ANNAPOLIS, Md. – This week's Naval Academy Athletic Association Athlete-of-the-Week Award, presented by Northrop Grumman, is shared by four Midshipmen. Earning the accolade are
Brandon Atwood, sprint football;
Roanin Krieger, men's rugby;
Averi Miller, volleyball; and
Murphy Smith, men's cross country.
Brandon Atwood, Sprint Football
Atwood led Navy to a 28-23 victory on the road against Army in the Collegiate Sprint Football Championship to help the Mids claim their third consecutive conference title. The senior quarterback paced the team with 109 yards on the ground, while adding 96 yards through the air on 11-for-20 passing with a pair of touchdowns. Tied 7-7, Atwood connected with
Hunter Gennicks for an 18-yard touchdown pass to give the Midshipmen a lead it would not relinquish. Atwood also found
Kai Sasaki for a 39-yard touchdown pass to help secure the victory over the Black Knights.
Roanin Krieger, Men's Rugby
Krieger was the hero for Navy in the Star Match against Army. The Mids trailed, 21-20, in extended time, but were awarded a penalty kick for the final play of the match. Krieger nailed the attempt from 25 meters to win the game for Navy by a score of 23-21. The sophomore led the team in scoring with 13 points on three made penalty kicks and two successful conversion kicks. Krieger ended the fall season as the top scorer in the Rugby East with 113 points in league play. The Mids improved to 4-0 in their varsity history against the Black Knights and extended their winning streak to 29 matches.
Averi Miller, Volleyball
Miller posted a pair of double-doubles in Navy's two wins last week. She first totaled 30 assists and 11 digs in the team's 3-1 victory over Army. Two days later, she helped the Mids overcome a 2-0 deficit to defeat Army in five sets in the annual Star Match. The setter dished out 38 assists and hauled in a career-high 18 digs, then notched a kill on match point to secure the win.
Murphy Smith, Men's Cross Country
Smith continued his tremendous cross country season with a third-place finish at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Championship. Hosted by Lehigh and run over the 10K Goodman Campus Cross Country Course, Smith led Navy to a fifth-place finish as a team among the 26 teams that competed. With his third-place finish, Smith qualified for the NCAA Championship in Charlottesville, Va. His finish was the highest by a Navy individual since Jake Brophy ('20) finished second at the 2019 Regionals as a senior.
