Army West Point Athletics
Friday, October 16
West Point, N.Y.
4 PM
Army West Point
vs
Navy
Women’s Cross Country Eager to Host Navy
October 15, 2015 | Women's Cross Country
WEST POINT, N.Y. – The Army West Point women's cross country team will host the 30th-annual Star Meet against service academy rival Navy on Friday at 4 p.m.
"There's a lot of history behind Army-Navy, and I'm looking forward to becoming part of the rivalry," said Director of Track and Field and Cross Country Mike Smith. "I am very mindful of the history of the event and want to uphold the standards of it. I am looking forward to the traditions that exist, including the alma maters at the end and seeing Coach Al Cantello who has been around for a long time and has seen many of these."
The Black Knights' youth has provided a new look in the 2015 season as five of the nine runners are freshmen. 14 of the possible 20 scoring positions in the four races this season have been occupied by these five. Cassie Mundekis and Sarah Jeon lead the group, having scored in each of the four meets this season. Payton Padgett has scored in three of four races she has competed in contributing two third-place finishes and adding a second place performance. Abby Halbrook scored as Army's No. 2 runner in both races she has been in this season.
Army will be competing three runners from last year's Army-Navy meet. Seniors Lindsay Gabow and Madison Hill have raced in the Star Meet the previous two years. Both Gabow and Hill recorded their best 6K times against Navy in 2013 with Hill finishing in 20:34.40, good enough for a second-overall finish as Army's top runner. Gabow finished the race in 21:24.12 earning a nineth-place finish as the Black Knights' No. 5 runner at home. Sophomore Courtney Dooley is the only other member of the team that has experience versus Navy as she competed in Annapolis, Md. last season with a time of 26:22.57 as Army's 10th finisher and the 23nd overall.
"I feel like we're prepared," said Smith. "I think our runners are ready to do what they can do, and I'm looking forward to seeing what that is. I don't know what the weather is going to do, but it could be a little messy. It will be interesting to see how it plays out. Our women are physically and mentally prepared to perform, and we're looking forward to the challenge. Our course is pretty challenging, so hopefully our familiarity with the course will provide us with a home field advantage."
The course is a two-kilometer loop that the women will run three times around on holes six, seven and eight of the West Point Golf Course.
"There's a hill that is approximately 500 meters in the loop meaning the women will have to run about a mile uphill during the race," added Smith. "That's going to be the great equalizer. It's a pretty challenging hill. It's steep, and it will make the end of the race interesting watching people get over that hill."
For up-to-date information on Army women's cross country go to www.goarmywestpoint.com or follow @ArmyWP_TrackXC on Twitter.
"There's a lot of history behind Army-Navy, and I'm looking forward to becoming part of the rivalry," said Director of Track and Field and Cross Country Mike Smith. "I am very mindful of the history of the event and want to uphold the standards of it. I am looking forward to the traditions that exist, including the alma maters at the end and seeing Coach Al Cantello who has been around for a long time and has seen many of these."
The Black Knights' youth has provided a new look in the 2015 season as five of the nine runners are freshmen. 14 of the possible 20 scoring positions in the four races this season have been occupied by these five. Cassie Mundekis and Sarah Jeon lead the group, having scored in each of the four meets this season. Payton Padgett has scored in three of four races she has competed in contributing two third-place finishes and adding a second place performance. Abby Halbrook scored as Army's No. 2 runner in both races she has been in this season.
Army will be competing three runners from last year's Army-Navy meet. Seniors Lindsay Gabow and Madison Hill have raced in the Star Meet the previous two years. Both Gabow and Hill recorded their best 6K times against Navy in 2013 with Hill finishing in 20:34.40, good enough for a second-overall finish as Army's top runner. Gabow finished the race in 21:24.12 earning a nineth-place finish as the Black Knights' No. 5 runner at home. Sophomore Courtney Dooley is the only other member of the team that has experience versus Navy as she competed in Annapolis, Md. last season with a time of 26:22.57 as Army's 10th finisher and the 23nd overall.
"I feel like we're prepared," said Smith. "I think our runners are ready to do what they can do, and I'm looking forward to seeing what that is. I don't know what the weather is going to do, but it could be a little messy. It will be interesting to see how it plays out. Our women are physically and mentally prepared to perform, and we're looking forward to the challenge. Our course is pretty challenging, so hopefully our familiarity with the course will provide us with a home field advantage."
The course is a two-kilometer loop that the women will run three times around on holes six, seven and eight of the West Point Golf Course.
"There's a hill that is approximately 500 meters in the loop meaning the women will have to run about a mile uphill during the race," added Smith. "That's going to be the great equalizer. It's a pretty challenging hill. It's steep, and it will make the end of the race interesting watching people get over that hill."
For up-to-date information on Army women's cross country go to www.goarmywestpoint.com or follow @ArmyWP_TrackXC on Twitter.
Players Mentioned
/ Women's Cross Country
/ Women's Cross Country
/ Women's Cross Country
/ Women's Cross Country
/ Women's Cross Country
/ Women's Cross Country
/ Women's Cross Country
Jeff Monken Weekly Press Conference - September 16th, 2025
Tuesday, September 16
This Week in Army Football: Week 3 - North Texas
Tuesday, September 16
Army West Point Rugby vs Walsh University (12-SEP-25)
Friday, September 12
Army at Kansas State Recap
Thursday, September 11