Army West Point wrestlers Ben Harvey, Jeremiah Imonode, Alex Hopkins and Bobby Heald earned podium finishes at the US Open Wrestling Championships last week. Harvey (sixth at 79kg) and Imonode (eighth at 92kg) both placed as the only Cadets competing in the senior freestyle division, while Hopkins (fifth at 92kg) and Heald (seventh at 125kg) did so in the UWW junior freestyle division. Additionally, Harvey, Hopkins and Heald all qualified for the World Team Trials. Thirteen total Black Knights competed at the event, posting a combined mark of 27-28 with four falls and 11 technical falls. Hopkins posted a team-best 5-2 mark and earned the highest finish, while Harvey's three bonus point victories led the squad. Harvey (3 – fall, 2 tech. falls), Hopkins (2 – fall, tech. fall), Heald (2 tech. falls), Cael McCormick (2 tech. falls) and Jed Smith (2 tech. falls) all collected multiple bonus point wins in the tournament. Read More

CPT James Villanueva led cadets from Phi Alpha Theta, the History Honor Society, and other cadets currently enrolled in History courses on a visit to the local Revolutionary War-era Fort Montgomery State Historic Site. The cadets learned about the site and its relationship to the later defenses at West Point. After receiving a tour from the site's staff led by Mr. Grant Miller, the cadets completed a community service project by clearing brush around the fort's powder magazine, making it more visible to future visitors.

The Army West Point men's track and field team scored 217 points at the Patriot League Championships which was good for second place. They Black Knights finished second behind service academy rival Navy who scored 281 points. Bucknell (114.5) finished third and Boston U. (84) took fourth. Track Events: Army took second in the 4x100m relay. The team, which included Andre Vaughn, Ben Sims, Kedrin Jefferson, and Tyler Davis, clocked in at 40.07. Keagan Smith placed second in the 1500m run with a time of 3:48.91. Nick Causey was right behind him in third with a finishing time of 3:49.51. Ross Puritty finished sixth in the 110m hurdles, crossing the finish at 14.90. Tyrell Maddox placed fourth with a time of 48.03 in the 400m run. Marcus Denham placed seventh with a time of 49.20. Army finished fourth and fifth in the 100m dash. Tyler Davis clocked in at 10.59 and Vaughn clocked in at 10.60. Army finished 1-2 in the 800m with Jackson Sullivan winning the event with a time of 1:51.62. Nick Causey followed right behind with 1:51.65. Ben Boswell finished fourth with a time of 1:52.96. Field Events: In the high jump, Sims placed fourth with a height of 14.17m. Meanwhile, Tyrese Bender and Bradely Gibson tied for fifth at 14.00m. Michael Renard finished second in the discus throw with a distance of 52.82m. Geoff Kirk finished sixth with a distance of 50.22m, and Kenneth Brinson followed in ninth with 49.06m. Jeff Giannettino won the high jump for Army, clearing a height of 2.16m. He was followed by Bernard Jenkins in third with 2.02m and Bryce Samuel in fourth with 1.97m. Read More

Until May 30, the Jefferson Library is hosting the David Labkovski Project, an exhibit which “advances knowledge of the Holocaust through the art of David Labkovski utilizing his history, paintings and sketches, the project emphasizes survival, tolerance, justice, and the importance of bearing witness to history.” The hosting of the exhibit is the cooperative effort of the Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies and the Jefferson Library. Its opening was timed to correspond with the national Holocaust Week of Remembrance. From 10-13 April, West Point hosted the Project’s Executive Director, Leora Raikin, and the Education Director, Stephanie Wolfson, were in residence, offering docent-led tours and teaching classes open to the public and all West Point cadets, staff, and faculty. Members of the Department of English and Philosophy, the Department of Foreign Languages, and Library staff were trained as docents, so tours for groups or classes can be arranged through the end of May. Contact Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies Director David Frey or the Library’s Mike Arden if interested.

