ANNAPOLIS, Md. ---- The Navy and Army West Point swimming and diving teams will compete against each other in their annual Star Meet Saturday in West Point, N.Y. One board of diving for both the men and the women will begin at 10:30 a.m., with the swimming events starting at noon. Navy's two teams enter the weekend with 6-0 records, while both Army West Point teams have compiled 1-2 records in dual meets thus far this fall.
The meet is part of the Star Series presented by USAA, in which Navy holds a 6-1 lead this season.
A link to the free live video stream of the meet that will be contested in Crandall Pool can be found at NavySports.com.
Navy's men's team recorded a 213-86 victory in last year's meet that was held in Lejeune Hall. The victory was the 25th in a row for the Mids, but this year's meet is expected to be a very balanced one. Head-to-head, Navy has recorded the better effort this season in nine of the 16 events slated for Saturday, with the Mids tallying the best time / score in the league this season in nine events and the Black Knights having achieved the best overall posting in the league in four events.
"This is always an exciting time of the year as we prepare for the annual Star competition," said Navy men's swimming head coach Bill Roberts. "It is a special experience for everyone involved, so it is important that we come into this meet each year with a great deal of preparation. There is a certain intensity to this meet each year regardless of outcome. Most of that centers on the desire to perform at a very high level at a critical moment.
"We are expecting a highly competitive meet this year and look forward to getting in the pool to race, dive and compete."
Navy swimmers who have recorded the better time between the teams are Ethan King (Sr., Collierville, Tenn.), 100 back; Marlin Brutkiewicz (Sr., Mobile, Ala.), 100 and 200 breast; Connor Davis (Jr., Shelton, Conn.), 50 free; Joseph Jaime(Jr., San Antonio, Texas), 100 free; and Ryan Bailey (Sr., Youngstown, Ohio), 100 fly. Navy also has tallied the better time in the 200 medley relay, with Bradley Buchter (Fr., Hickory, N.C.) accruing the better score between the teams in both diving events.
"I know we are all really excited to get to West Point and compete," said Navy diving coach Rich MacDonald. "We have been having some great practices and the divers look strong right now. We do have a handful of divers who will be competing in their first Army-Navy meet, so it should be a great experience for them. It is always an awesome environment for this meet."
For Army West Point, Thomas Ottman has recorded the better time in the 500 and 1000 free events, Even Rude has notched the better effort in the 200 free as has Jonathan Ellery in the 200 fly, Joshua Sembrano has the better time in the 200 back, Peter Mikheyev has the quicker effort in the 200 IM and the Black Knights have posted a faster 400 free relay clocking.
On the women's side, the Mids defeated the Black Knights last year, 234.5-65.5, to win the meet for the 27th straight season. This season, there are 11 events in which a member of one of the teams has posted the best effort in the league to date, with the Mids accounting for 10 of those 11 efforts. When comparing just the best time / score between the two team's this fall, Navy has had the better posting in 13 of the 16 events that will be contested Saturday.
"Being the greatest rivalry in college sports, this meet always holds a prominent spot on our calendar," said Navy women's swimming head coach John Morrison. "Army is coming off their first Terrier Invite win, proving that their depth has considerably improved. With this, plus being at Army and swimming the meet a week earlier than normal, we have many unknowns that both teams will have to overcome. We continue to look to our first class leadership to hold the course and set the tone for the challenge. Army-Navy always brings out the best of both teams and we are eager for the experience of a great competition."
Though she and all swimmers are limited to just three individual events, Navy's Lauren Barber (So., New Wilmington, Penn.) has posted the fastest time in the league this season in four events ---- 200 free, 100 and 200 breast and 200 IM ---- as well as a faster time than an Army West Point swimmer in the 500 free. Navy, which also has tallied the best time in the league in both relay events, has recorded a faster time than one of the Black Knights in the 1000 free, Maddie Runge(Fr., Cochranville, Pa.); 100 back, Kaitlyn O'Reilly (Jr., Farmington, Minn.); 200 fly, Delaney Walz (Fr., Mays Landing, N.J.); 50 free, Kenzie Margroum (Sr., Fort Thomas, Ky.); 100 free, Olivia Morrell (Sr., Albuquerque, N.M.); and the 100 fly, Kelly Harrington (Fr., Boca Raton, Fla.).
Army West Point's Josephine Marsh has recorded a faster time than a Mid this season in the 200 backstroke, with teammate Serica Hallstead posting better scores on both diving boards.