LEXINGTON, VA - The Army West Point wrestling team captured its first All-Academy's Championship title since 2008 behind four individual championship performances on Saturday. "I'm so proud of the guys today," said second-year head coach Kevin Ward. "All 10 wrestlers contributed, and every point in every match mattered. We were in a good position heading into the finals, and we rose to the occasion. Having six of our guys in the finals with four champions was a really exciting way to win the tournament."
Army sent six Black Knights to championship bouts, the most of any team in the tournament. Logan Everett (141), Andrew Mendel (165), 19th-ranked Brian Harvey (174) and Bryce Barnes (197) all came away with individual championships, while Russell Parsons Jr. (157) and Samson Imonode (184) placed second. Additionally, Army sent two more wrestlers to the third-place matches. David Farr (285) finished third, and Austin Harry (133) placed fourth. Read More
CENTER VALLEY, PA - Freshman Cassie Mundekis of the Army West Point women's track and field team was recognized as the Patriot League Rookie of the Week for the second time this season after her record-setting performance on Saturday at the Penn State National Invitational. "I'm proud of our athletes when they win any of these awards, but I'm particularly impressed when they're plebes," said Director of Track and Field and Cross Country Mike Smith. "It's no secret that life at the Academy is not easy. When they excel at anything it's significant. She deserves to be recognized for setting the school record, but we should all realize how significant it is when she set a school record in only her second 800 as a freshman. There are no more surprises with her performances, and we have a lot to look forward to with her. She has arrived." Mundekis broke Army's 800 meter run record with a time of 2:10.95. The previous record of 2:11.10 stood for nearly 20 years, being set back in 1996 by Roxanne Theobald. The Manito, Ill., native also won the award on Dec. 7, after posting a 2:55.62 in the 1000 meter run at the Crowell Open, the fifth-best mark in program history. 
Pipes and Drums, as well as the Celtic Dancers, travelled to the Royal Military College in Kingston, Ontario, to participate in the Annual Exchange between the two schools. Cadets were hosted by and attended class with members of RMC’s Highlander Band, exposing them to the daily life as an RMC officer-cadet while bridging the cultural divide through mutual interest in Celtic traditions. Several members also participated in intramurals, PE classes, and snow-sports with their RMC counterparts. On Saturday, the bands conducted a joint practice workshop, culminating in a mass bands performance for the commandants of each school. The weekend concluded with an indoor performance by the bands during the hockey game intermissions to the likening of the general public. This was an unforgettable weekend that enriched the lives of cadets and helped build strong ties with our NATO partners to the North.
Ten cadets from the West Point Theatre Arts Guild travelled to New York City to view the Off-Broadway performance of “Noises Off”. The cadets had a wonderful trip, and had the opportunity to discuss the play with the cast and the creative team. The creative team recognized the cadets in the audience, and thanked them for their service.
The Army West Point Ski Patrol cadets took a trip to Jiminy and Butternut Ski Resorts in Pittsfield, MA. The focus of the trip was training out new patroller candidates on ski/snowboarding skills, and how to run a sled down the mountain weighted and unweighted. Patrollers actively patrolled each mountain and responded to approximately fifteen real world incidents on the mountain. This was a very successful trip, and the cadets had the chance to build relations with the West Massachusetts region.
Twenty-nine Cadets from the West Point Navigators Club travelled to Vorheesville, NY. There they learned about “Embracing the Vision of Disciple-making” from the Navigators Field Staff Director, Tom Yeakley. There were over sixty people in attendance, representing fourteen different Army installations. The “cross-pollination” of Navigators across the Army facilities net-working and collaboration was very beneficial, especially as the cadets graduate and move to various posts around the world. On 22 Jan., eleven Cadets from the club attended an off-Broadway production of “The Screwtape Letters” by C.S. Lewis. This performance was one of the final productions, and was a hit with all who attended.
