The Army West Point Gymnastics team placed third at the ECAC Championships with 389.300 points. Navy captured its second title in a row with a score of 405.550 and William & Mary was second at 399.850. Cole Casanova placed third in the All-Around and third on the parallel bars today. Seth Cannon ranked third in the floor exercise. Alejandro Tombrink posted the third-best score of the day on vault, while Erik Del Cid followed in third. Ryan Wilson rounded-out Army's placing with a fifth-place showing. The Black Knights were led by Cannon on the floor with a 14.000. Elliott Herman and Nathan Goff each earned 13.000 in the event. Army's top competitor on the pommel horse was Goff with a 13.050. Take Giese's 12.900 on rings was good for the Black Knights' best performance. Nick McAfee followed with a 12.800 and Wilson with marks of 12.550. Read More

The Writing Program welcomed Dr. Murray Shugars, Professor, Alcorn State University, and MAJ in the U.S. Army Reserve. A special assistant to the Writing Program, as an IMA, Dr. Shugars also directs the Writing Center at Alcorn State. Visiting as a civilian, Dr. Shugars observed multiple classes, engaged in concentrated discussions with leaders on writing teaching practices, and spoke together with Dr. Jason Hoppe about effective responding practices to student-writers to faculty from Advanced Multivariable Calculus. Dr. Shugars also conducted a workshop on teaching evidence-centered writing that was attended by nine faculty members and later that evening, as part of the Mounger Writing Center's weekly Wednesday Night Workshop series, he read from his published poetry and shared his views on writing poems as a soldier with an audience of fourteen cadets and three faculty.

Behind a combination of lights-out pitching and power hitting, the Army West Point Softball team secured a 4-0 Patriot League victory to win the regular season series against Colgate on Sunday afternoon. Courtney Springman started for the second time this weekend against the Raiders (6-23, 2-4 Patriot League) and went the distance. The plebe gave up just two hits and struck out five en route to the Army (15-21, 5-4 Patriot League) win. The top-three batters in the lineup were on fire in the series finale, collecting six of the team's nine hits. Amelia Trotter, Kristen McPeek and Emily Ballesteros all had multi-hit outings while scoring and driving in all four Army runs. Army claimed its third straight series win over the Raiders. Springman passed Haley Pypes '11 in single season strikeouts by a plebe. In the Division I era, Springman has compiled the second-most punch outs by a plebe in program history with 115. She recorded her 10th career win in the circle. Ballesteros notched her first homer of the season and third of her career. Trotter tallied her second home run of the season and third of her career. Army hit two dingers in the same game for the first time since March 3, 2017 at George Mason. Army's four extra-base hits in the contest were the most since March 24 at Bucknell. Carrie Reilly extended her hitting streak to six games. Read More

Army West Point Women's Team Handball hosted the Laura Walker Brigade Open Handball tournament. They honored the legacy of a former teammate, 1LT Laura M. Walker, class of 2003, who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to our country. Eight teams came out for the tournament - 7 cadet teams and 1 team from the Department of Physical Education (DPE). The cadet teams were Big Snake Bandits (A3/B3), Imperium (I4), Bad Larry (G2), The Blazers, Ironhorse (I1), Goal Getters, and the Island of Misfit Boys (Army West Point Water Polo). Ironhorse took first place, followed by Island of Misfit Boys in a very close second and Big Snake Bandits in 3rd.

