Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1920-02-03
NAVY ANXIOUS To
EXTEND RANCE Of
ATHLETIC SPORTS

Some progresss has been made re-
Gently in the effort. supported by a
large number of officers of the navy,
to extend the range of Naval Academy
athletic competition in various sports.
For many years the midshipmen were
permitted TO indulge in athletics only
on their own grounds at Annapolis.
The first break came in 1890. when the
football team was permitted 10 play
against the Military Academy a West
Point
In spite Of continual efforts, these
privileges have not greatly extended
The football game with the Army
is now an annual affair. the
game having been played in New York
in recent years. while the baseball
games are played in alternate years al
West Point and Annapolis
Representatives of the Naval Acad-
envy have been permitted to leave An
napolis on few occasions to meet
other than Army teams. and this priv
lege is being gradually extended 1t is
understood that inc autEoritie; OF the
Academy and of the navy have no OBJ
jections in general 10 the cans in each
sport playing one suitable away from
home game each season.
For many years the Naval Academy
has been a member OF the Intercol-
legiate Fencing Association and has
sent its representatives to take part in
the finals. A helpful spirit was shown
toward this sport by the authorities. as
it is a part OF the regular training Of
the midshipmen as well as sport
The Naval Academy has joined the
Intercollegiate Wrestling Association,
but il will not be able to have a team
in the finals, the association requiring
a membership OF one year before the
entry Of a team This is greatly re-
GREETED at the Academy, as the wrest-
ling team is very strong this winter.
Naval Academy people would spec
tally like TO see an extension of the
number of sports in which they engage
the Military Academy. Some steps
have been taken recently in this di-
rection by athletic officers of the two
institutions. and it is understood that
the authorities are willing that there
should be an annual encounter be-
tween the teams Of the two schools in
every branch in which they both en-
gage. This would add field and track.
basketball, lacrosse and fencing to
football and baseball.
The most highly valued athletic
privileges, outside of the permission to
play the Army games, are opportuni-
ties of playing one football game away
from home each year, besides the
Army game, and of engaging in one
race on the water The first has re-
suited in the scheduling of a game
with Princeton at Princeton for next
season. and the latter will be used to
obtain one big regatta, probably at
Princeton
Inability to contest in events away
from its own home has resulted in a
failure to obtain proper recognition for
the Navy teams. In some lines of
sports the Academy has indicated very
high, if not the highest, standing. Last
year it was admittedly the first in row
ing, but the fact was established only
by its showing in the Henley event at
Philadelphia.
Undoubtedly the Navy is number
one in wrestling. lacrosse and gym
nastics, though it was not accorded
first place in any of these sports. In
none did it lose a contest. but all them
took place al Annapolis and prevented
general consideration OF the Nays
claims
The wrestling team won all of its
five matches. taking every bout from
Penn State. first in the intercollegi-
ates and rated first in the East on that
account. The lacrosse team defeated
Johns Hopkins, which was given first
place by the experts, and all the other
teams it met. No rating was given in
gymnastics. but the midshipmen won
all of their matches, and undoubtedly
had the best college team in the coun-
try. They have led in this line nearly
every year, having lost but two match
es in ten seasons
Everything points to the attainment
of high place in collegiate sport by
the midshipmen, and many feel that
proper recognition is dependent upon
more out-of-town contests. There is
also a strong sentiment that ii would
be a good thing in other ways, both
for the midshipmen and for the serv-
ice. by putting them in touch with
other college men, and by bringing the
Navy before the public and increasing
the interest in it.