The Army West Point Cross Country team is set to continue its season on Friday when it heads to Massachusetts for the Three Team Battle in Beantown with Boston College and Syracuse. Action begins with the women's meet at 2:30 p.m. followed by the men's competition at 3:15 p.m.

The Black Knights split their season opening meet with Syracuse earlier this month, defeating the Orange in the women's meet and falling in the men's meet.

Army saw strong performances from its young runners on the women's side, with plebes Georgia Jones and Helen Shearer leading the women's team with second and third place finishes. The three-time defending champion men's team will look to bounce back from its season opening defeat behind several key returners. Firstie Daniel Horoho was the top finishing cadet in the season opener, placing tenth.

The teams will get another look at the Orange, who were led by seniors in both meets. The women's race was won by All-ACC and All-Region performer Amanda Vestri. The men's meet was won by redshirt senior JP Trojan, who was making his Syracuse debut after transferring from William & Mary.

Meet host Boston College will be seeing its first action of the season after a strong women's campaign in 2019 in which the Eagles placed 20th at the NCAA Championships. The team returns three scorers from the championship meet in juniors Lauren White and Anna Osear and sophomore Sarah Flynn. Like Syracuse, the Eagles ranked in the top five in the Northeast Region in the final women's cross country rankings last season.

In the 2020 ACC preseason cross country rankings, Syracuse and Boston College were ranked fourth and seventh respectively on the women's side and second and 13th respectively on the men's side.

CDT Thomas Hilt ’22, Company D2, was nominated by his company for the Dean’s “Brain Gainz” recognition this week. Thomas has organized, led, and coordinated two HI101 study sessions thus far as the cadet in charge (CIC) for History tutoring through the Center for Enhanced Performance (CEP). Both times, he did a great job not only commanding and controlling the operation, but also tutoring people himself as much as he could. The first study session was a two-day operation for five hours on Saturday and Sunday. Thomas led and tutored for the full five hours on both days. Excellent academic mentorship and leadership, Thomas!

Cadets were fortunate to have a great virtual visit from Phil Swagel, 10th Director of the Congressional Budget Office (CBO). Cadets learned about the challenging and important tasks that the CBO carries out each day and were able to ask Mr. Swagel questions that few others would be able to answer. The CBO was established in 1975 to produce independent, non-partisan analyses of economic and budgetary issues in support of the Congressional budget process. The agency plays a key role in analyzing the cost estimates for legislation proposed in Congress but does not make policy recommendations.

This past Wednesday, all cadets, staff, and faculty stopped their daily activities to participate in Honorable Living Day. They had open, honest discussions about how to live honorably, build cohesive teams, and combat issues that undermine cohesion and readiness of Army units. Later that afternoon, several cadet diversity clubs shared their rich heritage by displaying flags, traditional outfits, and cultural foods at booths throughout the plain.

The West Point community is committed to creating a climate where everyone is treated with dignity and respect; there is no other option! Our graduates will lead diverse formations and they must be ready to build and lead cohesive teams with their Soldiers.

Army West Point Gymnastics coach Dr. Doug Van Everen has announced the cancelation of the 2021 West Point Gymnastics Open due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The 30th anniversary of the event is now slated to take place January 14-15, 2022. In addition to the competition, the Army Gymnastics program will host an alumni event to celebrate the history of Army Gymnastics. The alternate date tentatively scheduled for March 2021 has also been canceled.

Stay tuned to GoArmyWestPoint.com and Army Gymnastics social media platforms for up to date information on the 30th annual West Point Open and all Army Gymnastics news. 

The Collegiate Sprint Football League (CSFL) will air the Army-Navy Sprint Football Game Preview Show this Thursday, October 1 at 9 p.m., on the CACC Network. Today’s announcement of the special broadcast was made by CSFL Commissioner Dan Mara, as the show will break down Sunday's contest between the Cadets and Midshipmen at Shea Stadium in West Point. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m.

Army and Navy will meet twice in sprint football during the fall, as the second contest will be held on Sunday, October 18, in Annapolis. That contest will be the Star Game for both teams. The CSFL will also air a preview show for that game on Thursday, October 15.