The Writing Program hosted Lieutenant Commander Mariette Ogg (Acting Director, Hewitt Writing and Reading Center, U.S. Coast Guard Academy). In the morning, LCDR Ogg joined Dr. Jason Hoppe (Director, Writing Program) and Dr. Colleen Eils (incoming Associate Director, Writing Program) to discuss signature writing across the curriculum and high-impact practices for program development. In the afternoon, LCDR Ogg's visit promted a joint discussion between the Writing Program and representatives from the Center for Enhanced Performance (Ms. Michelle Gerdes), Department of Foreign Languages (Dr. Stephanie Irani-Tehrani), and Mounger Writing Center (Mrs. Luciana Herman, Dr. Vivek Freitas). The discussion centered on the challenges that faced by English Language Learners—international cadets as well as Generation 1.5 students (cadets who may have grown up speaking languages in addition to English in the home) and others—at service academies. The panel brainstormed possibilities for better supporting such cadets as well as the faculty who teach them, in part by shifting emphasis from deficit discourses (what the students lack, and the errors or awkwardness that inevitably emerge as they take on more complex linguistic challenges) to pedagogical strategies that develop students by building on their distinctive cultural and educational strengths.

The Army West Point Women's Lacrosse team erased a five-goal second half deficit en route to its thrilling 12-11 victory over Lafayette on Saturday at Fisher Stadium. The win was the second in Patriot League play for the Black Knights, marking the first time in program history the team has posted multiple league wins. Additionally, senior co-captain Amy Johnston joined teammate Rachel Hornick as the only 100-point scorers in program history with an assist. Lafayette controlled the pace of play early and held a 2-0 advantage as the home side took the first seven shots of the game. The Black Knights found a response with 19:27 remaining in the first half as Maddie Miller weaved through the Leopards' defense and placed the ball into the back of the cage to cut the deficit to 2-1. Samantha Stewart followed that with a tally of her own three-and-a-half-minutes later to draw even. Read More

Excel Scholar cadets and faculty attended the monthly Fireside Chat. The guest speaker was Dr. Arthur Langer a Professor, Author, Speaker and Social Entrepreneur. He is the Chairman and Founder of Workforce Opportunity Services, “A nonprofit committed to developing the skills of untapped talent from underserved and veteran communities through partnerships with organizations dedicated to diversifying their workforce.” Dr. Langer told his life's story in an enthusiastic fashion that resonated with the Excel Scholars. As the son of a Teamster, Dr. Langer shared how his persistence towards excelling resulted in success. Throughout his life he heard “No” time and again when pursuing new ideas or opportunities. However, he explained that “No” means “No” at that moment but with persistence towards achieving one’s goals, “No” may turn to a “Maybe” days or weeks later. The “Maybe” may become “Yes” with hard work. Many of the Scholars are preparing to write personal statements for applications. Dr. Langer explained the importance of not forgetting their past. He shared that personal statements are like the great oxymoron, “Jumbo Shrimp.” One must articulate a lot in a little. He explained that in writing a personal statement everyone should assume their competition has perfect test scores. The Scholars must tell their story in a way that demonstrates how they connect with the institution or scholarship’s mission and the unique and added value of the scholar. In his parting words, Dr. Langer offered himself as a resource to the Scholars.

The Army West Point Baseball team took the final contest of its three-game series with Lehigh, 10-1, here Sunday afternoon. With the victory Army swept the weekend and are now in sole possession of first place in the Patriot League with a mark of 8-2. Lehigh dipped to 1-8 in conference play. The Black Knights posted another overall solid effort on both sides of the ball. Four cadet-athletes recorded multiple hits in the game, led by Josh White's 3-for-4 performance. The cow finished with two runs batted in and a team-best three runs scored. Jacob Hurtubise, John McKenna and Anthony Giachin chipped in two hits each, while Hurtubise, Giachin and Drake Titus notched two RBI apiece to lead Army's offensive output. On the hill, Daniel Burggraaf pitched 6.0 strong innings, allowing just one run on six hits. The cow fanned six during his time on the mound as well. Jacob Carte and Joe Santoro then came in to finish off the final 3.0 innings to secure the win. Carte gave up one hit in 2.0 innings, while Santoro retired all three batters he faced in the ninth. Read More

2nd Regiment, 1st Battalion enjoyed some stress relieving time with the Red Cross Therapy Dogs.

