Members of the U.S. Military Academy Black Knights Skydiving team won multiple gold medals and set a new national record at the 2017 U.S. Parachute Association National Collegiate Parachuting Championships, the oldest and biggest collegiate skydiving event in the world, Dec. 27-Jan. 2 at the Florida Skydiving Center in Lake Wales, Florida. This year’s championships drew more than 80 collegiate skydivers from around the country to compete for the title of national collegiate champion in four spectacular skydiving disciplines: Formation Skydiving, Vertical Formation Skydiving, Sport Accuracy and Classic Accuracy. West Point cadets won gold in the two-way, advanced four-way and six-way formation skydiving events.
In formation skydiving, the team leaps from an aircraft more than two miles above the ground and then races against the clock to form prescribed geometric formations in freefall before opening their parachutes. Two-way team members were Class of 2020 Cadets Zachary Daines and Seamus McGettigan. Four-way team members were Class of 2019 Cadets William Derrick, Johnathon Muraski, Thomas Rounds and Jeremy Stanley. The six-way team included those on the four-way, along with Class of 2019 Cadets Michael Colella and Camm Johnson. The six-way team set a new national record by completing the six-person formation in a mere 9.16 seconds after exiting the airplane. In addition, Kristopher Hayhurst '18 took gold in the classic accuracy competition, in which jumpers exit an airplane more than 3,000 feet in the air and then steer their parachutes and try to land on a dime-sized dot on a landing tuffet. Andrew Winski '20 also won gold in the novice sport accuracy event. In this event, skydivers try to land their parachutes as close as possible to a target while flying across the ground at high speeds. Story
The Investment Club hosted a Financial Literacy Day to help inform second class cadets prior to their receipt of the Cow Loan. The event ran for three hours and linked over 100 cadets with twenty-two certified financial planners (CFP). The event included a general briefing in Robinson Auditorium and a breakdown into small group sessions to allow personalized counseling sessions with the CFPs. Cadets Riaz Lane and Wes Bayles planned and coordinated the event.
Cadets Morgan Landers and Maddie Suba each presented their American Political Development papers at the Hawaii University International Conference on Arts, Humanities, Social Sciences, and Education. Landers presented his paper, "The Nightman Cometh" examining the reasons behind President Truman's 1948 Executive Order integrating the military. Suba presented her paper, "Color Coded: The Introduction of African Americans in the U.S. Military" on the reasons behind the Militia Act of 1862. Both papers were part of a panel on the conditions which the military leads social change in the United States. Both cadets were well received and got great feedback from the audience to further refine their research. The cadets spent the rest of the conference visiting other panels and workshops to learn how to present academic research and learn about various research projects scholars are currently working on. The group also took one afternoon to do a staff ride at Pearl Harbor and learn more about the events that transpired on December 7th, 1941.
Congratulations to the USMA 2018 Schwarzman Scholars: Megan Bryn, Nette Monaus, Danny Nguyen and Brad Torpey!
A textbook authored by Dr. Ken Allen ’93 of the Department of Physics and Nuclear Engineering, was picked up as a primary reference for an undergraduate computational course taught by Dr. Leslie Kerby in the Center for Advanced Energy Studies at Idaho State University (ISU) this spring term. Completed in December 2016, this is the first time the book has been formally incorporated into a curriculum outside of West Point.
Coach Monken Ranked #1 of 130 Head Coaches on 
The West Point Student Chapter of the Society of American Military Engineers (SAME) hosted an evening seminar in coordination with the first club meeting of the semester. Mr. Michael Scarano, P.E., served as the guest speaker. He provided an engaging, interactive discussion regarding the ongoing MTA construction efforts below the Grand Central Terminal and his experiences serving with the US Corps of Engineers in Afghanistan. Ten Cadets attended the event along with five faculty members. Participation in this event expanded the cadet knowledge of leadership challenges and lessons learned while serving overseas and construction efforts in New York City.