This Thursday's preview show will feature interviews with both head coaches (Army's Mark West and Navy's Jason Dewald) and student-athletes from each school. The show will also provide a look at the historic rivalry between the two academies in the sport of sprint football.

The CACC Network is the official digital channel of the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC), which is a partner with the CSFL. Fans can view the network in a variety of ways, including online at caccnetwork.com. Fans can also stream the CACC Network on their television, as the channel features apps on Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV and Android TV. For people on the go, they can also watch the show on their mobile device or tablet, as the CACC Network features an app in both the iTunes and Google Play stores. 

The show will premiere on Thursday night at 9 p.m., but fans who cannot watch the live broadcast will have the opportunity to view it anytime on-demand by visiting one of the portals listed above for the CACC Network. Read more.

The Army West Point Men's Cross Country team finished second at the Three Team Battle in Beantown at Coogan Course at Highland Park this past Friday.

Army finished with a team score of 38 points, with Syracuse posting a score of 18 to claim their second consecutive meet victory. Meet host Boston College placed third with a score of 80.

The Black Knights were led by cow Marshall Beatty who finished third with a time of 24:43. Beatty is one of two former Patriot League Rookie of the Year winners to place in the top 10 on Friday, as yearling Garrett Gough finished ninth at 25:31.

Syracuse redshirt senior JP Trojan finished first to claim his second win in two races since joining the Orange from William & Mary. Trojan (24:41) and teammate Joe Dragon (24:42) narrowly edged Beatty to give the Orange a one-two finish in the race.

“They had a big pack of five guys and I was hoping if I strung them out at the end that some of the guys would fall off and our guys would pick up some spots,” Beatty said. “The guys up front hung on pretty well and it ended up being me fighting with their third and fourth guy. I was a little bit off from the top two, but I am happy how things turned out.”

Army now turns its attention to service academy rival Navy and the Army-Navy Star Meet which will take place on October 17 in Annapolis. Unlike his first two Star Meets as a Black Knight, Beatty enters this one as an upperclassmen in a leadership position on the team, something he is excited to take on. Read more.

The Army West Point Women's Cross Country team placed second at the Three Team Battle in Beantown at Coogan Course at Highland Park this past Friday.

The Black Knights finished with a team score of 37, placing behind Syracuse who won the meet with a score of 33 points. Boston College placed third with 52 team points.

For the second meet in a row, the Cadets were led plebes Georgia Jones (17:46) and Helen Shearer (17:50), who placed third and fourth respectively. Firstie captain Mika Andrews also recorded a top 10 finish, placing seventh at 18:12.

“It was a really good day for the team," Shearer said. "We were able to stick together and Georgia pulled away towards the end. The teamwork throughout was really helpful and it made us push each other.”

“Having your teammate pushing you makes a big difference in a race,” Jones said. “It gives you someone to work with and fight with and it helps a lot. Both of us are soccer players and didn't run much cross country in high school, so working as a team is what we are used to.”

Syracuse senior Amanda Vestri claimed her second consecutive victory, crossing the line first at 17:23.

Army now turns its attention to rival Navy, as the team will head to Annapolis for the annual Army-Navy Star Meet on October 17. The Black Knights defeated the Midshipmen 27-28 in a thrilling race at Bowdoin Park in 2019. Read more.

Thanks to a second half surge, the Army West Point Men's Soccer team took down Merchant Marine 1-0 in a Saturday night contest. Scoreless after the first half, Justin McStay netted a goal off a corner kick by Oscar Pereira in the 50th minute. Army continued to press to help preserve a 1-0 shutout for Jacob Suppiah. The Black Knights and Mariners entered halftime with a knotted 0-0 score. Army led in shots (8-3) and corner kicks (3-2) after the first 45 minutes. In the 50th minute, the Cadets found the back of the net to take a 1-0 lead. Pereira capitalized on a corner kick opportunity five minutes into the second half. He chipped it into the box where McStay connected and found the back of the net. Army finished the game with an impressive 16-6 advantage in shots. The Black Knights led in corner kicks (11-2). The Cadets improve to 18-1-1 against USMMA in the all-time series. It marked the first contest between the two squads since 1983. Read more.

