93 pitches, 60 of which went for strikes.</p>

<p>“Mitch pitched a pretty good game for his first time out this season,” said Kostacopoulos. “He had great velocity to start the game. The errors did bump up his pitch count, but he was in complete command of the game.”</p>

<p>Hollins produced at the top of the order for Navy, going 2-for-3 with three walks, a double and four runs scored. The four times across the plate tied the fourth-highest single-game total in the program’s 112-year history.</p>

<p>Freshman Kendall Bolt (Stockton, Calif.) registered a 3-for-6 effort at the plate in his first-collegiate game, scoring once and driving in a run.</p>

<p>Freshman Chris Murray (Navarre, Fla.), senior James Lee (Asheville, N.C.) and freshman Jonathan Berkowitz (Parkland, Fla.) combined to hold the Rattlers to one run and two hits with five strikeouts in four innings of relief.</p>

<p>Florida A&M starting pitcher Drew Cook was tagged with the loss on Friday, as he gave up six hits and six runs, only two of which were earned, in 1.1 innings on the hill. Cook’s record dropped to 0-2 on the year with the setback.</p>

<p>The Midshipmen and the Rattlers will play the second game of the three-game set tomorrow afternoon, with first pitch slated for 1 p.m.</p>

155

<p>Published in the Tallahasse Democrat:</p>

<p><a href="http://www.tallahassee.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070209/BREAKINGNEWS/702090379%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.tallahassee.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070209/BREAKINGNEWS/702090379&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>
[quote]
The Florida A&M baseball team's first win of 2007 remains elusive after five games.</p>

<p>The Rattlers' latest defeat came at the hands of the visiting Naval Academy. The Midshipmen won 12-3 in their first game of the season....

[/quote]
</p>

156

<p>For: Immediate Release
Sent: February 10, 2007
Contact: Scott Strasemeier (410) 293-8775</p>

<p>Navy Rifle Team Defeats John Jay College In NCAA Qualifier</p>

<p>ANNAPOLIS, Md. - The Navy Rifle team improved to 8-3 on Saturday with a 4635-4141 victory over John Jay College in the NCAA Qualifier. The 4635 score is the second best recorded by Navy all year.</p>

<p>Today's score will be added to an average of two other scores and the total score will determine the qualifiers for the NCAA Championship next month in Alaska. Seven teams will be selected for the national championship.</p>

<p>"There are about 10-12 teams really going after the top seven spots and we are right in the middle of the pack," said Navy head coach Bill Kelly. "I'm hopeful that it's good enough to get in. You don't know until everybody finishes, it's real close for the last couple of spots."</p>

<p>Josh Albright won the smallbore competition with a 582, while Chris Schneider of Navy finished second with a 577 and Navy's Monica Amagna finished third with a 572. In air rifle, Navy's Lisa Kunzelman finished first with a 591, while teammates Sarah Bergman finished second (587) and Amagna and Crystal Piraino tied for third (583).</p>

<p>Navy travels to West Point next Saturday to take on the defending national champion Black Knights of Army at 8 a.m.</p>

157

<p>For Immediate Release
Saturday, February 10, 2007
Contact: Jonathan Maggart</p>

<p>Midshipmen Rally Falls Short at Florida A&M</p>

<p>TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Florida A&M starting pitcher Cirilo Manego threw seven innings of eight-hit baseball as the Rattlers held off a Navy comeback attempt as the Midshipmen fell, 6-5, at Moore-Kittles Field on Saturday afternoon.</p>

<p>Navy was unable to capitalize on eight Florida A&M errors, stranding 15 runners on base, in dropping to 1-1 on the year. The Rattlers picked up their first win of the season, upping their mark to 1-5.</p>

<p>“We had three opportunities between the fifth and the eighth inning where we left the bases loaded, and therein laid the game,” stated Navy head coach Paul Kostacopoulos. “We never got that big hit to get over the hump. Our inability to come up with the clutch hit was costly for us today.”</p>

<p>Trailing by a 6-2 score heading into the seventh inning, the Midshipmen began to chip away at the deficit. Junior right fielder Mitch Harris (Mt. Holly, N.C.) delivered a one-out single, advanced to second on an error and would score on freshman Jonathan Berkowitz’s (Parkland, Fla.) single and error by the right fielder. After a hit by pitch loaded the bases, Manego was able to induce a popout to get out of the inning.</p>

