ANNAPOLIS, Md. – With the reformation of the brigade and start of classes, it was announced recently by Navy Director of Athletics
Chet Gladchuk that the Navy men's track and field program had been awarded the 2018-19 Director of Athletics Cup.
The Director of Athletics Cup was established to recognize intercollegiate excellence and the Naval Academy varsity team that exemplifies itself as a standard bearer in academics, leadership, varsity competition, conduct, aptitude for commission and honor.
It is the first time in program history the men's track and field team has won the Director of Athletics Cup.
During the 2018-19 campaign, the men's track and field team won the Patriot League Outdoor Championship for the sixth-straight year, recording a conference-best 289 points, winning 15 of 22 events at the meet. For the second straight year, Director of Navy Track and Field
Jamie Cook was named the Patriot League Coach of the Year during the outdoor campaign. In addition, Cook was selected as the USTFCCCA Men's Outdoor Mid-Atlantic Region Coach of the Year for the second consecutive season.
Navy had three student-athletes combine to win six of the Patriot League's top honors at the conference championship meets. At the Patriot League Indoor Championship,
Cedric Williams ('20) was named the Field Athlete of the Meet, as well as the Top Point Scorer on the men's side. He was joined as an individual award winner by
John Finnegan ('20) who was tabbed the Track Athlete of the Meet.
Sean Brennan ('19) was named the Field Athlete of the Meet, as well as the Top Point Scorer on the men's side during the Patriot League Outdoor Championship, while Finnegan once again was tabbed the Track Athlete of the Meet.
Eleven individuals won First Team All-Patriot League distinction in eight individual events and two relays at the Patriot League Indoor Championship, while seventeen individuals won first team honors in 12 individual events and three relays during the Outdoor Championship.
For the second consecutive season, the Navy men's track and field team won the IC4A Outdoor Championship. The men's team posted a combined score of 109 points to win the 2019 title by 42. It was the first time that Navy has won back-to-back IC4A titles since the Midshipmen won three straight in 1944, 1945, and 1946. At the IC4A Championships, Navy tallied 16 All-East performances (top 8 finishers).
In addition, the 2018-19 men's team won an event at the prestigious Penn Relays for the first time in 73 years as the Midshipmen won the shuttle hurdle relay at Franklin Field in Philadelphia, Pa. The quartet of
Kordell Williams ('19),
Cameron Hurd ('20),
Hunter Wargo ('20), and
Clayton Thompson ('21) combined for a time of 56.96 to win the event by just over a half a second (0.53). In addition to winning the shuttle hurdle relay, the men's 4x400m relay team broke the school record, which was set 40 years ago. The team of
Eric Hughey ('21),
Simon Petsch ('21), Hurd, and Finnegan clocked a time of 3:08.78 to best the previous record of 3:08.84, which was set in 1979.
The 2018-19 season saw 11 men's track and field student-athletes – Brennan, Finnegan,
Hayden Fox ('22), Hughey, Hurd,
Skyler Mason ('21),
Kevin Murray ('20), Petsch,
Stefano Pineda ('19), Thompson, Williams – compete in 11 individual events and one relay at the 2019 NCAA East Preliminaries. Fox (javelin) and the 4x400m relay team of Hughey, Petsch, Hurd, and Finnegan advanced to the NCAA Championship. For their efforts finishing in the top 24, Finnegan, Fox, Hughey, Hurd, and Petsch each earned honorable mention All-America honors.
Off the track, Pineda was named to the 2018-19 Google Cloud Academic All-America Men's Track & Field/Cross Country First Team, selected by College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). With his selection, Pineda became the first Midshipmen in track and field history to earn first-team recognition in multiple seasons. In addition,
Benjamin Stewart ('19) was awarded the men's Coaches' Calvert Award, which recognizes a graduating varsity letterwinner who displayed leadership, consistent effort, loyalty and dedication to the sport and who has taken their abilities beyond the expectations of the coach, peers and themselves.
Past Winners
1995-96: Rifle
1996-97: Football, Women's Track and Field
1997-98: Men's Cross Country, Sprint Football
1998-99: Women's Soccer, Men's Tennis
1999-00: Rifle
2000-01: Water Polo
2001-02: Lightweight Rowing
2002-03: Women's Soccer
2003-04: Lightweight Rowing
2004-05: Women's Crew
2005-06: Sprint Football
2006-07: Women's Track and Field
2007-08: Men's Swimming and Diving
2008-09: Women's Cross Country
2009-10: Water Polo
2010-11: Men's Cross Country
2011-12: Women's Lacrosse
2012-13: Women's Rowing
2013-14: Men's Soccer
2014-15: Sprint Football
2015-16: Baseball
2016-17: Women's Lacrosse
2017-18: Women's Track and Field
2018-19: Men's Track and Field
