Weekly Update from Boo Corrigan, Director of Army Athletics

From: Athletic.Director [mailto:Athletic.Director@usma.edu]
Sent: Wednesday, December 07, 2011 10:54 AM
Subject: Weekly Update from Boo Corrigan, Director of Army Athletics
Importance: High

Dear Friends,

As the fall semester winds down and term-ending exams begin next week, it was appropriate that we celebrated a tremendous academic achievement this week.

Firstie football player Andrew Rodriguez was honored by the National Football Foundation with the William V. Campbell Trophy at the organization’s annual awards dinner on Tuesday night. The award is given to the nation’s top football scholar-athlete and is widely considered the highest academic achievement a college football player can earn.  Andrew was chosen as the nation’s No. 1 scholar-athlete among the thousands of players who participate in college football at every level.

He is the first Army player to win the award and the first service academy player since Air Force’s Chris Howard won the inaugural award in 1990.

Andrew’s focus will quickly turn back to the field this week as the 112^th Army-Navy Game presented by  USAA looms this Saturday. Fans can get into the spirit this week, beginning Wednesday evening with “This Week in Army Football.” The weekly radio show is held at the Firstie Club, and this week’s edition will air at 6 p.m. Following the radio show, fans can head up the hill to Daly Field for the annual bonfire and pep rally at 7 p.m. On Thursday, the official send-off for the team will be at 4:30 p.m. at Michie Stadium. The team’s departure will be followed by a Mule Retirement Center at 4:50 p.m. and the annual Goat-Engineer Flag Football Game at 5 p.m.

It was also a big week for the first-class cadets here at West Point. The seniors found out which branch of the Army they will serve in after graduation. We would like to congratulate the entire Class of 2012 as their 47-month West Point experience enters its final stages and they begin to transition into their military careers.

There were several outstanding performances to celebrate last week, starting in the pool. Ayman Andrews was named the Army Athletic Association Athlete of the Week after breaking meet records in the 100 and 200 butterfly at the Zippy Invitational in Akron. His 100 butterfly time also broke Academy and Akron pool records and hit the NCAA “B” qualifying mark. Diver Chris Nguyen was named the Patriot League Diver of the Week for the third time in five weeks after placing fourth in the one-meter and fifth in the three-meter competition at the Big Al Invitational.

Women’s basketball player Jen Hazlett was honored as the Patriot League Player of the Week for the first time in her career after averaging 15.5 points and 9.0 rebounds per game. Jen recorded her first double-double with 19 points and 12 rebounds in the team’s win over Hawai’i.

Below are detailed updates and notes on all of Army’s sports currently in competition. Thank you again for all of your support of Army Athletics. We appreciate all of your contributions to our success.

Be well.

Go Army!

Boo

Men’s Basketball (3-5, 0-0 Patriot League)

·         The Black Knights split a pair of games, losing to NJIT, 54-53, and defeating Binghamton, 70-50.

·         Army’s victory at Binghamton snapped a nine-game losing streak in games played away from West Point. It was also the team’s largest road win since a 21-point victory at Fairleigh Dickinson in 2009.

·         Cow F Ella Ellis led the team in scoring in both games, going for 11 against the Highlanders and 20 points in the win over the Bearcats. Ellis leads the team at 16.1 points per game and has scored in double figures in 10 straight games. Ellis is the Patriot League’s fifth-leading scorer.

·         Army shot just 2-for-24 from three-point range against NJIT, but came back to shoot 11-for-19 from deep in the win at Binghamton.

·         Firstie Julian Simmons scored 14 points at Binghamton and is now just 11 markers shy of 1,000 for his career.

·         Army plays two games this week before taking time off for term ending exams. The Black Knights are at Hudson Valley rival Marist on Wednesday and La Salle on Saturday.

Women’s Basketball (6-3, 0-0 Patriot League)

·         Army split a pair of games last week. The Black Knights defeated Hawai’i (55-51) in the first meeting between the two programs on Thursday night at Christl Arena. Army fell short in a 68-64 contest at Loyola (Md.) on Saturday afternoon.

·         Sophomore guard/forward Jen Hazlett averaged 15.5 points per game and 9.0 rebounds per game on her way to her first career Anaconda Patriot League Player of the Week award on Monday. She is the second Black Knight honored this season, as freshman forward Olivia Schretzman copped Rookie of the Week plaudits the previous Monday. Hazlett has scored in double figures in all but one game this season and ranks second in the Patriot League averaging 13.6 points per game.

