Feb. 27, 2008

ANNAPOLIS, Md. -- The Navy men's and women's programs combined to place a league-best 21 athletes onto the Patriot League Swimming & Diving All-League Teams that were announced Wednesday by the league office.

The all-league teams are determined by results from the Patriot League Championship, which was held Feb. 21-23 in Navy's Lejeune Hall. All individual event winners are automatically placed onto the first team, with the remaining first-team positions completed based upon individual event points earned over the three days of the meet. All individual event second-place finishers not already receiving first-team honors are then placed onto the league's second team, which is then filled out by individual event point totals.

Each of the two all-league teams total 18 members, with more if there are any ties based upon point totals.

During the five years in which both the Navy men's and women's teams have competed at the Patriot League Championship, the Mids have led the league in the combined number of all-league selections three times and tied for the most accolades in the league in the remaining two seasons.

Bucknell, the men's runner-up and third-place team in the women's meet, placed 19 athletes onto the two teams, while Colgate, winner of the women's title and the fifth-place finisher on the men's side, tallied 15 all-league recipients.

The Navy men's program, winners of its fifth league crown in as many years, saw 13 members of its squad garner all-league accolades, with eight being named to the league's first team. Automatic first-team qualifiers were 2008 Men's Diver of the Meet Jon Galinski (Jr., Phoenix, Md.), who won both diving events, Andrew Hetzner (So., Riverside, Calif.), winner of the 200 butterfly, Alex Oldenkamp (Jr., Coppell, Texas), who won both sprint freestyle events, Billy Vey (Jr., Huntersville, N.C.), the 400 individual medley champion, and Ryan Ward (Fr., Prospect, Ky.), winner of the 200 backstroke title.

The Navy women's team finished in second place at the league meet, just 44.5 points in back of first-place Colgate. Four Mids from the program won individual events to earn automatic first-team all-league honors, with eight Mids in all being named to one of the two teams. Headlining the list of Navy recipients were major award winners Tara Chapmon (So., Virginia Beach, Va.) and Katie Griffin (Sr., Ellicott City, Md.). Chapmon won the 200, 500 and 1650 freestyle events to earn women's swimmer-of-the-meet honors, while Griffin swept the two diving events to garner her second-straight women's diver-of-the-meet award. Among the additional Mids to be named to the first team were event champions Thuy-Mi Dinh (So., Anaheim, Calif.), winner of the 50 and 100 freestyle events, and Kelly Zahalka (Jr., Richmond, Va.), winner of the 200 butterfly and 400 individual medley races.

The future bodes well for both Navy teams as the only seniors from the two programs to earn all-league recognition were Griffin and fellow diver Adam Niekras (Sr., Liverpool, N.Y.), who received second-team honors.

Navy's First-Team All-Patriot League Recipients
Men -- Alex Buck, Nathan Durham, Jon Galinski, Andrew Hetzner, Nathan LeRoy, Alex Oldenkamp, Billy Vey, Ryan Ward
Women -- Tara Chapmon, Thuy-Mi Dinh, Katie Griffin, Allison Ranzau, Tessa Snow, Kelly Zahalka

Navy's Second-Team All-Patriot League Recipients
Men -- David Guthmann, J.J. Helms, Adam Niekras, Olaf Olson, Dan Warner
Women -- Natalie Albertson, Desiree' Robison