Feb. 26, 2009

CENTER VALLEY, Pa. -- The Navy swimming and diving programs combined to place a league-best 29 athletes onto the All-Patriot League Teams that were announced Thursday by the league office.

The all-league teams are determined by results from the Patriot League Championship, which was held Feb. 19-21 at Bucknell. 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, with the remaining second-team honorees determined 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 six 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 four times and tied for the most accolades in the league in the remaining two seasons.

The Navy men's team captured its sixth league crown in as many seasons this year by accruing a league-record 1,031.5 points, while the Navy women's squad placed second to Colgate by 103 points. The Navy men saw 19 of its athletes garner all-league status, with 10 members of the Navy women's program earning the accolade.

Bucknell, the second-place men's team and third-place women's squad, placed 17 members of its program onto one of the All-Patriot League teams. In addition to winning the women's meet, Colgate also finished in fifth place in the final men's standings. A total of 15 Raiders would garner all-league status.

Automatic first-team qualifiers from the Navy men's team consisted of Erik Hunter (So., Placerville, Calif.), winner of the 500 free, 1650 free and 400 individual medley; Adam Meyer (Jr., Bethesda, Md.), who won the 200 individual medley and both butterfly events; Olaf Olson (So., Bainbridge Island, Wash.), winner of both diving boards; Mac Anthony (Fr., Allentown, Pa.), the champion in the 100 and 200 freestyle races; and Andrew Hetzner (Jr., Riverside, Calif.), winner of both backstroke events.

Tara Chapmon (Jr., Virginia Beach, Va.) and Thuy-Mi Dinh (Jr., Anaheim, Calif.) were the lone members of the Navy women's team to be automatically placed onto the all-league team by virtue of winning an individual event at the meet. Chapmon won the 200, 500 and 1650 freestyle titles, while Dinh captured the 50 freestyle crown. Chapmon also won each of those three events at the 2008 championship, with this year's 50 free title for Dinh being her third in the event in as many years.

In addition to receiving their respective all-league honor, Chapmon earned her second consecutive women's swimmer-of-the-meet accolade, Hunter was selected as the men's swimmer of the meet and Olson garnered the men's diver-of-the-meet award.

Men's First-Team All-Patriot League
Erik Hunter, Adam Meyer, Olaf Olson, Mac Anthony, Andrew Hetzner, Billy Vey, Patrick Veltman, Mark Meyer, Dan Warner, Aaron Aiken, Sam Martinette, Jesse Cohen

Men's Second-Team All-Patriot League
Alex Oldenkamp, Jon Galinski, Ari Molina, Andrew Utama, Nathan Durham, Jack Curran, Ben Nicholas

Women's First-Team All-Patriot League
Tara Chapmon, Thuy-Mi Dinh, Mallory Dietrich

Women's Second-Team All-Patriot League
Allison Ranzau, Desiree' Robison, Natalie Albertson, Sarah Lindberg, Allison Aichele, Tessa Snow, Jennie Spencer