Navy Sports Central | Podcast Guru

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What if I told you about a group of elite college athletes who compete in 36 different sports at one of the toughest institutions in the nation. For them, it’s not about name, image, and likeness or any other kind of major endorsement deal. Because at the end of the day, their ultimate goal is to serve their country. These young men and women represent the best our country has to offer. They compete at a high level on both the national and world stage, and their stories have mostly gone untold. I’m here to change all of that. With Navy Sports Central, you'll get the latest news on the athletes, and their teams, gain some unique insights in our Deep Dive segment and hear from some great guests along the way. So please join me, Karl Darden, and check out Navy Sports Central wherever you get your podcasts to learn more about these incredible athletes and our nation’s future leaders.

Recent Episodes

Blazing a Trail and Securing a Legacy: Mary Brigden Shares Her Story

Send a text A fun open-water race winds up becoming a fight for survival. One moment Mary Brigden is navigating heavy weather off Fort Lauderdale. And in the next, she’s underwater in the dark, trapped beneath an overturned yacht with rigging pinning her down. Fortunately, her naval aviation training helps her overcome this catastrophe, and she is rescued with the rest of her crew. From there, we pull back to take a look at the larger journey: Mary enters the U.S. Naval Academy during...

46 MIN

Grit, Wind, and the Madeleine Cup: Mary Brigden Makes Navy Sailing History

Send a text In this installment of 50 Years of Excellence in Women's Athletics at the Naval Academy, we bring you Mary Brigden from the Class of 1981. Mary was an accomplished sailor by the time she was in high school, winning several junior national championships while growing up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. When she got to Annapolis, where Mary traded in her X-Scow for a 420 and rebuilt her game under coaches who sharpen her skills to get her ready for collegiate racing. She makes strate...

24 MIN

Trust, Discipline, and the Power of Eight: Alexandria Vallancey Becomes a World Champion

Send a text In our second of installment marking 50 years of excellence in women's athletics at the Naval Academy, Alexandria Vallancy joins us to continue her story. She shares her journey as she prepares for the U23 World Rowing Championships and what it took to cross the finish line first to become a world champion in her sport. Alexandria also talks about the challenges that come with balancing her professional life as a naval officer with her athletic goals and what it ...

25 MIN

Finding the Catch: Alexandria Vallancey's Transition From Basketball To Navy Rowing Champion

Send a text In today's special edition of Navy Sports Central, we kick off a series honoring 50 years of women at the Naval Academy. And we begin with the story of Alexandria Vallancey, a Corvallis High basketball star who arrived at Annapolis intent on Division I hoops and left as a force in Navy Women’s Rowing. What began as a walk-on curiosity at Hubbard Hall became a new identity, built on brutal practices, clean catches, and the unglamorous grind of the erg. We'll trace Alexandria’s rap...

19 MIN

Mid-Term Grades: The Navy Football Report Card

Send a text Welcome to Navy Sports Central, the official podcast of the Navy Sports Nation! Today, we take a look at how Navy Football is doing at midseason We will shine a spotlight the playmakers driving a 6–0 start, and pinpoint what must tighten up before the team's toughest stretch of games. Before that, we'll check on some of the other sports in the yard, including k water polo, women’s soccer, and men’s cross country Finally, you'll hear the story of Luke Lombardo's dramati...

24 MIN