April 1, 2004

After playing its first-three spring tournaments away from Annapolis, the Navy golf team returns home to play host to the 25th Annual Navy Spring Invitational this Saturday and Sunday at the par 71 USNA Golf Course in Annapolis with 18 holes set for both days.

The Midshipmen will field two teams - Navy Blue and Navy Gold - in the 22-team tournament, along with Anne Arundel Community College, Binghamton, Bucknell, Colgate, Columbia, Delaware, George Washington, Iona, Johnson & Wales, Lafayette, Lehigh, Loyola, Methodist, Pennsylvania, Princeton, Rider, St. Bonaventure, St. Joseph's, Villanova and William & Mary.

In last year's action, Navy overcame an 11-stroke deficit to win the team title. The Midshipmen actually tied Johnson & Wales with a 21-over par 581, but Johnson & Wales had to leave the tournament to catch a flight back to Florida and was unable to compete in a playoff to break the tie, giving Navy the crown.

Individually, Navy golfers Brian Crum and Billy Hurley (Leesburg, Va.) finished first and second, respectively, in the tournament with Crum (139, -1) edging out Hurley by one stroke (140, E).

"We are looking forward to hosting the 25th-Annual Navy Spring Invitational this weekend," said Navy head coach Pat Owen. "We have a strong contingent of teams coming in to compete, including Princeton, William & Mary and George Washington, all top-10 teams in the NCAA Middle Atlantic region. Also competing is seven-time NCAA Div. III Champion Methodist College."

Owen will send out the Navy Blue team utilizing the Mids' most veteran lineup. Seniors Hurley, Joey Kistler (Savannah, Ga.) and Rob Stochel (Crown Point, Ind.) will lead the pack, while juniors Rocky Novellino (Bayville, N.J.) and Braxton Mashburn (Memphis, Tenn.) will complete the group of five. Hurley, ranked No. 24 in the nation according to the Golfweek/Sagarin Performance Index, has been the steadiest of Navy's players.

Coming off medalist honors at the William & Mary Invitational a week ago, Hurley owns a 71.4 stroke average over eight rounds this spring. Novellino has turned in the second-lowest stroke average, posting a 75.5 average which included a low round of 69 at the Moe O'Brien Memorial Invitational. Kistler is also in the 70s, as he owns a 77.2 stroke average through six rounds in a combined two tournaments.

The Navy Gold squad will feature Navy's up-and-coming members. With freshman Jeremy Garner (Fayetteville, Ga.) undergoing shoulder surgery recently, the Navy Gold team will be represented by four members, junior B.J. Brumley (Bartlesville, Okla.) and freshmen Rob Eidson (Johnson City, Tenn.), Michael Pierce (Houston, Texas) and Bryan Stoniecki (Montgomery, Ill.). Stoniecki saw spot time in the lineup last spring, however, Pierce and Eidson are newcomers to the lineup this spring.

The Navy Gold team will tee off at 8 a.m. Saturday, while the Navy Blue squad is slated for a 9:15 a.m. tee time.