Navy Swimming Wins 19 Events to Beat Army in Star Meet

Photo Courtesy: Navy Athletics

WEST POINT, N.Y. – The Navy swimming and diving teams each posted victories over Army West Point Saturday at Crandall Pool in West Point, N.Y., in the annual Star Meet, part of the Star Series presented by USAA, between the two service academy programs.

The Navy women’s team (9-1) tallied its 30^th-straight win in the series by defeating the Black Knights (2-2) by the score of 199.5-100.5. The men’s meet was won by Navy for the 28^th-consecutive season, with the Mids tallying a 173-127 victory over Army (2-2) this afternoon.

The Navy women’s team won 12 events and along the way broke four Patriot League records, four Navy records, nine Crandall Pool records and seven Army-Navy Meet records. The Navy men won nine events and also established one league record, one school record, four pool records and three meet records.

“This rivalry and meet always brings some surprise performances, but today our men’s and women’s teams took many performances to the next level,” said Navy women’s swimming head coach John Morrison.

“All of the credit for this performance goes to our swimmers and divers,” said Navy men’s swimming head coach Bill Roberts. “They really stepped up today. We couldn’t be prouder of their efforts.”

The key to both victories was the depth of the Navy squads. The Mids placed at least first and second in seven of the 14 women’s individual events and in four of the men’s events. This includes Navy going 1-2-3 in a combined seven events. In contrast, Army placed first and second in just one event and did not record a 1-2-3 finish on the day.

Having the most notable meet was Navy’s Lauren Barber (Sr., New Wilmington, Pa.). She had a hand in four event wins, and her three individual event victories makes her the winningest swimmer in Army-Navy series history –– male or female –– with 11 first-place finishes (in 11 races), and she also was a perfect 5-0 in relay events in her career. The previous record for the most career individual event victories was nine, and that mark was held by five different swimmers.

Barber not only swept her three individual events, she did so in style as she set two league records, two school records, three pool records, three meet records and attained three NCAA B cut times.

After swimming the breaststroke leg on Navy’s 200 medley relay team that won its race in a pool record time of 1:40.05, she posted a 59.71 to win the 100 breast by 1.72 seconds. That broke her own league and school record of 1:00.51 and was well under the time that garnered an invitation to the 2018 NCAA Championship (1:00.11). Barber then posted a time of 2:09.54 to win the 200 breast by just under three seconds. That effort also broke her own league and school record of 2:10.53. She closed her day by winning the 200 individual medley with a time of 1:59.13, a time that gave her a 4.13-second margin of victory.

“Four Army-Navy meets … 16 events … 16 wins,” said Morrison of Barber. “That’s pretty good, to say the least. And B cut times in the breaststroke events are very good marks.”

Also breaking multiple records on the day for the Navy women’s team was Martina Thomas (Fr., Fayetteville, Ark.) with her times of 1:45.60 in the 200 free and 4:46.52 in the 500 free. The former was under the league and school record of 1:45.87, bettered the pool record of 1:47.64 and was an NCAA B cut time, and the latter broke the pool and meet record and was an NCAA B cut effort.

Kelly Huffer (Fr., Phoenix, Ariz.) was the third member of the Navy women’s team to break both a school and league record as she did so with her time of 1:57.06 in the 200 fly. That effort was below the league and school standard of 1:57.76, bettered the pool record of 1:59.29, broke the meet record of 1:48.43 and was an NCAA B cut time.

Sarah Sorenson (Fr., Kennesaw, Ga.) established two new Crandall Pool records with her times in the sprint freestyle events. Her winning time of 22.95 in the 50 free broke the pool record of 22.97, and her effort of 49.82 in the 100 free bettered the pool record of 49.85 that was set in 1976 by eventual four-time member of the U.S. Olympic Team and Olympic Gold Medalist Jill Sterkel.

Rounding out the list of record-setting members of the women’s team was Jamie Miller (Jr., Rochester Hills, Mich.), who won the 200 back in a new pool (1:58.08), and meet (1:56.78) record and NCAA B cut time of 1:56.08.

“We had a huge win in the opening relay,” said Morrison, “then Erin Jordan (Jr., Schnecksville, Pa.) put all of her heart into an amazing come-from-behind 1000 free win by less than eight-tenths of a second. She has been battling some injuries, but that effort really set the tone for the day.”

James Wilson (Jr., Ephrata, Pa.) put together a great effort in winning the men’s 100 backstroke. His clocking of 46.78 broke the league and school record of 47.05, was under the pool record time of 48.09, broke the meet record standard of 47.46 and was an NCAA B cut time.

Caleb Mauldin (Fr., Chesapeake, Va.) also put his name on the record board in the 200 back as his time of 1:43.47 broke the pool record of 1:44.48 and the meet record of 1:43.78 and was an NCAA B cut time.

Navy’s lone multi individual event winner on the day was diver Bradley Buchter (Jr., Hickory, N.C.). He posted a score of 377.55 to win the one-meter event and break how own pool record of 344.25 and also tallied 352.80 points to win the three-meter board.