After standout performances at the Patriot League Championships, Calli McMullen and Briyah Brown of the Army West Point women's track and field team both earned Athlete of the Meet honors on Saturday. Calli McMullen was named the 2018 Patriot League Female Track Athlete of the Meet, claiming gold in the 100-meter dash, 200-meter dash, and as a member of the 4x100-meter relay. The yearling from Haddock, Ga., struck gold in the 100-meter dash for the second year-in-a-row with a time 11.69-seconds. She followed up her win with a victory in the women's 200-meters in 24.13-seconds. At this meet, McMullen broke the Academy record in the 200m dash and was part of the 4x100m relay team that broke another Academy record with their time of 45.69. McMullen also won the 2017 Patriot League Female Rookie of the Meet title at this meet last year. Brown took home the 2018 Patriot League Field Athlete of the Meet, winning the shot put and the hammer throw. Read More

The Cadet Brigade Energy & Environment Officer (E2O) arranged a lunch-time talk to observe Earth Day. CDT Luis Aguirre gathered 50 cadets and about a dozen faculty to hear from Mrs. Breezy Mollicone about her exploration adventures. Breezy is a scientist, dive instructor, boat captain, explorer, US Coast Guard veteran, and an aspiring marine archeologist. She shared stories and photos from her adventures at the geographic North Pole, in Antarctica and the Falkland Islands, on Arctic research vessels, at abandoned military bases, and at abandoned whaling stations. Breezy has participated in multiple coastal cleanup events where thousands of pounds of debris and waste were cleared over weeks and then the site appeared nearly the same as when they arrived. She also shared with cadets her future plans for outreach and education on environmental issues throughout Greenland, Iceland, and the Canadian Arctic (Nunavut). This August, Breezy will join the Sedna Epic Expedition - an all-woman Arctic dive and snorkel expedition spanning 4 years. The expedition is meant to highlight the impacts of the disappearing sea ice in the Arctic, and in 2020 will bring together women who will "snorkel relay" the entire Northwest Passage (something that no one has done before, and ideally shouldn't be able to do). The cadets asked some great questions and were inspired by her spirit and motivation on environmental issues. Learn more about Breezy at breezyseas.com or the Sedna Epic Expedition at sednaepic.com.

The Army West Point softball team picked up its fourth straight win after defeating Lafayette 11-4 on Sunday afternoon to complete the Patriot League series sweep. The Black Knight (26-26, 10-8 Patriot League) bats were locked in against the Leopards (7-42, 3-15 Patriot League), totaling 11 runs off of 16 hits. Ally Snelling paced the squad with a three-hit effort, while driving in a team-best four runs. Emily Ballesteros picked up a pair of hits in three at-bats, driving in two and crossing the plate twice. Lacey Swafford, Carrie Reilly, Taylor Drayton and Nena Riccoboni also recorded multi-hit games on the afternoon. The Black Knights won their fourth consecutive game. The Cadets captured their sixth straight win over the Leopards. It was the fourth straight contest and 11th time this season that Army compiled double-digit hits. The 11 runs scored and 11 RBIs were the second most this season by the Cadets. Army's six extra-base hits was the second most in a game this year. The Cadets picked up their first Patriot League series sweep of the season. Read More

LTC Brian Novoselich moderated the 15th annual MIT Soldier Design Competition Semi-Final judging event on the USMA Facebook page. This is the second year of the Facebook live format. A total of ten cadet teams competed for six slots to the championship at MIT. The following teams were selected for continuation: Underbody Blast, Firefighting round, Cookoff, Sky Supply, ATLAS and ENOSE.

COLs Raftery, Hart, Sheetz and Mr. Tom Weis (Rhode Island School of Design) judged the projects. Mr. Carmine Cocchia and the rest of the VIOS staff created a terrific media experience to support the event. The event had over 9000 views and a reach of over 14,000 on Facebook within 24 hours of the event. The event can be found at: https://www.facebook.com/WestPointUSMA/videos/10155303848751232/ The Soldier Design Competition is co-sponsored by the MIT Institute for Soldier Nano-Technology and Lincoln Labs.

Photo: Team Fire Suppression demonstrates the functionality of their novel fire suppression round

Eighteen members of the Army West Point men's track and field team earned All-Patriot League honors after their performance at the Patriot League Championships on last weekend. At this meet, Army placed second overall with a final score of 217. The team earned eight first-Team honors and 11 second-Team honors. First team honors were awarded to athletes who placed first in their events, and second team honors were awarded to athletes who placed second in their events. Men's Outdoor Track & Field First-Team All-Patriot League (First-Place Finishers): Lee Bares (Pole Vault), Robbie Santoyo (10000m), August Cook (Javelin), Ben Boswell (4x800m), Mikey Singer (4x800m), Tyrell Maddox (4x800m), Jackson Sullivan (800m, 4x800m) and Jeff Giannettino (High Jump). Read More