The Army West Point Women's Rugby team finished their weekend undefeated at the Brown 7s tournament, defeating Norwich 31-10 in their first match, followed by a 68-0 shutout against the University of New England. The cadets later defeated Brown, 47-0, in an evening contest. Firstie Rebecca Stipp and yearling Sam Sullivan led the Black Knights offensively with five tries each. Yearling Bayleigh Gable completed 13 conversions, and documented one try. Gio Ferguson-Lewis, Hailey Hodsden, and Zye Crittington also added two tries for the black and gold. Read More

Mr. Andy Rabens, Special Advisor for Global Youth Issues at the Department of State, spoke to MAJ Wilcox's Winning the Peace class about the complexity of reaching younger demographics in post-conflict environments. Both International and host nation attention in state building must recognize the importance of rising generations as critical to success. Mr. Rabens' insight into the policy and mechanisms that are currently in place to reach youth across cultures was an important insight into the processes of building stable states.

Last month The Army West Point Triathlon team had a productive training week in Scottsdale AZ. The team spent the week swimming in local pools and in Bartlett Lake, and cycling and running in the desert. The team logged over 3000 miles of endurance work in preparation for the USA Triathlon Collegiate Nationals. The team also competed in the local Tri for the Cure triathlon for fun. The race was organized by longtime Triathlon Team supporter, Mr. Preston Miller '68. In addition to the training, several members of the class of '81 hosted the cadets for a dinner at one member's home in Phoenix where the cadets got to know some Old Grads.

Cadets Brandon Hottois, Benton Weeks, and Briana Dorsey on semester abroad in Munich attended the 2018 Founders Day Dinner at the scenic Edelweiss Lodge in Garmisch, Germany. The guest speaker of the event was LTG(R) Ben Hodges, former Commander of US Army Europe. Cadets listened to him speak about the importance of the US-German alliance and the future of the US Army inCadets Brandon Hottois, Benton Weeks, and Briana Dorsey on semester abroad in Munich attended the 2018 Founders Day Dinner at the scenic Edelweiss Lodge in Garmisch, Germany. The guest speaker of the event was LTG(R) Ben Hodges, former Commander of US Army Europe. Cadets listened to him speak about the importance of the US-German alliance and the future of the US Army in Europe. Cadets also enjoyed hearing Old Grads amuse the crowd with stories from their cadet life. Shouts of "The Corps has" roared as Old Grads found out that some of the barracks now have air conditioning. Our cadets cherished the opportunity to be a part of the West Point community in Europe.Europe. Cadets also enjoyed hearing Old Grads amuse the crowd with stories from their cadet life. Shouts of "The Corps has" roared as Old Grads found out that some of the barracks now have air conditioning. Our cadets cherished the opportunity to be a part of the West Point community in Europe.

EECS Systers (the West Point Chapter of the ACM Council on Women in Computing) and UPE (the honor society for computing and information sciences) learned how to build paper circuits using Chibritronics. Cadet Haley Steele '19, instructed the 10 other cadets on how to construct basic paper circuits using the copper tape, LEDs, and battery to make creative cards and other designs. The purpose of this training is to prepare members of EECS Systers and UPE to conduct an outreach to the Coding Club of West Point Middle School to inspire the creative blending of art and science as well as teach basic electronics in a fun, novel manner. The outreach is planned for early May (just in time for Mother's Day).

The West Point Parachute Team traveled to Raeford, NC train and develop the skill level of the team. A primary focus of the trip was to introduce the plebes to the sport of skydiving. During the week-long training camp, the entire class of new jumpers successfully completed tandem skydives. After gaining confidence through those tandem jumps, the plebes began Accelerated Freefall (AFF) jumps by the end of the week. Through the AFF program, the plebes successfully skydived and navigated their canopy alone, with the guidance of trained instructors. The Yearling class took great strides in their new disciplines of 4-way, demonstration jumping, and VFS. The Cow class also continued to train these disciplines, while providing mentorship to their underclass counter-parts. The team had the opportunity to train with Golden Knights at the Raeford Drop Zone who provided coaching from their years of experience and thousands of jumps. Although the weather was not ideal throughout the week, the team still managed to complete 200 jumps and trained for 13.5 total hours in the nearby wind tunnel when outdoor jumping was not viable. Overall, the cadets took full advantage of this time in Raeford to enhance their individual skill levels and grow more cohesive as members of the West Point Parachute Team.

