WEST POINT, N.Y. – The Navy track and field team swept the 2022 Army-Navy Outdoor Star Meet, which is part of the overall Army-Navy Star Series presented by USAA. The men's team posted a 107-93 victory, while the women's team claimed a 117-86 win.
For the men, it was the 10th consecutive outdoor victory in the series for Navy, while the women claimed their seventh consecutive outdoor Star. On the year, the Navy track and field and cross country teams swept all six Star competitions.
"From a competitive stand point, our team was extremely tough and resilient," Director of Navy Track and Field / Cross Country Jamie Cook said after the meet. "I am very proud of the way they fought and overcame. We had some awesome performances. It was great to see the comradery within the group. Nearly everything that we did today was historic. There were a lot of meet records, PRs, and top 10 performances. For our team to win all six Stars this year, I am just really proud of our entire group and our entire support staff. We are expanding the culture and what it means to compete at the Naval Academy.
"We had some great leadership from our captains; some really good coaching from our staff. I thought that was top notch today. Special shout out to our trainer Heather Mohler. She has done a great job of keeping everyone healthy for when we need them to go out and perform and be successful."
With the two track and field Stars, combined with the women's tennis Star victory earlier in the day, Navy clinched the record for the most Star wins in a single season by either side with 18. The previous record was 17 set in 1997-98, 1998-99, and 2011-12 all by Navy.
The Midshipmen improved to 22-5 in all competitions against the Black Knights this year and 18-2 in Star competitions.
WOMEN'S RECAP
On the women's side, Navy won 13 of 19 events, including maximum points in nine individual events and a pair of relay victories to post a 117-86 win.
Army started the women's competition with a sweep of the hammer throw, but Hannah Lowenstein won the high jump posting the third best performance in Navy history (1.73m / 5-08.00) to claim the event and cut in to the deficit. Katie Halbert (5.72m / 18-09.25) and Breanna Mealer (5.66m / 18-07.00) kept the Black Knights close with a second and third place finish in the long jump. Charlene Morke (3.90m / 12-09.50) and Stephanie Jacobs (3.90m / 12-09.50) tied for the fifth best performance in Navy history to sweep the pole vault and give Navy its first lead of the day, 23-21.
The Black Knights swept the discus, but Winter Boese (10:27.37) and Alanna Julius (11:04.07) finished first and second in the 3,000m steeplechase to regain the advantage. Boese's performance was the second-best time in the steeplechase in Navy history.
Navy's 4x100m relay team of Halbert, Breanna Mealer, Molly Mangan, and Sabrina Sutter combined for a school record time of 45.95 to win the event.
The Mids' distance runners Maddie Warrender (4:35.50), Ellie Abraham (4:37.61), and Emily Boutin (4:37.65) kept the momentum going with a 1-2-3 finish in the 1,500m run.
Jadyn Tiracave won the javelin with a distance of 45.99m (150-00).
Halbert broke the Navy school record in the 100m hurdles, clocking a time of 13.48 to win the event. Lindsay Lewis clocked a 14.09 to take second and give Navy a 61-46 lead through 10 events.
Navy took second in the 400m dash thanks to Helen West (56.16) and swept the 100m dash as Molly Mangan (11.78) and Sabrina Sutter (11.83) finished 1-2. Mangan's and Sutter's times would be the second and fifth best times in Navy history if they had been wind legal. After a second-place finish in the 1,500m, Abraham won the 800m run with the 10th fastest time in Navy history (2:08.46).
Army claimed the shot put, but a second and third place finish in the 400m hurdles by Erin Higgins (1:00.72) and Annie Taylor (1:03.03) gave Navy an 88-74 advantage with four events remaining.
Navy swept the final four events to post the 117-86 victory. Sutter (24.13) and Mangan (24.18) finished first and second in the 200m dash, posting the second and third fastest performances in school history. Jessica Nangle (16:47.39 – third best) and Meghan Sculli (16:57.06 – eighth best) posted a pair of top-10 performance in the program annals to sweep the 5,000m run. Sami Bollinger (12.29m / 40-04.00) set the school record in the triple jump, while Molly Chapman (12.08m / 39-07.75) notched the fifth-best performance in the triple jump to finish 1-2 in the event.
In the final race of the day for the women, the 4x400m relay team of West, Sutter, Higgins, and Mangan combined for a winning time of 3:45.67, which was the ninth best time in Navy history.
MEN'S RECAP
On the men's side, the Midshipmen won 11 of 19 events, earning maximum points in six events, to post a 107-93 victory.
Army won the hammer throw to jump out a quick 7-4 lead, but Navy swept the long jump with Caden Dailey (7.34m / 24-01.00), Nahshon Houston (7.23m / 23-08.75), and Aidan Featherby (7.04m / 23-01.25) going 1-2-3 to take a 12-10 advantage through two events. Braden Presser posted a victory in the javelin with a meet record distance of 71.99m (236-02), which is the third best performance in Navy history.
In the first running events of the afternoon, Elliott Schultz (9:07.66), Brett Brady (9:09.72), and John Bowers (9:15.16) went 1-2-3 to sweep the event to push the Navy lead to 27-17. The Black Knights cut into the Mids' advantage with a win in the 4x100m relay that saw Navy drop the baton.
Cole Bailey won the high jump with a height of 2.10m (6-10.75), while David Huizenga (52.25m / 171-05) and Boamah (52.17m / 171-02) finished 2-3 in the discus.
Alex Rizzo clocked a 3:45.58 in the 1,500m to win the event. Brahmir Vick posted the fourth best time in Navy history (13.95) to win the 110m hurdles. Freshmen Jacques Guillaume (48.13) and Jonathan Simmons (48.23) swept the top two spots in the 400m dash to extend the advantage to 59-45.
Army claimed first and second in the 100m dash, but Navy swept the pole vault as Charles Crispi, Walker Rudisaile, and Charles Dever all posted height of 5.10m (16-08.75) to go 1-2-3 in the event. The triple jump saw Joe Hurt (14.61m / 47-11.25), Jordan Payne (14.60m / 47-10.75), and Aidan Featherby (13.77m / 45-02.25) claim first, second and third to give Navy a 78-59 edge.
The Black Knights claimed the 800m run and 400m hurdles to trim the margin to 85-74. Boamah (17.07m / 56-00.00) secured much-needed second-place points in the shot put to keep Army at arm's length, 89-81.
Sethan Hollier (21.32) and Jay Evans (21.57) finished first and third, respectively, in the 200m dash to give the Mids 96 points with two events remaining.
Needing six points to secure a win, Miguel Mathias (13:57.28) and Grant Van Valkenburg (14:08.54) swept the top two spots in the 5,000m run to record a maximum eight points and secure a victory. Mathias' time was the fourth best in Navy history.
Army won the 4x100m relay to provide the final margin of 107-93.
