Naval Academy Announces Major Athletic Award Winners; Swimmers Standout

ANNAPOLIS, Maryland, May 28. THE United States Naval Academy announced its major athletic award winners Thursday afternoon at the annual Prizes and Awards Ceremony at Alumni Hall.

Men's swimming standout Adam Meyer (Bethesda, Md.) was named the winner of the NAAA Sword for Men, presented to that man of the graduating class who is considered by the Association's Athletic Council to have personally excelled in men's athletics during his years of varsity competition.

Over his four years in Annapolis, Meyer won 119 individual races, broke 12 school records, 12 pool records, six Army-Navy meet records and six league records. He led Navy to four-straight victories over Army and four Patriot League Championships. Meyer is a two-time Honorable Mention All-American in the 200 butterfly and helped lead Navy to a top-40 finish at the NCAA Championship in each of the last two seasons (37th in 2009 and 32nd in 2010). He competed at the 2008 USA Swimming Olympic Trials and placed 19th in the 200 fly and 17th in the individual medley. At the 2009 World Championship Trials, he finished 10th in the 200 fly and 17th in the 200 individual medley and was a member of the gold medal- winning 400 and 800 free relay teams.

Meyer is the first swimmer to win the award without also participating in another sport. Luis Nicolao won the award in 1992 as a swimmer and water polo player and J.H. Carrington won the award in 1947 as a three-sport athlete (football, swimming and lacrosse).

Tara Chapmon (Virginia Beach, Va.) of the women's swimming team was awarded the Vice Admiral Lawrence Sword for Women, which is presented to that woman of the graduating class who is considered by the Association's Athletic Council to have personally excelled in women's athletics during her years of varsity competition.

Chapmon, who helped lead Navy to Patriot League titles in 2007 and 2010, is the only swimmer in league history to be selected Patriot League Swimmer of the Year three times in a career (2008, 2009, 2010) and is the first Navy female to win an individual athletic-only player or athlete of the year award from the league three times in a career. She won an astounding 85 percent of her races in her career (119 wins in 140 races, 8-0 against Army), including 94 percent of her races (63 wins in 67 races) over the last two seasons. She won a league-record 10 individual Patriot League titles in her career and is the only female swimmer in school and league history to compete in three events at a single NCAA Division I Championship. Chapmon qualified for the NCAA Championship in each of the last two seasons and her 23rd-place showing in the 200 freestyle at the 2010 NCAA Championship is the highest placement by an individual at the Division I Championship meet in Navy and Patriot League history.

Chapmon is the sixth swimmer to win the Vice Admiral Lawrence Sword for Women in the 31-year history of the award and the first since Heidi Fearon in 1996.

Ricky Dobbs (Douglasville, Ga.), a junior quarterback on the football team, was awarded the Thompson Trophy Cup, which is presented to that midshipman, male or female, who has done the most during the year to promote athletics at the Naval Academy.

Dobbs led Navy to a school-record tying 10 wins in 2009, a seventh-consecutive Commander-In-Chief's Trophy, a seventh-consecutive bowl game, a victory over Notre Dame for the second time in three years and a 35-13 thrashing of Missouri to win the Texas Bowl. Despite playing with a broken kneecap over the final six games and missing the majority of two games, Dobbs scored a school-record 27 touchdowns and set the NCAA record for single-season rushing touchdowns by a quarterback. Dobbs ranked No. 2 nationally in touchdowns scored (27) and points per game, averaging 12.46 points per contest. He finished 12th in points responsible for per game (rushing and passing touchdowns), averaging 15.23 points per contest. He has scored four or more rushing touchdowns on four different occasions during his career, including three times in 2009. No other Navy player has more than one-career four-rushing touchdown day. Dobbs played a role in 33 of the Mids' 51 touchdowns last fall (27 rushing, six passing) and his 198 points responsible for in 2009 is a school record. He has been responsible for 252 points in his career, which is tied for the third most in school history. His 35-career touchdowns are the second most in school history.

Dobbs is the 13th non-senior to win the award since 1963 and he will have an opportunity next year to become just the fourth person in 124 years to win the award twice joining E.W. Miles (football, 1917 and 1918), Roger Staubach (football, 1963, 1964 and 1965) and David Robinson (basketball, 1986 and 1987).

Justin Langan (St. Louis, Mo.) of the squash team was awarded the men's Coaches' Calvert Award, presented to that man in the graduating class who has persevered the most in his career.

A two-year letterwinner, Langan was a true success story on the squash courts where he played his first two seasons as a member of the junior varsity after having never played the sport before coming to Navy. Following his freshman year, he attended the Dartmouth squash camp during his summer leave at his own expense in the hopes of honing his skills enough to contribute to the varsity program. He returned for his sophomore season, but was the last player to be cut from the varsity squad, triggering his comment, "I'll be back!" Not only did he earn a spot on the nine-man ladder as a junior, he contributed a 24-9 record as Navy's No. 6 player and helped lead the Midshipmen to a program-record 27 wins. As a senior, he amassed a 24-9 record, including wins over his St. Lawrence and Bowdoin opponents to help lead the Midshipmen to team wins over both schools at the CSA Team Championship where Navy placed 13th. Langan concluded his playing career with a two-year record of 48-18 (.727). Additionally, he was recognized by the College Squash Association recently as one of 42 players nationwide to be named to its Scholar-Athlete Team.

Langan is just the second member of the squash team to win the award and the first since J. Bruce Ricketts in 1983.

Thuy-Mi Dinh (Anaheim, Calif.) of the women's swimming team was awarded the women's Coaches' Calvert Award, presented to that woman in the graduating class who has persevered the most in her career.

Dinh is a four-time First-Team All-Patriot League honoree and is the only swimmer in Navy and Patriot League history to compete in three NCAA Division I Championship meets. She totaled seven individual Patriot League titles and was a member of 10 league championship relay teams. She is the first person in league history to win the 50 freestyle all four years. Dinh, who participated in the 2008 U.S. Olympic Trials, won 79 of the 89 individual events (88.8 percent) she swam in over her four years.

Dinh is the second member of the women's swimming team to win the award in its 21-year history and the first since Stacey Haynes in 1996.

The above article is a press release submitted to Swimming World Magazine. It has been posted in its entirety without editing. Swimming World offers all outlets the chance to reach our audience by contacting us at Newsmaster@swimmingworldmagazine.com. However, Swimming World reserves the right to choose what material is posted.

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