Annapolis Guide 8.30.26 - Flipbook - Page 35
Annapolis Guide | Sunday, August 30, 2026 35
EDUCATION
abrupt end in the semifinals of the Patriot League Tournament. Chance Gladden made a 30-foot shot with six-tenths
of a second left as Boston University upset the Navy men, 73-72. A 3-pointer by
Belle Bramer with a minute left in overtime proved decisive as Lehigh stunned
the Navy women, 81-76.
“Both programs took major steps forward, so we’re very encouraged with the
progress,” Kelly said.
Other highlights during the winter
season included men’s swimming and
diving sweeping both Patriot League
and ECAC championships, along with
men’s indoor track and field securing its
sixth straight conference crown.
Navy women’s lacrosse was the big
story of the spring season, with the program ranked as high as fourth nationally
after beating a pair of Top 10 teams in
Virginia and Florida. Navy’s lone slipup
came when it lost on the road to Loyola
Maryland, but it rebounded to beat archrival Army and earn the top seed for
the Patriot League Tournament.
Navy notched a convincing victory
over Army, 17-11, in a rematch in the Patriot League Tournament championship
game. The Midshipmen were seeded
Zanai Barnett-Gay was named Patriot
League Player of the Year and also
became just the second Navy women’s
basketball player to be named an AllAmerican by The Associated Press.
PAUL W. GILLESPIE/STAFF FILE
sixth for the NCAA Tournament and
posted a couple of exciting come-frombehind wins to reach the quarterfinals.
Navy’s magical run came to an end
when it lost to in-state rival Maryland,
14-11. Sophomore attacker Alyssa Chung
was named first-team All-American and
one of five finalists for the prestigious
Tewaaraton Award.
Senior fullback and kicking specialist
Roanin Krieger was the catalyst as Navy
men’s rugby reached the national championship game for the second time in
the span of four seasons. Top-ranked
California-Berkeley beat No. 2 Navy, 3622, in the Collegiate Rugby Association
of America final.
Krieger was a finalist for the prestigious Rudy Scholz Award as the nation’s
best player and one of six Midshipmen
selected as CRAA first team All-Americans.
Navy men’s track and field continued
its dominance by capturing its 12th consecutive Patriot League outdoor championship. Nick Simmons was named
Field Athlete of the Year, while Jason
Keiser was chosen Rookie of the Year.
Senior Justin Mumford, a standout
performer in cross country as well as
track and field, was selected as the overall Patriot League Men’s Scholar Athlete
of the Year.
History was made in April as Navy
had two players selected in the same
NFL draft for the first time since 1956.
Robinson, the American Conference
Defensive Player of the Year and a firstteam Associated Press All-American,
was taken in the seventh round by the
Cincinnati Bengals.
It was the 226th overall pick and was
announced by the Pat Tillman Foundation. Tillman, who left the NFL to enlist
in the U.S. Army following 9/11, was
taken at 226 by the Arizona Cardinals in
1998. That particular pick was dedicated
in Tillman’s honor after he was killed in
Afghanistan in 2004.
Heidenreich, who set almost every career and single-season Navy receiving
record, was chosen four picks later by
his hometown Pittsburgh Steelers. The
Mount Lebanon High product and
Pittsburgh native had been invited into
the “green room” for the Saturday session of the NFL draft and stepped onto
the stage to a standing ovation that
lasted seven minutes.
Navy’s three major award winners
were Horvath (Naval Academy Athletic
Association Sword for Men), Robinson
(Thomson Trophy Cup) and senior volleyball standout Ava Toppin (Vice Admiral Lawrence Sword for Women).
