Army West Point Athletics
From the Desk of AD #31
May 01, 2025 | General
Hello Army West Point Community,
Greetings from Scottsdale, AZ! I'm currently attending the annual Fiesta Bowl Spring Summit - an outstanding opportunity to connect with fellow Athletic Directors and coaches. We're engaging in important conversations about the evolving landscape of college athletics, including key topics such as Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL), the NCAA, roster limits, facility investments and updates, and the overall student-athlete experience.
Events like this remind me how humbled and fortunate I am to represent the world's most preeminent leader development institution. Our cadet-athletes truly exemplify the very best of college athletics and I continue to hear that from everyone I meet here.Â
While there are certainly challenges ahead as we strive to compete at the highest level in NCAA athletics, I remain deeply optimistic, especially in how we align with the mission of the United States Military Academy and our unwavering commitment to developing leaders of character.
We can - and we will - win on-and-off the fields of friendly strife. And many examples of that are shared below.
Men's Lacrosse Ready To Host Patriot League Tournament Beginning Friday
The No. 4-ranked Army West Point men's lacrosse team (12-1, 7-1 Patriot League) secured its 16th Patriot League Regular Season title this past week. As the No. 1 seed in the Patriot League, Army will host the Men's Tournament beginning on Friday, May 2, facing off against No. 5 Colgate at 4 pm on CBS Sports Network. Should the Black Knights be victorious, we will host the championship game on Sunday at 11:30 am.
The hockey program has completed its leadership transition, as 2009 USMA graduate Zach McKelvie has officially begun his tenure as head coach of the program after 11 seasons on the bench under Brian Riley.
McKelvie has served as Associate Head Coach for the past nine seasons and was named the program's next head coach in August 2024 when Brian Riley announced that the upcoming campaign would be his final season at the helm of Army Hockey.
Full StoryÂ
Heisman Winner Pete Dawkins Back on PostÂ
Tremendous work by the WPAOG in coordinating a special event with legendary Heisman Trophy winner Pete Dawkins (1958), who was back on post on Tuesday afternoon for a special scholarship dedication. The graduate scholar program will now be called the 'Pete Dawkins '59 Graduate Scholars Program'. Dawkins graduated from West Point in 1959 and was awarded a Rhodes Scholarship.Â
The USMA Graduate Scholarship Program is a proven program within the West Point developmental model that offers a path beyond the traditional cadet experience. This event highlighted esteemed graduates who benefited from this program, and included an opportunity to hear from them directly on the impact.Â
A moment I will never forget.....Â
Â
BEAT Navy! Eat Ice Cream!
One of our "coolest" traditions under the 61st Superintendent of the United States Military Academy is the tradition that if one of our athletic teams beats Navy, they are invited over to Qrts 100 on Post for an ice cream social.Â
This past week, we had our Women's Basketball team and our Women's Tennis team participate. And the teams enjoyed their fruits of victory by enjoying some ice cream!!Â
Softball Looks to Close Out Regular Season StrongÂ
With one more victory in its three-game series this weekend hosting Colgate, Army softball will win the Patriot League regular season and clinch the No. 1 overall seed in the Patriot League Tournament. By doing so, Army would host the Patriot League softball Championship next weekend (May 8-10), the first time doing so since 2010! Head Coach Jen Consaul and her team hold an impressive 30-20 overall record and a 13-2 mark in conference play!Â
Â
Fink Makes History
Senior Track and Field thrower Emily Fink made history for the Black Knights, taking home the first wheel from the Penn Relays (April 26) since 1954, the 11th in program history, and the first on the women's side for the track and field program. Fink threw a 65.95m (216' 4") on her second throw of the hammer throw that would go on to claim the first championship in any event for Army on the women's side.Â
Â
Former Supes Visit!
Recently, I had the privilege of visiting with two former Superintendents! Daniel Christman (55th) and Robert Caslen (59th) both were back on Post, and it was a privilege to have the opportunity to spend time with each of them. Lt. Gen. Christman served as the Superintendent from 1996-2001, and Lt. Gen. Caslen served from 2013-18. Much like the General Dawkins visit, I couldn't spend enough time with these tremendous leaders.Â
.  
Best Sapper Competition
Congratulations to the many West Point graduates who competed, especially those from the 75th Ranger Regiment, for finishing first in this year's Best Sapper Competition! CPT James "Tyler" Mitchiner and 1LT George Madden were both standout athletes at West Point - Tyler was a four-year starter on the soccer team, and George competed on the Strength Team. Army Athletics proudly represented by the Classes of 2020 and 2021! Also, 1st LT Megan Colpo, Class of 2022, (Swim & Dive) competed and her team placed in the top 20!
Read moreÂ
Projects Day
The U.S. Military Academy hosted its 26th annual Projects Day Research Symposium last Thursday, April 26. Projects Day showcases more than 400 research projects across all academic disciplines.
