ANNAPOLIS, Md. --
Luke Garner (So., Arnold, Md.) from the men's tennis team,
Ben Haugh (Jr., Raleigh, N.C.) from the men's rugby team and gymnasts
Syam Buradagunta (Jr., Westborough, Mass.) and
Isaiah Drake (So., Los Angeles, Calif.) shared this week's Naval Academy Athletic Association (NAAA) Athlete-of-the-Week accolade, presented by Northrop Grumman.
Garner won the first and last matches to finish in Navy's 4-3 Star Match victory at Army. He first teamed with
Sasha Panyan (Jr., Lutherville, Md.) for a 6-3 win at No. 1 doubles. That win, coupled with a victory by the Mids at No. 3 doubles, gave Navy a 1-0 lead. The Mids soon built a 3-0 advantage, but then found themselves tied, 3-3. Garner would win his No. 3 singles match, 7-5, 5-7, 6-3, to account for the last point of the match.
Haugh scored Navy's final try in its, 30-6, victory over Army in the Division I-A Elite Playoff Quarterfinals. After the Mids forced a turnover during a scrum, Haugh corralled the loose ball and ran 20 meters through Army's defensive line to increase Navy's lead to, 25-6, in the 54th minute.
Haugh served as Navy's primary ball carrier in the contest with 55-meters gained on 16 carries. He also accounted for a team-leading six defenders beaten and zero turnovers.
On the defensive end, Haugh led the Mids with nine tackles and finished without a miss. He also contributed one of Navy's six tackle turnovers in the contest.
Buradagunta had a weekend to remember at the 2023 NCAA Championship as he advanced to Saturday's event finals after posting a 14.2 score on the floor exercise in Friday's qualifying meet. Competing against the nation's best in the event finals, Buradagunta improved on his floor exercise performance and recorded a score of 14.333 that ranked him eighth overall in the meet and on the podium as an All-American. That honor is the first for Navy's program since 1973.
Competing in the all-around first in Friday's qualifying meet and later on Saturday night in the NCAA Championship finals, Drake was a standout for Navy throughout the weekend. Registering an all-around score of 78.665 in Friday's competition, Drake improved upon that effort with an 81.263 score on Saturday against the best gymnasts in the country. A 14.266 on the vault and a 14.166 on the floor exercise bolstered Drake's cause on Saturday. At the conclusion of the meet, Drake found himself on the podium in eighth place as an All-American. Along with Buradagunta, Drake's All-American honor is the first for a Navy gymnast in 50 years.