During the RMC Exchange the West Point Chess team did an exceptional job. Not only did they perform exceptionally in the tournament, but all of the team members enjoyed going to class with their hosts and experiencing Canadian Academy life for a few days. MAJ Regis Bellemere, the Canadian Chess OIC, set up an amazing tournament with 42 participants from USMA, RMC, the US Military, and the Canadian Military. The primary objective of the tournament was for RMC to compete with USMA, but it was also an individual tournament that attracted multiple players of all ages and skill levels. Overall, the USMA team won the five round match with 26.5 team points, as opposed to RMC’s 17.5. CDT Wesley Loudon won the tournament with 5/5 points, and CDT Oblak took second place with 4.5/5 points. Additionally, CDT Zade Koch won the biggest upset award for round one, and CDT Yixin Huang won the best unrated player prize. Overall, the team performed far better than expected and are looking forward to the next tournament scheduled for 6 Feb.
The Army West Point Nordic Ski Team attended their first event of the season, an ECSC (Eastern Collegiate Ski Conference) Race hosted by the University of Vermont (UVM) Nordic Team at Sleepy Hollow Ski and Bike Center in Huntington, VT. Twelve members of the team competed in the two days of relay races; a four member x 5K mixed gender, mixed technique relay on Saturday, and a classic sprint relay (three member team alternating 1K each three times). The Army West Point 4x5 Relay team finished 17th in a field of 28 teams, with an overall time of 1:45:40 (individual lap times were not recorded). CDT Ben Brea ’18 and CDT Emily Beecher ’17 skied the first two 5K skate laps of the race, while CDT Joshua Bassett ’16 and CDT Mimi Mejia’19 skied the last two 5K Classic laps. The balance of the Army skiers were on mixed teams with skiers from other participating schools.
The Army West Point Bowling team travelled to Las Vegas, NV, to participate in the three day long Rebel Classic hosted by the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. A total of twenty-six teams participated from around the country. While the Army team scored more points this year, the competition was more talented with an average score of 179 per player. Overall, the Army West Point Bowling team struggled, but stayed motivated throughout the competition, and continued to seek improvements. The high point of the tournament was beating a division rival, St. Johns, at a head to head Bakers Match. An additional highlight was the beautiful weather in Las Vegas.
The Army West Point Alpine Ski Team competed in their second weekend race as new members of the Atlantic Highlands Conference at Mountain Creek, NJ. This weekend’s race was focused solely on Giant Slalom. The men’s team finished 4th of 7 teams, seconds out of 3rd place. Team Captain CDT Josh Ische ’16 finished consistently as a top 10 racer, while CDTs Aryne Riley and Patrick Kearney (both Class of 2017) were top 15 finishers. CDT Logan Trust ’18 and CDT Will Mueser’19 finished in the top 25 ; CDT Jack Young ’19 got some valuable mileage in GS as a JV (first-year) racer. The men competed in a field of 40 athletes. The Army Women’s Alpine team was missing Yearling and dual athlete CDT Blaise Paulo as she competed in a qualifier for Power-lifting Nationals. The remaining women, CDT Sophia Groh ’19, also a dual athlete (Rugby), finished in the top 10; CDT Maddie Nelson gained valuable mileage racing GS as a first year downhill racer. MAJ Matt Mogensen (D/Math and Trip OIC) and Coach Bob McIntee are congratulated for ensuring a safe weekend amidst Blizzard Jonas, and ensuring the cadets competed well.
The Army West Point Powerlifting team travelled to Albany, NY, for the Northeast Iron Beast Powerlifting Meet. The goal of this meet was to allow the more experienced lifters to achieve qualifying totals for Collegiate Nationals, and to give the less experienced lifters another meet under their belts. The meet was a resounding success, and every single lifter who competed qualified for the National Championships. Additionally, many medaled in their weight class, to include most of the female lifters. This was only the second meet the women have competed in; they were led by CDT Shaina Cross who placed first in her weight class with a qualifying total that puts her in contention among the best women in the country. Also placing first were CDTs Amy Slaughter and CDT Blaise Paulo; medaling in their weight classes were CDTs Camiesha Jackson, Heather Reed, and Danielle Peck. The men were led by team Co-Captian and Firstie Tom Evans, placing first in his weight class, and Yearling lifter Jon Chambers who placed first in his weight class. The next competition will be at the USA Powerlifting Winter Classic in Rockland, MA.
