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Feb. 20, 2008

ANNAPOLIS, Md. - The Naval Academy's Lejeune Hall will be the host venue for the Patriot League Men's and Women's Swimming and Diving Championship, which runs this Thursday through Saturday. The session of trial heats will begin daily at 10:30 a.m., with the finals slated to start at 6 p.m. each night.

Ticket prices are $5 for each morning session and $7 for each evening session, while an all-session pass is $30. All current midshipmen will be admitted free throughout the championship.

Tickets are available at Lejeune Hall prior to each of the six sessions, as well as online through www.navysports.com (go to one of the swimming team home pages for a direct link to the championship ticket page).

Live results from the championship will be available through the Gametracker page on www.navysports.com(.)

This year marks the sixth time Lejeune Hall will serve as the host site for the league championship meet, the most visits by the league to any venue. The Navy women's team has competed in the championship meet in each of the five previous times the event has been contested on The Yard, while this will be the third time the Navy men's team will compete for the championship in its own pool. The Navy women have won titles four times in Annapolis, while the Navy men are attempting to win their third crown in as many visits by the league.

Both Navy teams will be looking to continue their recent success at the championship, with the men's squad attempting to win their fifth league crown in as many years and the women's program chasing its second-straight title and league-best 10th championship overall.

"We are excited to begin the championship portion of our season," said Navy men's swimming head coach Bill Roberts. "We have enjoyed success at the Patriot League Championship in the past due to a complete team effort. We will need that again in order to reach the goals we have set for ourselves this year. We cannot afford to take any events off or for granted. You have to earn a championship and that only comes through hard work and desire."

"The difference between winning and losing at this meet is very minute," said Navy women's swimming head coach John Morrison. "Our veteran swimmers have been through both and their past experiences as to those differences and how to respond to both being ahead and trailing will be invaluable for us this weekend. We have worked hard all year for this opportunity and we couldn't be more excited that it is finally here."

Some of the key performers for the Navy men's team are Alex Oldenkamp (Jr., Coppell, Texas), Adam Meyer (So., Bethesda, Md.) and Erik Hunter (Fr., Placerville, Calif.).

Oldenkamp is one of the top sprinters in the league and posted a combined record of 11-4 in the 50 and 100 freestyle events during the regular season. Meyer, who won the 400 individual medley at last year's championship meet, was a combined 8-0 this year in the two IM events while compiling a 12-2 mark in the 200 butterfly. Hunter, meanwhile, proved to be one of the top distance swimmers in the league this year and has the potential to challenge for the titles in both the 500 and 1650 freestyle events.

Also for Navy, Billy Vey (Jr., Huntersville, N.C.) returns one year after winning the 200 backstroke and 200 IM titles at the league meet, while James Lascara (So., Charlotte, N.C.), the 2007 champion in the 500 free, will join Hunter in headlining Navy's distance swimmers.

Additional past All-Patriot League performers for Navy who also return are Christopher Jenkins (Sr., Chicago, Ill.), Danny Mizelle (Sr., Rockville, Va.), Adam Niekras (Sr., Liverpool, N.Y.), David Guthmann (Jr., Waxhaw, N.C.), Preston Mihalko (Jr., Chesapeake, Va.), Ari Molina (Jr., Arlington, Va.) and Andrew Utama (So., Walnut, Calif.).

Highlighting the Navy women's team are Katie Griffin (Sr., Ellicott City, Md.), Thuy-Mi Dinh (So., Anaheim, Calif.), Kelly Zahalka (Jr., Richmond, Va.) and Tara Chapmon (So., Virginia Beach, Va.).

Griffin won both diving events at last year's league championship and, along with Army's Lindsay Adao, is one of the co-favorites on both boards this year. Griffin completed the 2007-08 regular season with a combined record of 30-0 on the one and three-meter events. Dinh won both sprint freestyle crowns at the 2007 league championship and has posted the fastest times in the league in both events this year. Zahalka was tabbed as the 2007 swimmer of the meet after winning the 200 fly and both individual medley titles at the meet. She holds the Navy and league records in the 200 fly and 200 IM events and has totaled five league titles in relay and individual events. Chapmon, meanwhile, won the 200 free title last year and placed second in the 500 and 1650 events. She holds the Navy record in each of the three events.

Included among the newcomers to watch for Navy is Allison Ranzau (Fr., Alpharetta, Ga.) who has the ability to make her presence felt this weekend. A versatile swimmer, she won at least one race during the regular season in the 200 backstroke, the 200 free and the 500 freestyle events.

Other returning swimmers on the Navy roster who have garnered all-league honors during their respective careers are Rachel Gray (Sr., Latrobe, Pa.), Desiree' Robison (Jr., Tucson, Ariz.), Jennie Spencer (Jr., Smithburg, W.Va.), Mallory Dietrich (So., Pittsburgh, Pa.) and Sarah Dorenkott (So., Hudson, Ohio).

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