The annual Military Skills Competition, is kicking off this weekend at West Point. The skills competition features teams from all the service academies, USCC, ROTC, and international teams participating in this year's Sandhurst.
The annual two-day event, May 2-3, showcases the military skills of the U.S. Military Academy, U.S Corps of Cadets (USCC), Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC), and international teams, such as Canada, Poland, Mexico, the United Kingdom, and Italy. Hosted annually by the U.S. Military Academy at West Point since 1967, competitors are challenged on physical endurance, teamwork under stress, and lethal military skills honed for the battlefield.
Â
This year, 48 teams from the U.S. and around the globe will battle for the ultimate prize:
West Point Challenge
The West Point Challenge begins on May 4th. The event is a focused week of fundraising competition for Grads, parents, cadets, surviving spouses, and friends of West Point to come together to support the Academy. Participation is the key! The competition goes from Sunday, May 4th at Reveille (0630) until Thursday, May 8th at Taps (2330).Â
For more information on the West Point Challenge
Upcoming ScheduleÂ
Check out all our athletic competitions, home and away, that are coming up this weekend!
Greetings from Scottsdale, AZ! I'm currently attending the annual Fiesta Bowl Spring Summit - an outstanding opportunity to connect with fellow Athletic Directors and coaches. We're engaging in important conversations about the evolving landscape of college athletics, including key topics such as Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL), the NCAA, roster limits, facility investments and updates, and the overall student-athlete experience.
Events like this remind me how humbled and fortunate I am to represent the world's most preeminent leader development institution. Our cadet-athletes truly exemplify the very best of college athletics and I continue to hear that from everyone I meet here.Â
While there are certainly challenges ahead as we strive to compete at the highest level in NCAA athletics, I remain deeply optimistic, especially in how we align with the mission of the United States Military Academy and our unwavering commitment to developing leaders of character.
We can - and we will - win on-and-off the fields of friendly strife. And many examples of that are shared below.
Men's Lacrosse Ready To Host Patriot League Tournament Beginning Friday
The No. 4-ranked Army West Point men's lacrosse team (12-1, 7-1 Patriot League) secured its 16th Patriot League Regular Season title this past week. As the No. 1 seed in the Patriot League, Army will host the Men's Tournament beginning on Friday, May 2, facing off against No. 5 Colgate at 4 pm on CBS Sports Network. Should the Black Knights be victorious, we will host the championship game on Sunday at 11:30 am.
Passing the Torch?????????????? ?????? ??
— Army Men's Lacrosse (@ArmyWP_MLax) April 30, 2025
Our matchup for the 2025 @PatriotLeague semifinals is set - we'll face Colgate at home on Friday, May 2 at 4:00p.m. ET!#GoArmy | #FamilyToughnessTradition pic.twitter.com/36vhWENj3L
The hockey program has completed its leadership transition, as 2009 USMA graduate Zach McKelvie has officially begun his tenure as head coach of the program after 11 seasons on the bench under Brian Riley.
McKelvie has served as Associate Head Coach for the past nine seasons and was named the program's next head coach in August 2024 when Brian Riley announced that the upcoming campaign would be his final season at the helm of Army Hockey.
Full StoryÂ
Passing the Torch.
— Army Hockey (@ArmyWP_Hockey) May 1, 2025
The Zach McKelvie era has officially begun ??
?? https://t.co/F83BLncXTg#GoArmy pic.twitter.com/WD6boeyxIf
Heisman Winner Pete Dawkins Back on PostÂ
Tremendous work by the WPAOG in coordinating a special event with legendary Heisman Trophy winner Pete Dawkins (1958), who was back on post on Tuesday afternoon for a special scholarship dedication. The graduate scholar program will now be called the 'Pete Dawkins '59 Graduate Scholars Program'. Dawkins graduated from West Point in 1959 and was awarded a Rhodes Scholarship.Â
The USMA Graduate Scholarship Program is a proven program within the West Point developmental model that offers a path beyond the traditional cadet experience. This event highlighted esteemed graduates who benefited from this program, and included an opportunity to hear from them directly on the impact.Â
A moment I will never forget.....Â
Â
BEAT Navy! Eat Ice Cream!
One of our "coolest" traditions under the 61st Superintendent of the United States Military Academy is the tradition that if one of our athletic teams beats Navy, they are invited over to Qrts 100 on Post for an ice cream social.Â
This past week, we had our Women's Basketball team and our Women's Tennis team participate. And the teams enjoyed their fruits of victory by enjoying some ice cream!!Â
Beating Navy means many things. Ice cream with the Supe is one of them!