The West Point Rock Climbing Club hosted nine United States Coast Guard Academy (USCGA) Cadets and their Officer in Charge (OIC) for two days of collaborative climbing between the service academies. USCGA Cadets were oriented to the Class of '79 Wall in Arvin and spent the evening rehearsing proper climbing techniques, including belay and safety procedures. They traveled with five West Point Cadets and three OICs, to the Shawangunk Mountains in Gardiner, NY to apply climbing skills in a traditional rock environment. The inter-service coordination and comradery displayed brought great credit on both institutions. Both clubs come away with a better understanding of the other service and academy and eagerly look forward to future opportunities to climb together.

Ten members of the Army West Point women's track and field team earned All-Patriot League honors after their performance at the Patriot League Championships on last weekend. At this meet, Army placed fourth overall with a final score of 129. The team earned five first-team titles and six second-team honors. First team honors were awarded to athletes who placed first in their events, and second team honors were awarded to athletes who placed second in their events. Women's Outdoor Track & Field First-Team All-Patriot League (First-Place Finishers): Briyah Brown (Hammer Throw, Shot Put), Calli McMullen (100m, 200m, 4x100m), Lynne Mooradian (4x100m), Yasheika Beckaroo (4x100m) and Emily Malone (4x100m). Read More

The West Point Flying Team hosted the 5th Annual Service Academy Spring Classic flying event recently. Competitors from Navy, Coast Guard, and West Point met on the fields of friendly strife, searching for aircraft issues during the preflight event, followed by precision simulator flights at Orange County Airport on the first day. The second day of competition brought chilly, but flyable weather allowing the competitors to demonstrate their precision flying skills in power on and power off landings, attempting to put the aircraft as close as possible to chalk lines placed on the runway. The last day brought light winds and a beautiful day to fly the navigation event, predicting time over target and fuel burn as carefully as possible, then evaluating the pilot/navigator team's ability to fly as close as possible to their plan. West Point Beat Navy and Coast Guard for the fifth time with some outstanding team and individual results. Top Ground Competitor and Top Pilot: Kurt Klinkmueller. Overall point totals by team: USMA 200, USNA 150, USCGA 143.

The Army West Point baseball team earned its 10th Patriot League Regular Season title on Sunday after sweeping a doubleheader from Lafayette.

Army started the day with an 11-1 seven-inning victory in the opener before taking an 8-1 win in the nightcap.

The two victories handled the Black Knights their first regular season crown since the 2014 season. Army wrapped up its conference slate with an 18-7 mark to finish tied for first with Navy. The Cadets will be the No. 2 seed in the upcoming league tournament, which is set to kick off Saturday.

Army welcomes the No. 3 seed in Bucknell for the conference semifinals in a best-of-three series. The two teams will play a twin bill on Saturday followed by a single game on Sunday, if it's needed. First pitch for both days is noon at Doubleday Field and all games will be carried live on the Patriot League Network. Read More

Seven cadets accompanied with an Officer in Charge (OIC) from the Society of Hispanic professional Engineers (SHPE) traveled to New York City for a Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) outreach workshop at the Robert R. Goddard Junior High School, MS202. At the school, cadets worked and spoke with over two hundred students on the importance of diversity in STEM and inspired them to consider further education in STEM and service to our nation. Cadets facilitated a problem-solving exercise with the students. Students had to design a bridge to certain specifications while optimizing their design to minimize weight. Cadets then conducted a physical training session during gym class that culminated with a discussion on service to the nation and the importance of physical and mental toughness. Overall the single day event was low cost and high impact. The cadets had a great opportunity to give back to the community and inspire our nation's next generation while connecting with people from New York City. The SHPE club was also able to build a relationship with school administrators for future outreach events.

Members of the Cadet Gospel Choir & Theater Arts Guild participated in a Disney Movement & Music Workshop with cast before attending the Lion King on Broadway.