<p>Manego finished the day with three runs allowed, two of which were earned, with one walk and four strikeouts. The Florida A&M hurler threw 120 pitches on the afternoon, 79 of which went for strikes.</p>

<p>In the eighth inning, the Midshipmen plated a pair of runs on a Kendall Bolt (Stockton, Calif.) fielder’s choice and an error to pull within one at 6-5. Navy had runners on first and second with one out in the ninth, but Florida A&M reliever Artist Patton induced a game-ending double play.</p>

<p>Navy starting pitcher Mark McCoy (Parkland, Fla.) was tagged for the loss, as he gave up seven hits and five runs with two walks and three strikeouts over four innings of work. Freshman reliever Oliver Drake (Gardner, Mass.) kept the Midshipmen in position for the late rally attempt, scattering three hits and one run with no walks and a strikeout in four innings of work during his first-collegiate appearance.</p>

<p>“Oliver did exactly what we wanted him to do,” said Kostacopoulos. “He came in and really gave us five opportunities to come back and win the game. He had pretty good velocity and as a freshman in his first-career game, this is something we can definitely build off of.”</p>

<p>Junior center fielder Renaldo Hollins (Virginia Beach, Va.), Harris and Berkowitz each produced two hits for the Midshipmen on Saturday. Hollins scored twice and stole a base, Harris scored once and drove in a run and Berkowitz knocked in two runs.</p>

<p>Jared Jeffries, Corey McFadden and Patrick Brown each posted two hits for Florida A&M as the Midshipmen were out-hit by their hosts, 10-9.</p>

<p>The rubber game of the three-game set between Navy and Florida A&M will take place tomorrow at 12 noon.</p>

158

<p>For: Immediate Release
Sent: February 10, 2007
Contact: Scott Strasemeier (410) 293-8775</p>

<p>Navy Tennis Team Loses to Maryland, 6-1</p>

<p>ANNAPOLIS, Md. -- The Navy tennis team fell to 3-3 on Saturday afternoon with a tough 6-1 loss to Maryland (3-0).</p>

<p>"It was a very competitive match, we had some guys play tough," said Navy head coach John Officer. "Maryland is a very good team that should be in the national rankings next week. It was the type of match we like to play to get us ready for Patriot League play."</p>

<p>The Mids lost 5-1 in singles play with the only victory coming at #2 singles where Jason Hill defeated Nickolai Nielsen, 6-3, 7-6 (3). Nate Helms lost a tough match to Andy Orban at #1 singles, 6-4, 6-7 (5), 7-5, while Ramsey Lemaich lost a tough match to Louis Lavalle at #5 singles, 5-7, 6-1, 6-3. </p>

<p>Navy lost the doubles point, but got a win from the #2 team of Adrian Lai and Stanley Kahl. Those two defeated Boris Fetbroyt and David Kwon, 8-6.</p>

<p>Navy will be back in action next Saturday when they play host to St. Joseph's (12 noon) and George Mason (5 p.m.) at the Severn Valley Tennis Club.</p>

159

<p>For Immediate Release
Saturday, February 10, 2007
Contact: Jonathan Maggart (410) 293-8771</p>

<p>Navy Topped by Army in Star Meet, 207.9-200.45</p>

<p>WEST POINT, N.Y. – Navy sophomore gymnast Joseph Atzenbeck (Broomfield, Colo.) place among the top-five in three events, but the Midshipmen were handed a 207.9-200.45 loss by Army in the Star Meet at the Gross Sports Center on Saturday afternoon.</p>

<p>The 200.45 points were a season-high total for the Midshipmen, but the Black Knights also eclipsed their previous season-best mark to drop the Mids to 7-6 on the year. With the loss, Army extended its Star Meet winning streak in West Point to five-consecutive meets. Last year, Navy defeated Army, 201.3-198.825, in Annapolis to win the N-Star.</p>

<p>Atzenbeck won the parallel bars with a score of 8.75 points to lead the Midshipmen to a season-high and event-winning score of 34.3 points. The Navy sophomore also placed third on the high bar with an 8.7 and tied for fifth with an 8.35 from the judges on the pommel horse.</p>

<p>Junior Christopher Tam (Draper, Utah) placed second in the all-around with a total of 48.0 points. The nationally 20th-ranked gymnast in the all-around posted scores of 8.0 or higher in four disciplines. He earned an 8.7 on the still rings to finish fourth and posted a score of 8.65 points in the floor exercise to place sixth.</p>

