Athletic Achievements – Naval Academy Athletics

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* 1945 NCAA Champions.
* Three Navy Athletes have claimed a total of five individual NCAA titles William Kash (47), 440-yd. dash, 1945; John VanVelzer (47), 100-yd. dash, 1945; Leo Williams (83), indoor high jump, 1981 & 82; outdoor high jump, 1981.
* The mens track and field program has produced four United States Olympians Joe Patterson (36), 400 Hurdles [4th place], 1936; James Dare (68), Steeplechase [Alt.], 1972; Ted Bregar (73), hammer throw [Alt.], 1972; Leo Williams (83), high jump [Alt.]1984.
* 32 Athletes have earned a total of 51 individual All-America honors
* 19-time Patriot League Champions (Indoor: 2004, 05, 08, 11, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 20; Outdoor: 2008, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 21) .
* Navy has captured the Patriot League outdoor Championship title for seven consecutive years, while claiming the Patriot League indoor title seven of the last eight seasons. (Note: No outdoor competition in 2020 and no indoor Championship during 2021 due to COVID-19)
* Hired in the summer of 2017, head Coach Jamie Cook has been named Patriot League Coach of the Year nine times (Mens Indoor: 2018, 20; Womens Indoor: 2019, 20; Mens Outdoor: 2018, 19, 21; Womens Outdoor: 2019 , 21), as well as USTFCCCA Mid-Atlantic Region Coach of the Year four times (Mens Outdoor: 2018, 19, 21; Womens Indoor: 2021).
* Zack Duncavage (14) became the 28th member of the mens track & field team to win the NAAA Sword for Men in the 124-year history of the award and the first field athlete to win the award since the great high jumper Leo Williams in 1983. The Sword is presented to that man of the graduating class who is considered by the Associations Athletic Council to have personally excelled in men’s athletics during his years of varsity competition.

WOMEN
* Won five Patriot League Indoor titles (2001, 09, 11, 19, 20) and five Patriot League Outdoor titles (2003, 12, 18, 19, 21). The Womens track and field team won the outdoor Championship in three consecutive seasons for the first time in program history in 2018, 2019, and 2021, while claiming back-to-back titles for the first time in the indoor Championship in 2019 and 2020. (Note: No outdoor competition in 2020 and no indoor Championship during 2021 due to COVID-19)
* Head Coach Jamie Cook was named Patriot League Coach of the Year for both indoor and outdoor during the 2018-19 season after leading Navy to a sweep of both the indoor and outdoor titles for the first time in program history. In addition, he was named PL Coach of the Year after leading the Women’s team to the 2020 indoor and the 2021 outdoor championships.
* Brigid Byrne (13) was a two-time CoSIDA Academic All-American who earned first-team honors in 2013.
* Jess Palacio (12) became Navy’s first Indoor All-American (mile run) in 2012.
* Kim McGreevey was Navy’s first Outdoor All-American, competing in the 3,000m run at the 1995 NCAA Championship.
* 10 Navy track and field Athletes have been awarded the Vice Admiral Lawrence Sword for Women, which is presented to the woman of the graduating class by the Associations Athletic Council for having personally excelled in Women’s athletics during her years of varsity competition.
* Track and field athlete Sydney Barber (21) became the first Black female Brigade Commander in Naval Academy history in the spring of 2021. The Brigade Commander is the highest leadership position within the brigade.
* Former student-athlete Maddy (Manhertz) Swegle (17) became the first Black female Tactical jet pilot in Navy history. Swegle was a track and field athlete who primarily competed in the triple jump at the Naval Academy.
* Former student-athlete Kayla (Sax) Barron (10) has been named an astronaut candidate by NASA. After receiving a record-breaking number of applications of more than 18,300 applicants, NASA chose 12 women and men as the agency’s new astronaut candidates in 2017.