The Army West Point wrestling team saw three of its wrestlers on the first NWCA Coaches Poll of the season, which was released by the organization on Thursday. Cow Rocco Caywood (197 lbs.) and yearlings Ben Harvey (174 lbs.) and Noah Stewart (184 lbs.) all landed on the list in their respective weight classes. Harvey is the highest ranked of the trio at 24th, followed by Stewart at 27th and Caywood at 28th. Harvey sports a record of 10-5 and is 3-1 in duals with two bonus point wins on the year. The New Palestine, Ind., native is riding a three-match winning streak with victories over Wyoming's Kyle Pope, North Carolina's Adis Radoncic and Penn's Khamari Whimper. Early in the season, Harvey upset then-No. 7 Ethan Ramos of UNC, 6-4, in the semifinals of the Hokie Open. Stewart ranks second on the team with a mark of 13-8 while going 3-2 in duals. The McKinney, Texas, native has earned the second-most bonus point victories on the team with nine, including six technical falls that places him tied for fourth nationally. 
The U.S. Military Academy Class of 2019 is looking forward to graduation, even though it is still a long wait—or short one depending on how you look at it—and celebrated with the annual 500th Night Weekend Banquet at Washington Hall January 13.
The Army West Point women's track and field team claimed third place at the Penn 8-Team Select Saturday evening. The Penn 8-Team Select was hosted by the University of Pennsylvania at the Ocean Breeze Track in Staten Island, N.Y. The team faced competition from Manhattan, Saint Joseph's, the women of St. John's, Stony Brook, Villanova and Wagner. Asia Chen placed seventh in the 60-meter hurdles with a time of 9.18 seconds. In the 60-meter dash, Yasheika Beckaroo took seventh with a time of 7.91, and Calli McMullen took eighth with a time of 7.93 seconds. Samantha Coletti took fifth in the one mile, clocking in at 4:56.05. Kate Sanborn was close behind in 10th, with a time of 5:01.16. Hannah Deines took fourth in the 800-meter, clocking in at 2:14.38. Haley Watson was close behind in sixth with a time of 2:14.77. Army took two of the top seven spots in the 3000m. Bethany Nunnery took fourth with a time of 10:04.95 and Kate Sanborn took seventh with a time of 10:15.45. Army took sixth in the 4X400. The squad consisted of Morgan Chewning-Kiluck, Deines, Cassie Mundekis, and Monika Shimko. 
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Backed by Cole Bruns' shutout, the Army West Point hockey team topped the Royal Military College, 5-0, in an aggressive game on Saturday night. Michael Wilson led the Black Knights offensively with two power play goals. The Black Knights continued on to an 11-game unbeaten streak and seven-game winning streak over the RMC in the longest standing international rivalry. Wilson continued his hot streak on the power play with two more in the game. He netted one in the first and one in the second period. It was the Fond du Lac, Wisc., native's first goals against the Paladins improving his point total in the series to four. Tucker DeYoung netted the first goal of his career 5:35 into the third period. Brendan Soucie scored late in the third to give him two points on the night after assisting on DeYoung's. It was the yearling's first career points against the Paladins. Tyler Pham netted the Black Knights' final goal of the game on the breakaway setup by Dominic Franco. The goal was Pham's first of his career versus RMC. Dalton MacAfee assisted on both of Wilson's goals for his third and fourth assists opposite RMC. 
The Army West Point football team remembered its 2017 season and saluted its firsties and award winners at the Black Knights' annual banquet on Saturday night in Eisenhower Hall. Varsity letters, senior accolades and 11 awards were handed out Saturday evening at Eisenhower Hall. Rich DeMarco served as master of ceremonies while head coach Jeff Monken spoke about the 2017 season and expectations for the upcoming season. Following the team highlight video, the senior players, managers and student coaches were honored with varsity letters and framed jerseys. After coach Monken gave comments on each receiving firstie it was on to the awards presentations. Ahmad Bradshaw was awarded with the prestigious Hughes Memorial Award. The honor, which was established in 1939 to honor the team MVP and will be presented officially during the Awards Convocation prior to graduation. Bradshaw was instrumental in capturing the Commander in Chief's Trophy for the first time in over two decades. He ran for an Academy single-season record 1,746 yards and 12 touchdowns. 
Recently the Ski Club took forty-two cadets to Mont Tremblant, Quebec, Canada to experience the Canadian ski culture and maintain relations with our neighbors to the north.
