Herbert On Sports Update

March 2nd update on Army Sports

HERBERT ON SPORTS

2 MARCH 2004

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL (14-13):  Senior Katie Macfarlane scored 16 points and pulled down 19 rebounds as Army held off Navy 65-60 in the last regular season game.  Army finished 6^th in the Patriot League with a 6-8 record, and will face No. 3 Lehigh Friday, March 5^th at 7:30 pm in the Show Place Arena in Upper Marlboro, Maryland in the quarterfinal round of the league playoffs.

MEN’S BASKETBALL (6-20):  Lost to Navy 43-37 after leading for most of the first 36 minutes.  Army led 20-15 at halftime, but Navy tied the game at 32-32 with 4 minutes to play.  In the final 4 minutes, the Middies hit only one basket and made only 9 of 14 free throws, but we were worse.  Critical was Army’s failure at the free throw line:  we made only 13 of 27.  Navy shot 28% from the field, Army 25.6%.  In the second half, Army made 4 of 17 shots from the field.

GYMNASTICS (9-2):  Beat Air Force for the 7^th straight time 213.175 - 203.550.  It was our highest point total of the year.  Senior Nate Whitten took 3 events:  pommel horse, horizontal bar, and all-around.  Knocked off James Madison 212.550 - 196.450 as plebe Brandon Whitten won 3 events.

HOCKEY (12-15-3):  Upset Connecticut at Storrs 5-2, but lost at home to Sacred Heart 3-2.

LACROSSE (0-1):  Opened at Syracuse, rated No. 3 in preseason polls, and lost 19-15.  It was a strong performance by Army, with yearling John Walker, a potential All-American, scoring 4 goals.  Army led 13-12 late in the 3^rd quarter, but Syracuse pulled away in the final period.  Air Force here Saturday.  AF, playing at home, defeated last year’s national champs, Virginia 7-6.

SOFTBALL (0-6):  Opened the season playing in a tournament against the nation’s top teams.  Lost to #4 Washington 8-0.  Lost to #10 Florida State 10-0.  Made errors, and lost to Northwestern State 8-3.  Took an early lead, but lost to 15^th ranked Texas 6-3.  Army was the only team to score on the US Olympic Team as yearling Jamie Gjurgevich hit a solo homer, but we lost 28-1.  And, lost a one-hitter to Massachusetts 8-0.

BASEBALL (4-2):  Swept a 3 game series from U. of Maryland, Baltimore County on their field.  On Saturday, Junior Justin Kashner pitched a 6-hitter to win 7-1.  Army trailed 1-0 when we exploded for 7 runs in our last two at-bats.  In Saturday’s nightcap, plebe Nick Hill pitched a complete game shutout, giving up 5 hits in a 6-0 win.  Sunday, Army overcame a 5-1 deficit to win 7-6.  Army closer, yearling Dan Pluff, ended the game on a K with UMBC runners on 1^st and 2^nd.  Best start to a season since 1986.  Army in Philly this weekend, against Villanova on Friday and Sunday, and a doubleheader against LaSalle Saturday.

WOMEN’S PISTOL:  Defeated Navy’s women 1608 - 1578.

MEN’S TENNIS (7-3):  Lost #1 and #2 singles, but rallied to defeat Manhattan 4-3.  We split the 6 singles, but won the doubles point by sweeping the 3 doubles matches.  Against St. Joseph’s, Army again swept all 3 doubles, and won the match 5-2.

WOMEN’S TENNIS (7-5):  Defeated Massachusetts 5-2 and St. Bonaventure 7-0.  Against St. Bonaventure, Army did not lose a single set, and swept the 3 doubles matches 8-0, 8-0, and 8-1.  Plebe Ali del Moral ran her season record to 26-4 with two straight set wins.

RIFLE:  Finished 2^nd to Kentucky in the Great American Rifle Conference championships at West Point.  Kentucky scored 6184, Army 6170, Xavier 6144, and Mississippi 6035.  Army coach Ron Wigger was named “Coach of the Year,” and Army’s two top scorers were yearling Lucas Leinberger and plebe John Fiddes.

TRACK:  In the non-scoring NYU Armory Invitational, Army had 3 of the top 4 finishers in the pole vault, with yearling Eric Lobdell winning at 15 feet 11 ¾ inches.  Junior Eric Heely won the 1000 meters in 2 minutes 27.06 seconds, and yearling Philip Sakala won the mile run in 4:07.86.  Senior Jeff Weaver won the long jump at 24 feet, 4 ½ inches.

FOOTBALL:  Coach Ross spoke to the AOG Board of Trustees at our winter meeting last weekend, and got a standing ovation.  I won’t repeat any of his remarks - no point in giving aid and comfort to the enemy.

At last!  Here is the 2004 schedule: 

September 11    Louisville at Army
September 18    Army at Houston
September 25    Army at Connecticut
October 2               Texas Christian at Army
October 9               Cincinnati at Army
October 16              Army at South Florida
October 23              Open
October 30              Army at East Carolina
November 6              Air Force at Army
November 13             Army at Tulane
November 20             Alabama-Birmingham at Army
November 27             Open
December 4              Army-Navy at Philadelphia