Buchter led a 1-2-3 finish for the Navy divers on both boards.

“It was another good performance in this meet for our divers,” said Navy diving coach Rich MacDonald. “It is always difficult to compete here because the facilities are very conducive for diving. The environment is very similar to what we will see at the Patriot League Championship, so this really was a great learning experience for our young divers. It is always great to have a 1-2-3 finish, and I was excited to see Bradley break his own event record.”

Navy’s 200 medley relay team of Wilson, Dean Nguyen (So., Seattle, Wash.), Zach Piedt (Sr., Fort Mill, S.C.) and Vince Everman (Sr., Philadelphia, Pa.) combined for a time of 1:26.53 to win the event and break both the pool (1:27.83) and meet (1:27.29) records in the process.

The Navy men’s team will next be in competition Jan. 5 when it swims and Princeton, and then both Navy teams will return to Lejeune Hall for a Jan. 12 meet against Penn State and North Carolina.

Women’s Results (Records Broken)
3-Meter Diving – Serica Hallstead, Army, 289.88
200 Medley Relay – Navy, 1:40.05 (Crandall Pool, 1:41.18)
1000 Freestyle – Erin Jordan, Navy, 10:10.04
200 Freestyle – Martina Thomas, Navy, 1:45.60 (Patriot League and Navy, 1:45.87; Crandall Pool, 1:47.64; Meet, 1:46.84; B Cut, 1:47.12)
100 Backstroke – Lauren Craig, Army, 54.33
100 Breaststroke – Lauren Barber, Navy, 59.71 (Patriot League and Navy, 1:00.51; Crandall Pool and Meet, 1:00.72; B Cut, 1:01.84)
200 Butterfly – Kelly Huffer, Navy, 1:57.06 (Patriot League and Navy, 1:57.76; Crandall Pool, 1:59.29; Meet, 1:58.43; B Cut, 1:59.23)
50 Freestyle – Sarah Sorenson, Navy, 22.95 (Crandall Pool, 22.97)
1-Meter Diving – Serica Hallstead, Army, 273.70
100 Freestyle – Sarah Sorenson, Navy, 49.82 (Crandall Pool, 49.85)
200 Backstroke – Jamie Miller, Navy, 1:56.08 (Crandall Pool, 1:58.08; Meet, 1:56.78; B Cut, 1:57.11)
200 Breaststroke – Lauren Barber, Navy, 2:09.54 (Patriot League and Navy, 2:10.53; Crandall Pool and Meet, 2:11.10; B Cut, 2:13.97)
500 Freestyle – Martina Thomas, Navy, 4:46.52 (Crandall Pool, 4:48.23; Meet, 4:48.57; B Cut, 4:47.20)
100 Butterfly – Whitney Chang, Army, 53.90 (Crandall Pool, 54.57)
200 Individual Medley – Lauren Barber, Navy, 1:59.14 (Crandall Pool and Meet, 2:00.33; B Cut, 1:59.94)
400 Freestyle Relay – Navy, 3:21.70

Men’s Results (Records Broken)
1-Meter Diving – Bradley Buchter, Navy, 377.55 (Crandall Pool, 344.25)
200 Medley Relay – Navy, 1:26.53 (Crandall Pool, 1:27.83; Meet: 1:27.29)
1000 Freestyle – Tom Ottman, Army, 8:59.81 (Army, 9:03.01; Meet: 9:02.65)
200 Freestyle – Kevin Lin, Army, 1:36.50 (Army, 1:36.77)
100 Backstroke – James Wilson, Navy, 46.78 (Patriot League and Navy, 47.05; Crandall Pool, 48.09; Meet, 47.46; B Cut, 47.77)
100 Breaststroke – Chris Bondarowicz, Navy, 54.73
200 Butterfly – Johnny Ellery, Army, 1:44.42 (Army, 1:45.15; B Cut 1:46.69)
50 Freestyle – Josh Zock, Army, 20.02
3-Meter Diving – Bradley Buchter, Navy, 352.80
100 Freestyle – Zach Piedt, Navy, 44.30
200 Backstroke – Caleb Mauldin, Navy, 1:43.47 (Crandall Pool, 1:44.48; Meet, 1:43.78; B Cut, 1:45.04)
200 Breaststroke – Evan Zhang, Army, 1:56.62 (B Cut, 1:58.43)
500 Freestyle – Ryan Waters, Navy, 4:23.11 (B Cut, 4:23.34)
100 Butterfly – Kevin Doo, Army, 47.29 (Army, 47.43; Crandall Pool and Meet, 47.66)
200 Individual Medley – Brian McKenrick, Army, 1:47.04
400 Freestyle Relay – Navy, 2:57.00

— The above press release was posted by Swimming World in conjunction with Navy. For press releases and advertising inquiries please contact Advertising@SwimmingWorld.com.

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Thomas A. Small

5 years ago

Congratulations

Christine Kennedy

5 years ago

GO NAVY.

Dave LaBerge

5 years ago

Jay Bauer Go NAVY

Bob Platt

5 years ago

Well done Kelly Huffer and Tom Ottman!