·         Army, picked to finish seventh in the league, is currently atop the Patriot League with a 6-3 record. 

·         Army’s six wins this season have come by an average of 17.3 points. The team’s three losses are by a combined 12 points.

·         Army leads the conference in scoring defense (49.3), scoring margin (+10.2), field goal percentage defense (.336), three-point field goal percentage (.342), rebounding defense (33.7), rebounding margin (+6.0) and turnover margin (+1.1). See page 6 for complete conference leaders.

·         Three firstie women’s basketball players received their branch assignments in a special ceremony last Thursday night immediately following the team’s win over Hawai’i. COL Donna Brazil, the team’s head officer representative, presented the trio with their respective envelopes. Co-captains Kait Goodall and Meagan Doucette branched Aviation, while student assistant coach Erin Jankowski branched Engineers.

·         Army returns to Christl Arena on Tuesday night to take on Binghamton in a non-conference showdown. The Black Knights are 5-1 at home this season. Army will face Penn at the historic Palestra on Saturday night in Philadelphia. The game marks the team’s final test before TEE Week ensues.

Football (3-8)

·         Army is off until its Dec. 10 showdown with arch-rival Navy. This year’s game will be the 112^th meeting in the series. It is the first to be played in the Washington, D.C. area.

Hockey (1-7-6, 1-5-4 AHA )

·         The Black Knights are now 1-7-6 overall and 1-5-4 in Atlantic Hockey Association games following a loss and tie with Mercyhurst at Tate Rink. Following a 2-1 setback on Friday, Army skated to a 3-3 overtime on Saturday.

·         Army played with just 17 skaters due to a rash of injuries and one suspension on Saturday. Army head coach Brian Riley opted to go with only five defensemen in the contest as the Black Knights tied their sixth game this season.

·         Marcel Alvarez and Mike Hull each scored a goal and handed out an assist in the tie. Rob Tadazak made 33 saves Mike Henderson also netted a tally and Maurice Alvarez, Mac Lalor and Jon Bobb collected assists.

·         Army honored former standout Rob Ross and his family with a ceremonial face-off prior to Saturday’s game. Ross, a key member of the 2007-08 regular season championship squad was killed in an accident over the summer. Members of Ross’ family as well as a slew of former players were on the ice for the face-off.

·         Prior to Friday’s game, goalie Ryan Leets was presented with his league Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award for the highest grade-point average among goalies. Commissioner Bob DeGregorio, West Point’s Dean of the Academic Board Brig. Gen. Tim Trainor and Army’s Senior Executive Associate Athletic Director Bob Beretta were on the ice for the ceremony.

·         Army will travel to Holy Cross for a single game Saturday at 4 p.m.

Rifle (5-2, 4-1 GARC)

·         Army will break for exams and holidays, returning to the range on January 14 when they host defending NCAA champion and Great America Rifle Conference rival Kentucky.

Men’s Swimming & Diving (5-1, 0-0 Patriot League)

·         Army won the Zippy Invitational over the weekend. The Black Knights dominated the nine-team field, despite competing without the aid of the divers, who were competing at the Big Al Invitational in Princeton, N.J.

·         Cow Ayman Andrews led the way for the Black Knights, breaking meet records in the 100 fly and 200 fly. He shattered the Academy mark and the Akron pool record in the 100 fly, while also qualifying for the NCAAs (“B” cut).

·         Plebe Will Viana broke the school record in the 200 back.

·         Yearling Kenny Yacynych broke the school record in the 100 back.

·         Plebe Casey Woudenberg broke the meet record in the 1650 free.

·         Army broke the plebe record in the 400-yard freestyle relay.

Women’s Swimming and Diving (2-5. 0-0 Patriot League)

·         The Black Knights placed fifth (out of 14 teams) at the Zippy Invitational last weekend.

·         Cow Alyssa Tran broke her own school record in the 50 free.

·         Plebe Keeli McNeary excelled in the backstroke events, recording the second-fastest times in school history in both the 100 back and 200 back.

Wrestling (3-3,  0-0 EIWA)

·         Army finished 28th out of 34 teams at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational last weekend.

·         Junior Jordan Thome and freshman Scott Filbert were the only two Black Knights to advance to the second day of competition.

·         Thome went 3-2 with three pins to lead Army at the prestigious event.

For all current information regarding Army Athletics and its 25 varsity programs, please visit www.goARMYsports.com.