The Corps of Cadets recently conducted their first Saturday morning inspection (SAMI) for this year. The inspection is an evaluation of discipline and attention to detail. The highest inspection status, SAMI occurs immediately after breakfast on Saturday morning. The strict standards require rooms to be immaculate to the “white-glove” test. Cadets stand at attention, in uniform while their rooms are being inspected by the company Chain of Command (COC).

“Go for Green” initiative is coming to Washington Hall. Great work by CW4 Walle, MAJ McGlone, and the mess hall staff. Today was a test run - healthier food options and each serving marked for nutrition level. Check out that menu! More initiatives to come throughout the year. Nutrition is a key component to holistic health and fitness.

Last week, CDT Matthew Donze, CDT Maggie O’Neill, CDT William Naumann, and CDT Paris Williams and G&EnE leadership (COL Mindy Kimball, CPT Melissa Moorehouse, Ms. Kimberly Quell, and Dr. Patrick Baker) seined the shallow cove on the western shore near Hudson River Light 39. The cove was seined 4 times with a 30’ bag seine as the tide was going out. One hundred and seventy-one fish representing four species were captured and held briefly for identification. In order of abundance, the seine hauls yielded Atlantic Silversides (n = 87), White Perch (n = 62), Striped Bass (n = 21), and a Bluefish. In addition, they caught several Blue Claw Crabs that appeared to have recently shed and a small Green Crab. Salinity was relatively high for this location (4-5 ppt) and water temperature was ~19C.

HI101 Instructor CPT Mandi Rollinson worked with one of USMA’s librarians, Ms. Mary Ahenakew, to teach Cadets about the experiences of Buffalo Soldier Caleb Benson and Army laundresses on the frontier in the late 1800s. Ms. Ahenakew modeled how databases can assist cadets with their HI101 research. She explained about the contemporary experiences of Native Americans – in, out of, and with the Army - and Black cadets at USMA to further complicate how cadets understand the Army.

Cadet Denton Knight, an International Affairs Major from the Class of 2021, delivered a paper at the ISA-West Conference this past weekend. The paper, “Disruptive Internet: A Macro-level Determinate of Education Quality,” examines the relationship between internet speed and education quality, with case studies on Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. He presented an earlier version of the paper in a SOSH Research Lab Colloquium last summer.

This week Cadets were able to carry out a detailed tour of the West Point Steam Plant. LTC Daniel Baha organized and carried out this detailed tour of the Steam Plant as an extracurricular enrichment activity for CH151: Advanced General Chemistry. Cadets learned the intricacies of generating and harnessing steam for a variety of Army applications, with a particular focus on the fundamental chemistry and engineering underpinning the operation and maintenance of such an intricate and large-scale plant.

Fit to Fight! Class of 2021 and 2022 Cadets performed the Army Combat Fitness Test this past weekend to adopt the Army's new test of record on October 1. The ACFT is an age and gender-neutral test that directly aligns physical attributes required in combat to unit physical readiness training and individual physical testing and reporting while also decreasing accession losses and reducing injury rates.

Photo: by Eric Bartelt

Army West Point football head coach Jeff Monken met virtually with members of the local media on Tuesday afternoon for his weekly press conference inside Nowak Auditorium.

Army West Point Football Head Coach Jeff Monken

(Ref.: Opening statement)
“Good afternoon. It's sure not as fun to come in here after a loss. We are disappointed that we weren't able to play well enough to put ourselves in a position to win the game this Saturday. I thought Cincinnati had a really physical football team and they are obviously well coached. Their kids were prepared and they did a really nice job. I was very pleased with our defense for most of the day. We got the turnover on the opening drive and then got the turnover shortly thereafter which put us in position to take the lead right off the bat. It was a great start to the day, we just weren't able to capitalize on it. Offensively, we had some opportunities where we got the ball in decent field position a couple of times. We just weren't able to finish drives. We got the ball down close and had the one field goal, which I thought was a great kick by Salyers. It was a tough snap and kind of got into the chest of Brooks Hosea who is the holder – he got it down and the kicker stayed with it, really a clutch field goal to bring us within a score. As poor production as we were having on offense, we were still in the game. We had a couple of big plays that we missed and that probably could've made a difference to set up an opportunity for scoring position. Our guys played their butts off, they played really hard, but we just didn't sustain blocks on offense and ultimately a couple of big plays on busted assignments and busted coverages which cost us. They had the one big play that set them up in the first half, which was a broken coverage unfortunately and then the second half they had two play drive they leaked the back out of the backfield. It's just something we've got to cover more with our team and be ready for those situations. I thought our guys battled, we lost to a really good football team [that doesn't make it feel any better] but I am encouraged that we're going to work our very best this week to try and improve and play the best game that we've played so far.”