— Army Women's Tennis (@ArmyWP_WTennis) April 30, 2025
Enjoyed a delicious ice cream social yesterday at Quarters 100! ?? pic.twitter.com/NBnjc2WKOP
Softball Looks to Close Out Regular Season StrongÂ
With one more victory in its three-game series this weekend hosting Colgate, Army softball will win the Patriot League regular season and clinch the No. 1 overall seed in the Patriot League Tournament. By doing so, Army would host the Patriot League softball Championship next weekend (May 8-10), the first time doing so since 2010! Head Coach Jen Consaul and her team hold an impressive 30-20 overall record and a 13-2 mark in conference play!Â
Fink Makes History
Senior Track and Field thrower Emily Fink made history for the Black Knights, taking home the first wheel from the Penn Relays (April 26) since 1954, the 11th in program history, and the first on the women's side for the track and field program. Fink threw a 65.95m (216' 4") on her second throw of the hammer throw that would go on to claim the first championship in any event for Army on the women's side.Â
Â
Recently, I had the privilege of visiting with two former Superintendents! Daniel Christman (55th) and Robert Caslen (59th) both were back on Post, and it was a privilege to have the opportunity to spend time with each of them. Lt. Gen. Christman served as the Superintendent from 1996-2001, and Lt. Gen. Caslen served from 2013-18. Much like the General Dawkins visit, I couldn't spend enough time with these tremendous leaders.Â
.  Best Sapper Competition
Congratulations to the many West Point graduates who competed, especially those from the 75th Ranger Regiment, for finishing first in this year's Best Sapper Competition! CPT James "Tyler" Mitchiner and 1LT George Madden were both standout athletes at West Point - Tyler was a four-year starter on the soccer team, and George competed on the Strength Team. Army Athletics proudly represented by the Classes of 2020 and 2021! Also, 1st LT Megan Colpo, Class of 2022, (Swim & Dive) competed and her team placed in the top 20!
Read moreÂ
Projects Day
The U.S. Military Academy hosted its 26th annual Projects Day Research Symposium last Thursday, April 26. Projects Day showcases more than 400 research projects across all academic disciplines.
ÂAfter years of research & collaboration, a few of our players' work came to life at Project's Day!
— Army Women's Soccer (@ArmyWP_WSoccer) April 25, 2025
Just a few of the topics!
?? Machine Learning Design of Single-Strand Oligonucleotides for Biosensors and Therapeutics
??Blood Transfusion in Arctic Austere Environment pic.twitter.com/px5tBv1aqt
Lots of Activities! Sandhurst Weekend?? That's a wrap on the Projects Day 2025 Research Symposium! Until next year ?? #ProjectsDay2025 #BeatTheDean
— U.S. Military Academy at West Point (@WestPoint_USMA) April 24, 2025
?? To learn more, visit https://t.co/HfVhqDY8g7@DeanUsma pic.twitter.com/fRBrJMDGrJ
The annual Military Skills Competition, is kicking off this weekend at West Point. The skills competition features teams from all the service academies, USCC, ROTC, and international teams participating in this year's Sandhurst.
The annual two-day event, May 2-3, showcases the military skills of the U.S. Military Academy, U.S Corps of Cadets (USCC), Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC), and international teams, such as Canada, Poland, Mexico, the United Kingdom, and Italy. Hosted annually by the U.S. Military Academy at West Point since 1967, competitors are challenged on physical endurance, teamwork under stress, and lethal military skills honed for the battlefield.
Â
This year, 48 teams from the U.S. and around the globe will battle for the ultimate prize:
The West Point Challenge begins on May 4th. The event is a focused week of fundraising competition for Grads, parents, cadets, surviving spouses, and friends of West Point to come together to support the Academy. Participation is the key! The competition goes from Sunday, May 4th at Reveille (0630) until Thursday, May 8th at Taps (2330).Â
For more information on the West Point Challenge
Upcoming ScheduleÂ
Check out all our athletic competitions, home and away, that are coming up this weekend!
Our Black Knights have a busy week coming up!
— ArmyWestPoint Sports (@GoArmyWestPoint) April 29, 2025
Which events will you attend to cheer on our squads? pic.twitter.com/5jUPzzsW0e
THANK YOU
I'd ask you to continue to do what you can to support Army West Point Athletics and our cadet-athletes by:
• Attending athletics events and competitions – home and on the road!
• Purchase season tickets, join the Army A Club, and become a corporate partner
• Get others to do the same
Tom Theodorakis
Director of Athletics
Army West Point
Email: AthleticDirector@WestPoint.edu
X: @TT_Army_AD
Army West Point Rugby vs Walsh University (12-SEP-25)
Friday, September 12
Army at Kansas State Recap
Thursday, September 11
Army vs. Kansas State Game Highlights
Monday, September 08
Women's Army Rugby vs. Long Island University (6-SEP-25)
Sunday, September 07