The Army West Point Triathlon Team hosted the second Annual West Point Indoor Time Trial. This event was held in the team’s state-of-the-art Computrainer studio in Cullum Hall. The race is part of the Northeast Collegiate Triathlon Conference’s Winter triathlon racing schedule and serves as a qualifying event for the USA Triathlon Collegiate Nationals to be held in April. In spite of the winter storm, six members of the University of Connecticut’s triathlon team braved the elements to attend. The dual event tested the athletes on a 10km indoor course. Both of the teams were fielded primarily by athletes just added to the roster, and new to the sport. The UConn men’s and women’s team won the event, while the new Army athletes gained valuable experience in defeat.
Twenty cadets from the Army West Point Orienteering team travelled to Gainesville, GA, for their first meet of the spring season. This grueling race stretched over ten kilometers of unforgiving terrain, blending challenging land navigation with physical and mental obstacles. This event consisted of two classic courses, followed by a unique “Extreme Orienteering” competition. The “Extreme Orienteering” course blended components of traditional land navigation with physical and mental challenges. The team excelled in the traditional orienteering aspect of the competition, led by stellar individual performances and podium finishes for CDTs Rachel Wolfe ’16, William Whitaker ’17, Gene Maslink ’18, George Grindely ’18, Sean Brenna’19, and Samuel Jones’19. All team members competed in the “Extreme Orienteering” race, which encouraged team camaraderie and built additional confidence in their orienteering skills. The Army West Point Orienteering team looks to build on this success in their next competition in April, hoping to claim a fourteenth consecutive national title at the U.S. Intercollegiate Championship in southwestern Ohio.
WEST POINT, NY - The Army West Point men's basketball team erased an 18-point deficit to come away with an 84-81 overtime victory over Lafayette on Wednesday evening at Kirby Sports Center. The win snapped a four-game losing streak and improved the Black Knights to 4-7 in Patriot League play and 13-10 on the season. Lafayette fell to 5-16 overall and 3-8 in the conference following its fifth consecutive loss.
Two cadets and two faculty from the Department of PaNE attended the 3-day APS Conference for Undergraduate Women in Physics (CUWiP) at Wesleyan University in Middletown CT. The conference showcased career opportunities available to physicists through plenary talks, panel discussions, and a career fair. Participants had the opportunity to network and interact with over 200 fellow undergraduate women physicists as well as a variety of industrial and academic leaders. Cadet Abigail Daniels described her experience at the conference in the following way: "I greatly enjoyed the conference as it opened my eyes to many of the opportunities and fields within the study of physics. I am very glad I was given the opportunity to attend this conference."
Cadets from SS466: Combating Terrorism, as profiled in a recent PBS Newshour segment, were finalists in a State Department sponsored global competition to pilot a social media campaign aimed at countering the Islamic State. Not only did these cadets represent the Department and the Academy exceptionally well, they had the opportunity to engage with key leaders at the White House and Department of State. 
In addition to his professional experience, Army West Point Rifle head coach Web Wright III brings a vast personal perspective into his role. The former Olympian, seven-time All-American, and two-time NCAA smallbore champion while at West Virginia is in his first season at the helm of the Black Knights. Web, and his father, Web II – the long time rifle coach at Navy – discuss their experiences and their special bond as the rifle team prepares to face Navy for the first time under the guidance of Wright III. 
The Army West Point women's basketball team overcame a slow start to earn its ninth straight victory in a 52-44 win over Loyola in Patriot League action on Saturday afternoon at Reitz Arena. Army improves to 19-2 overall and 10-1 in the league, while Loyola drops to 9-13 and 6-5. The Black Knights outscored the Greyhounds, 33-22, in the second half after trailing by three points at the halftime break. Senior Kelsey Minato netted 15 points and added six rebounds, two assists and two steals, while classmate Aimee Oertner tallied 12 points, four boards and four blocks. Freshman Madison Hovren finished with 10 points and four rebounds, and sophomore Janae McNeal scored seven points, to go along with four rebounds and four assists. 