<p>Navy surpassed its season-high mark on the still rings by nearly three points with a score of 34.3 points. Junior Richard Mehlmann (Bristol, R.I.) led the team with an 8.9, followed by Tam’s 8.7, sophomore Adam Stanton’s (Centennial, Colo.) 8.45 and sophomore Ken Lee’s (Rockville, Md.) 8.25.</p>

<p>The Mids also eclipsed their season-best effort on the pommel horse with a 33.4-point effort, more than two points higher than their performance last weekend. Sophomore Trey James (Matthews, N.C.) tied with Army’s Brandon Whitten for the individual event title with an 8.6 from the judges. </p>

<p>The Midshipmen will meet Army again next Saturday, along with Air Force, at the All-Academy Championship in San Francisco, starting at 7 p.m. PT.</p>

160

<p>For Immediate Release: Saturday, Feb. 10, 2007
Contact: Chris Forman
Phone: 410-293-8774</p>

<p>Navy Earns Sweep In Lehigh Valley Topping Lafayette, 70-63</p>

<p>EASTON, Pa. – Greg Sprink equaled a season high with 29 points and Navy overcame a sluggish start for its second straight Patriot League road victory in a 70-63 victory over Lafayette. The win improves Navy’s record to 13-12 overall and 3-7 in the Patriot League. Lafayette falls to 8-17 and 2-8 in league play.</p>

<p>“That is a great win for us,” said Navy head coach Billy Lange. “We have never been able to get a win here and we battled and hung tough and we thought that is exactly how the game would go. They made runs, but we stayed tough. We sustained great focus and got it done.”</p>

<p>Navy started slow as the Leopards built a 7-0 lead three minutes into the game and pushed the lead to 10 points at 16-6 with 13:00 to play. However, Navy started to get hot from long distance and ended the half on a 29-12 run over the last 13 minutes to take a 35-28 advantage into the locker rooms. Greg Sprink fueled the Navy run, scoring the Mids’ last seven points of the half and finishing with 14 points in the opening half. Adam Teague and T.J. Topercer also sparked the Mids in the first half, scoring eight and five points off the bench, respectively.</p>

<p>Navy hit six three-pointers in the first half and was 14-of-31 from the field in the first 20 minutes, while holding Lafayette to just 33.3 percent (9-of-27) from the field.</p>

<p>Lafayette cut the lead to 42-40 on a Matt Betley three-point play with 13:34 to play, but Kaleo Kina converted a four-point play to start a quick 7-0 run to push the lead back to nine at 49-40. Lafayette wouldn’t fold and trimmed the Navy cushion to 55-53 with 5:09 to play. </p>

<p>However, Navy would score the game’s next seven points including a Sprink three-pointer with 1:27 to play as the shot clock was winding down to give Navy a nine-point advantage at 62-53 and the Mids salted the game away by connecting on eight-of-10 free throws in the last 1:20 to hold on for the 70-63 victory.</p>

<p>Sprink also scored 29 points against Stony Brook, and finished 9-of-16 from the field and three-of-five from long distance.</p>

<p>“This will be a boost to our confidence and we knew we were close to turning the corner,” said Sprink. “We have been waiting for our time and we knew it would come if we stuck with the gameplan. We are starting to play with some confidence.”</p>

<p>Navy shot 42.3 percent from the floor and were outrebounded 40-30, while committing just 12 turnovers. Lafayette shot just 36.5 percent and was 8-of-29 from long distance. The Leopards were forced into 19 miscues.</p>

<p>“They have excellent guards and can really move the ball well,” said Lange. “We just had to focus on neutralizing them. Early on, we weren’t pressuring them very well, but after the second media timeout, we settled down and got on them some. It made a big difference.”</p>

<p>It was Navy’s first back-to-back road wins in League play since the end of the 2003-04 season and marked Navy’s first road sweep of the Lehigh Valley schools since 1997-98 and was Navy’s first sweep of Lafayette since that year. The win also pushes Navy into a sixth-place tie with American and depending on Army’s game with Lehigh tonight, could be tied for fifth with an Army loss.</p>

<p>Navy will be in action next on Wednesday night when it returns home for a contest with league-leader Holy Cross, beginning at 7:00 pm in Alumni Hall. For ticket information, call 1-800-US4-NAVY.</p>