Jan. 31, 2006

CENTER VALLEY, Pa. - Navy women's track and field junior Justine Whipple (Duxbury, Mass.) nearly set a school record in the 5,000-meter run at the Armory Invitational on Friday to earn Patriot League Female Track Athlete-of-the-Week honors, announced by the league office on Tuesday morning.

Whipple completed the 5,000-meter run with a time of 17:04.79, only .39 second off the school record held by Melissa Foon in 2000. The junior finished the race 19.45 seconds ahead of the second-place runner from Rutgers. Whipple's effort on Friday topped her previous career-best time by 13.26 seconds, which she set in Navy's season-opening four-team meet on Dec. 1, 2005. Her time was also 28.85 seconds better than the qualifying standard for the ECAC Championship in March.

This is the first-time during Whipple's career that she has earned the league's weekly honors. During the fall, Whipple was named to the First-Team All-Patriot League in cross country following a third-place finish at the league championship.

Whipple also became the first Navy women's track and field member recognized by the Patriot League this season. Sophomore Jacquelyn Charnigo (Medina, Ohio) last earned the league distinction for Navy during the indoor season, as she was named Patriot League Field Athlete of the Week on Jan. 18, 2005, for her efforts in the pole vault.

The Midshipmen (8-0) host Army in the annual Star Meet on Saturday, Feb. 4, in Annapolis. The weight throw takes place at 9:45 a.m. at Ingram Field, then the remaining field events and track events will commence in Halsey Field House at 2:10 p.m. Navy has won each of the last three Star Meets in Annapolis, dating back to the 1999-00 season.