Spring Sports Archives

National Champions Again: Catching Up With The Navy Lightweight Rowing Team

Posted on October 28, 2021 by Karl Darden

This past May, the Navy Lightweight Rowing team won its first national championship since 2004. And just a couple months ago, head coach Shawn Bagnall joined me on the Navy Sports Central podcast to talk about that great run. As…

Undefeated – An Inside Look at the Navy Track & Field Team’s Season of Dominance

Posted on May 21, 2021 by Karl Darden

Things did not look particularly good for the Navy Track & Field team a few weeks ago heading into the last two events of the Patriot League Outdoor Championships. At least not for the men, anyway. The women had put…

The Heartbeat of the “Engine Room” – Remembering Earl Panico

Posted on January 29, 2021 by Karl Darden

During the past year, I’ve done my best to feature Navy athletes across a wide range of sports in this blog. All have left their imprint on the Academy in some way, shape or form. Today, I’ll be remembering a…

Navy Sports Nation Rewind: The 2017 Navy Women’s Lacrosse Team and Their Memorable Run to the Final Four

Posted on April 13, 2020 by Karl Darden

In 2006, the Naval Academy added lacrosse as its newest women’s sport. And it was pretty clear from the very beginning that Athletic Director Chet Gladchuk was going all in with this program. You didn’t have to go any further…

Why I’m Already Looking Forward to the 2021 Navy Men’s Lacrosse Season

Posted on April 5, 2020 by Karl Darden

When I was in the seventh grade, the Navy Men’s Lacrosse team made it to the national championship game. But I didn’t know anything about the sport until my freshman year in high school. We had just moved to Colorado,…

Three Races, One King’s Cup: A Look Back at How the Navy Rowing Team Became the Toast of the Henley Royal Regatta

Posted on March 31, 2020 by Karl Darden

To compete and win at an elite level. It’s every athlete’s dream. So many strive for it, but only a select few ever achieve it. So when the opportunity to compete in an elite international event presented itself to the…

The Story Behind Navy Baseball’s Record-Setting Start . . . And Its Sudden Finish

Posted on March 12, 2020 by Karl Darden

Springtime in Annapolis features no fewer than 10 sports for Navy fans to take in between now and Commissioning Week. All the respective teams are worthy of our attention on some level. Unfortunately, concerns over the coronavirus will prevent us…

Welcome to the Navy Sports Nation!

Posted on January 6, 2020 by Karl Darden

Thanks for paying us a visit! My guess is that if you are here, you are more than just a casual Navy sports fan. Maybe you are a Naval Academy graduate like me. Maybe you have son or daughter who…