Army Sets 13 Program Records in First Sweep of Navy Since 1988
Army delivered a Star Series meet to remember Thursday night, setting 13 program record and 12 Crandall Pool marks in a sweep of Navy.
The Army women claimed a 169-131 victory. The men followed with a 192.5-107.5 decision. It’s the first time since 1988 that that the Black Knights have swept the Midshipmen in the men’s and women’s meets in the same year, in part by snapping a 35-year winning streak by the Navy women. The 85-point margin of victory on the men’s side is Army’s largest over the Mids in program history, surpassing the 78-point win in 2022 that was Army’s first win in 33 years.
Army started with program marks in both medley relays, with the women’s race the more thrilling. Thanks to an anchor leg of 21.91 seconds by Meghan Cole, the Black Knights clocked in at 1:39.43 to lower the school record and edge Navy by .03 seconds. Angie McKane, Catriona Gilmore and Sydney Braeger were the first three legs.
The men followed by going 1:23.85 to win by more than a second. Johnny Crush led off in 20.64, followed by Kohen Rankin, Daniel Verdolaga and Owen Harlow’s anchor leg of 19.21. The time is an NCAA B cut.
Crush was front and center all day. The freshman again lowered his school/plebe record in the 100 backstroke by going 44.53. That time is .05 off the NCAA A standard, reset the pool mark and led a 1-2-3 result with Joey Kling and Alex Edwards that stamped Army’s authority on the front half of the meet.
Crush lowered his school mark in the 200 backstroke by going 1:40.28. He led off the Black Knights’ 400 free relay with a time of 42.55, eight tenths quicker than the winning time of Ben Vorthmann in the individual event and a program record in the event. Crush, Vorthmann (42.36), Rankin and Thomas Hadji clocked in at 2:51.54 to down the program record.
Rankin set a pool record in winning the 100 breaststroke in 51.80, .18 seconds off his program mark from last preseason. He finished second to teammate Kalvin Hahn’s 1:54.30 pool record in the 200 breast, Rankin second in 1:54.52.
Wes Tate set the school mark in the 200 free in 1:34.37. He was a tenth off his program record in the 500 free with a time of 4:17.80 to win. Hadji was second in the 100 free and second in the 200. Vorthmann won the 50 free in 19.61.
Army rewrote both fly records. Freshman Verdolaga went 46.27 to set the program and plebe mark in the 100. Second to him in that race was Riley Groves, who had earlier set the 200 fly mark in 1:44.25. Kling won the 200 IM, Brice Barrieault claimed the 1,000 free and David Manelis was the only 1-meter diver to top 300 points with a result of 320.25.
The women’s team was none too shabby on the record front. McKane had a piece in three records, starting with the medley relay. She went 54.05 in the 100 backstroke to edge Navy’s Ela Habjan by .07 seconds, downing a 2016 record set by Kelly Hamilton. She also went 52.51 in the 100 fly to set pool and school records.
Molly Webber swept the distance events, going 10:01.46 in the 1,000 free and 4:51.87 in the 500. She also was second in the 200 free to teammate Clara Williams, who lowered the school mark to 1:46.73. Williams won the 100 free in 50.10, coming within .01 seconds of her program mark. Williams was second in the 500 free and led off the victorious 400 free relay, joining Webber, Jenna Hart and Cole to go 3:21.11.
Cole sprinted to the win in the 50 free, lowering her school record to 22.52. She was also third in the 100 fly. Gilmore won the 200 IM and was second in both breaststroke events. Braeger set the program mark in the 200 fly in 1:58.64. Layne Peterson claimed the 200 back in a 1-2 with Hart.
Navy’s lone swimming wins on the day were supplied by Lauren Walsh. She went 2:12.63 to claim the 200 breast and 1:00.39 in the 100. MacKenzie Kim swept both diving events for the Mids.
Navy’s only win on the men’s side was via diver Blake Shaw, who scored 310.40 on 3-meter.