A Mechanical Engineering capstone team, "SkySupply," successfully completed testing with Natick Soldier Research Development and Engineering Command (NSRDEC) in Eloy, Arizona. Cadets Josh Holt, Kurt Klinkmueller, Andrew Valentine, and Anthony Wieck successfully completed a series of 12 airdrop tests on their capstone project, meeting the requirements of the NSRDEC's Aerial Delivery Directorate sponsor, Ms. Katya Prosser. The cadets designed and built a system that flies beneath the Joint Precision Airdrop System (JPADS) and deploys quad-copter drones at various altitudes which can then proceed to conduct resupply missions with a high degree of accuracy. The system consists of a rigid container, an Arduino-controlled actuator, onboard power supply, as well as cargo-carrying drones, all of which withstood the shock of canopy opening, deployed on command, and flew to their final destination semi-autonomously.

Thirteen cadets and three faculty from the Department of Civil and Mechanical Engineering tested capstone design project prototypes with Experimentation Force (EXFOR) Soldiers from the Maneuver Battle Labs at Fort Benning, GA. A total of four cadet teams participated in the event, testing the ARDEC/USASOC-sponsored “Drone Dazzler”, the NSRDEC-sponsored Army Torso Load Assistance (ATLAS) device, the ARL-sponsored Tunable Rucksack, and the ARDEC-sponsored M249 Cookoff Indicator. All cadets gained valuable prototype testing experience and garnered soldier feedback that will inform design improvements in preparation for the MIT-USMA Soldier Design Competition and Projects Day.

The Patriot League announced Monday that Army West Point baseball claimed two of the three weekly awards. After helping Army take sole possession of first place with a series sweep of Lehigh last weekend, yearling Jacob Hurtubise and plebe Anthony Giachin were honored for their strong performances. Hurtubise picks up his second Patriot League Player of the Week honor, while Giachin earns his third Patriot League Rookie of the Week accolade. Hurtubise batted .500 (7-for-14), while scoring twice, driving in three and stealing two bases to help the Black Knights sweep their three-game series from Lehigh. The outfielder slugged .571, while reaching base at a .533 clip, posting three-straight multi-hit games. Hurtubise went 3-for-5 with three runs scored in the first game of Saturday's doubleheader before going 2-for-5 with an RBI in game two. He then went 2-for-4 with two RBIs and a run scored on Sunday. Giachin batted .417 (5-for-12), scoring four runs, while driving in five to help the Cadets. The infielder slugged .583, while reaching base at a .533 clip. He doubled twice and walked three times during the series with the Mountain Hawks. He went 2-for-4 with two runs and three RBIs in the first game of the series. The Livingston, N.J., native registered another multi-hit game, going 2-for-4 with two RBIs in Sunday's game. Read More

West Point received official delegation to certify airworthiness of its academic drones from the AMCOM Commanding General, MG Gabram, who serves as the Army Airworthiness Authority. The delegation marks the final milestone in USMA achieving wide flexibility with legal authority to operate small drones in support of its academic mission. It places West Point in leading position to conduct rapid small drone research, development, and flight testing. This flexibility is key to success in the numerous student capstone projects which employ drones. The Civil and Mechanical Engineering (CME) department took the lead for the academy to establish the safe, effective, and legal process to operate drones that is now in place.

The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) recognized the Civil Engineering club, ASCE West Point student chapter as one of the best student chapters in the country. The club's annual report, a comprehensive document highlighting the members' activities and accomplishments throughout the year, was assessed to be in the “top third of student groups” out of 347 student chapters.