(Ref.: On the biggest things the team can learn from Saturday)

“There's lessons in a loss. I heard Coach Sean Saturnio yesterday that you can make the L a loss or a lesson and we've just got to make it a lesson. And those lessons are to make sure that we don't have lapses in areas that we completely control which starts with our assignments. There are things on both sides of the ball, and in special teams, where we just had mix ups on assignments or didn't block/cover the right guy, whatever it might be. Against a really good football team like Cincinnati, we can't do those things and those are hard lessons to learn. We've got to do a good job coaching our guys and our players have to work really hard to learn their signs. I have heard it said, and I believe it to be true, if a guy misses an assignment, we're either not coaching it well enough, we're making it too complicated or that guy either isn't giving an effort or is incapable of learning. I think our guys are working hard and trying hard and they're all capable of learning. We've got to work hard to make sure it's not too complicated and we do a great job of coaching it, and ultimately that's my responsibility. We're all responsible, that's not to take anything off of anybody or put anything extra on anybody, it's just what we've got to do. There are things we can control that we've got to focus in on more than maybe we have in the past. Block and sustain blocks and getting off blocks and tackling – that's the name of the game and we've got to do those things better.” Read more.

In this video, get a glimpse into the Space Science Nano Lab. In the lab cadets study nanotechnology, the manipulation of matter on atomic, molecular, and even smaller scales. Check out some of the great projects that our cadets get to work on.

Video by Robert Perez and Cadet George Zhang.

Army Fans,

We miss you on football Saturdays at West Point. We miss tailgating at Buffalo Solider Field. We miss watching the Cadet Review from the Plain. We miss the spirit of Black Knights Alley. We miss cheering on the parachute team as they deliver the game ball. We miss the roar from the crowd after an Army score. Most of all, we miss YOU and a SOLD OUT Michie Stadium.

As the leaves begin to change and the calendar turns to November, that means one thing on the banks of the Hudson River: Army vs. Air Force football presented by USAA. The past six Army-Air Force matchups at Michie Stadium have been witnessed by sellout crowds. While fan capacity will be limited if fans are approved to attend this game, we have no plans of ending this academy rivalry sellout streak in 2020.

Between now and November 5, we ask that you, our most loyal supporters, help us keep the streak alive and "virtually" sell out Michie Stadium for the seventh consecutive Army-Air Force matchup. By purchasing a virtual ticket, you will be making a 2020 donation to the Army A Club in support of more than 1,000 outstanding cadet-athletes. It is the mission of the Army A Club to provide our cadet-athletes with the resources necessary to have an extraordinary division-1 athletic experience and the Army A Club is currently projecting a 2020 shortfall of $4M in direct support of that mission. Likewise, the potential of not having any fans in attendance for 2020 football games could also mean a loss of $8.3M in ticket revenue. Because of this projected shortfall, we respectfully ask for your support to bridge the gap and to maintain the Air Force game sellout streak. Read more.

This week, the WPAOG Class Services team hosted a breakfast for the Class Officers from the USMA Classes of 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024. At the breakfast, cadets had the opportunity to meet with our staff at WPAOG in addition to others from the Academy with whom they will work. Following the breakfast, breakout sessions were held for each of the different classes to provide time for the class officers to engage in discussions of how WPAOG serves them and their classmates now and in the decades ahead. The cadets provided valuable feedback and insight into their experiences and we are thankful for their time and participation.