The Department of Physical Education (DPE) hosted a community fitness outreach in the wave pool, or Combat Survival Swim Laboratory, at the Arvin Cadet Physical Development Center for West Point staff, faculty and spouses to experience survival swimming like what cadets must take as part of their physical education courses. 
Yearling Elliott Herman turned in Army West Point Gymnastics team’s highest individual finish, placing second on the still rings, at the final day of the annual West Point Open at Christl Arena. Army highlights and meet notes One of three Black Knights to medal (top six in each of the six individual events), Herman recorded a score of 13.35, just shy of the winning mark of 13.50 authored by William & Mary’s Jeremiah McReynolds. Herman bettered his score that he posted in Friday night’s prelims (12.8) as he tied for the final eighth spot for Jan. 13’s individual finals Nick McAfee and Nathan Goff rounded out Army’s medal winners placing fourth (13.35) and fifth (13.25), respectively, on parallel bars. They tied for the final eight spotwith identical scores of 13.25. 
Superintendent Lt. Gen. Robert L. Caslen Jr. '75 began his semi-annual town hall speech recently at Robinson Auditorium on the status of West Point by congratulating the U.S. Military Academy cadet athletes for their great performance for the year, including winning the Army-Navy Football game for the second straight year. “I am the Superintendent that saw the Commander-in-Chief’s trophy come back to West Point for the first time since 1996,” Caslen said. He also congratulated the two cadets who received the Rhodes and Marshall Scholarships and the seven cadets who won either the Anna Sobol Levy or the Schwarzman Scholarships. Caslen spoke about the mission of developing leaders of character and instilling honor to develop as a leader. “You can be the most physical or the smartest, but whenever you fail in character, you fail in leadership,” Caslen said. Caslen also reiterated that West Point needs to develop its leaders to lead in diverse organizations, but know how to, through leadership, build inclusive teams, where everybody, regardless of their ethnicity, race, gender or sexual orientation is valued and respected, and feel they are contributing members to the organization. During the Superintendent’s tenure here, he oversaw the completion to the long-planned Malek Visitors Center, a state-of-the-art building that speaks to and about West Point. During the town hall, he talked about more building plans, including renovating barracks and improving processes to build, plan, develop and maintain high-quality facilities, information technology, utilities and other infrastructure, which continues to promote excellence in the West Point program. 
The Army West Point men's track and field took first place at the Penn 8-Team Select Saturday evening. The Penn 8-Team Select was hosted by the University of Pennsylvania at the Ocean Breeze Track in Staten Island, N.Y. The team faced competition from Manhattan, the men of Rutgers, Saint Joseph's, Stony Brook, Villanova and Wagner. Ross Puritty took third in the 60-meter hurdle, clocking in at 8.47 seconds. Army took four of the top seven spots in the 60-meter dash. Ben Sims took second with a time of 6.85. Tyler Davis (6.91) took third, Andre Vaughn (7.02) took fourth, and Jaylin Davis (7.07) took seventh. Army took the top two spots in the 800-meter with Ben Boswell (1:54.36) taking first and Jackson Sullivan (1:54.52) in second. Tyrese Bender claimed sixth place in the long jump with a distance of 6.42m. Josh Heiman took third in the triple jump, clearing a distance of 13.30m. 
Yearling Serica Hallstead garnered her second Patriot League Female Diver of the Week accolade of the season on Tuesday afternoon. "We were very proud of Serica's performances this week," head diving coach PJ Hughes said. "We are looking forward to taking advantage of this time to train and polish her dives for Patriot League Championships." Hallstead scored well for the Black Knights this past weekend and picked up a pair of event wins on the 1-meter board. To get the weekend started, the second-year diver won on the 1-meter board against Penn after posting a score of 255.44. She followed with a fourth-place showing on the 3-meter board, compiling a score of 243.45. In a quad meet in Fairfax, Va., that featured George Mason, American and Boston U., Hallstead topped the competition on the 1-meter board with a score of 267.90. The Canandaigua, N.Y., native's score of 250.70 later secured her a third-place showing on the 3-meter board. 