The Cadet Fly Fishing Trip to Frost Valley YMCA in the Catskill Mountains for eight cadets and two staff and faculty had some wonderfully scenic fishing opportunities, but was highlighted by a service project in support of Frost Valley. Frost Valley has a maple sugaring operation consisting of nearly 1200 tapped trees, along with all the associated tubing to get the sap from trees to the sugar house. They are in the process of updating their 15-year-old gravity feed system to a new vacuum pump system. The cadet fly fishing club helped them with one of the critical tasks, removing the lines from the trees, disconnecting the lines and hauling them out of the forest. The work site was the side of a hill, so cadets were constantly climbing up and down the hill to retrieve the tubing and remove it. Upon completion of the work, the cadets did get to fish the wonderful waters at Frost Valley. Bisquit Brook, Pigeon Brook, and the West Branch of the Neversink were great waters but the cold water and sluggish trout did not cooperate.

Dr. David Frey participated in multiple National Week of Remembrance activities in Washington, D.C. Dr. Frey and 1LT(P) Evan Kowalski '14 participated in the national ceremony in Emancipation Hall at the US Capitol. At the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum 25th Anniversary Tribute Dinner that evening, West Point and its Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies (CHGS) were featured as one of the Holocaust Museum's the critical strategic partners. Museum leadership highlighted the CHGS in a short film and recognized Center Director Dr. Frey as one of seven international "agents of change"for his work as a Holocaust educator and for his contributions to incorporating atrocity prevention into military education. Other honorees were Father Patrick Desbois, the French cleric and Holocaust Scholar (and 2016 West Point Day of Remembrance Speaker); a Prosecutor from Arizona and Holocaust advocate; a French-Muslim English language Holocaust Educator from Paris; Charles Ramsey, the former Police Chief of Philadelphia and Washington, D.C.; a Turkish-German scholar who runs an initiative against antisemitism in Berlin; and an Iranian-Canadian journalist/human rights activist/filmmaker and torture survivor. Dinner attendance included over 130 survivors and scores of U.S. Army liberators were among the 1700 guests.

The Scuba Club traveled to Dutch Springs, Pennsylvania to certify students in basic and advanced open water scuba diving at Dutch Springs Aquatic Park. The purpose of this trip was to certify twenty-four cadets as NAUI basic scuba divers. For the past month, students have attended classes twice per week and pool sessions administered by seventeen club members. The team's instructors, divemaster's, and dive controllers led the dives at Dutch Springs. As part of a scuba club tradition, the outgoing firsties and (Officer in Charge) OIC, MAJ Ouimet conducted their final dive on the team without wetsuits in 48-degree water.

The Pointe Du Hoc AR Joint Capstone team debuted their project at the National World War II Museum in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Project is an Augmented Reality App detailing the Assault on the Guns at Pointe Du Hoc on Jun 6th, 1944 as part of the D-Day landings in Normandy. The day coincided with Louisiana History Day at the museum, which is the state history competition, where over 250 students and families plus the general public attended. COL Ty Seidule and other advisors to the capstone attended the trip. There were nine cadets that worked on the project across four academic disciplines (History, Systems Engineering (SE), Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS), and Geography and Environmental Engineering (GENE)).

The project manager was Jacob Paniccia (SE), who kept the project on schedule and managed the system requirements. The app was created with a Drone Camera and Photogrammetry to create a 3D mesh of the terrain at Pointe Du Hoc in Normandy. Through the work of Jake Marchillo (GENE) who rendered over 100 million points of data, and Hannah Whisnant, Jesse Austel, Andre Hufnagel, Andre Michell, and Brad Cho (EECS), they overlaid the 3D terrain on a 2D map using the phone's camera that gives the user the ability to interact with the terrain. History cadets Karol Wegrzyn and Pete Worrall researched the attack at the National Archives and created a narrative story arc that the EECS cadets overlaid on the terrain, creating an interactive and immersive experience that can be used as an individual or as a class lead by an instructor through an intuitive user interface. The story follows LTC James E Rudder and the men of 2nd and 5th Ranger Battalion's seaborne assault on six 155mm guns emplaced in concrete casemates, situated between Utah and Omaha Beach.

Eight cadets from the Cadet Community on Civil Military Operations visited the United States Federal Courthouse in the New York City Eastern District to meet with judges, attend hearings, and visit the U.S. Marshal's Office. Cadets met with Judge Sterling Johnson, Jr., who is a Senior United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York. After attending some of Judge Johnson's hearings, the cadets sat down with the judge to discuss his experience, the role of the courts, as well as notable current events. The cadets then went to the U.S. Marshal's Office and learned about their role in the safety of the judiciary system. The day ended with a conference lunch where cadets spoke with many judges and their staff about West Point, legislation, and current events.