With the goal of returning to Skyline conference prominence, the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy Softball Mariners, who placed second in last season's Skyline Conference standings, are looking to replace seven seniors (five starters) from last season and continue building their program with the leadership of their 12 returning players and three rookies.

The team will commence their 2006 campaign in Kissamee, FL, playing 12 games in six days, when they will compete against two previous National Champions and eight top-25 teams in Division III.

"Right off the bat we tried to set our goals really high and play the toughest competition we can," said head coach Heather Stone. "Because of the level of competition we are facing, if we come back .500 or above I will be pleased."

The Mariners will open their trip with a double header against the Muhlenberg Mules on March 4, at the Osceola County Softball Complex. In 2003, the Mules knocked the Mariners out of NCAA regional play with a 6-5 win in a 12 inning standout.

Other key competition includes: Muskingum, Coe, Wartburg and service academy rival Coast Guard. The Mariners will play Coast Guard again in a non-conference match up at home on April 2.

Other important non-conference games for the Mariners include nationally ranked Ramapo, whom the Mariners will face in a double-header on April 6 at home at Kings Point Park. The Mariners will also be traveling to Salem, VA, to take part in the Ferrum Tournament on March 18. In the tourney, the Mariners will face Southern Virginia, Roanoke and Shenandoah. Other teams included in the competition are Ohio Valley, Frostburg and Emory & Henry.

In Skyline play, the Mariners will face off against the Manhattanville Valiants, the 2005 Skyline Conference winners, in a double header in Purchase, NY, on April 1. The Mariners play both Saint Joseph's and Centenary away for double header games on April 8 and April 22 respectively.

Key returning players and experienced starters for the Mariners this season include, juniors Andrea Carey, Melissa Langston, Lindsey Frasier, senior Jeanne Ferrer and sophomores Marjorie Marino and Brittnay Thornhill.

Carey, from Georgetown, DE (Cape Henlopen), captain and starting shortstop for the Mariners, led the team in batting last season with a .402 average, scoring a team high of 41 runs, and 30 RBIs with a .618 slugging percentage. A seasoned veteran, Carey started 37 of the 39 games last spring, earning her All-Skyline Conference and Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division III All Region honors.

Alexandria, VA, native, Marino follows Carey as the second leading hitter with a .343 average last season. Marino, a standout as both a pitcher and infielder, shared Skyline Rookie of the Year honors with Centenary College's Jessa Jones. She batted .343 with 15 runs scored and 19 runs batted in. As a pitcher, she went 11-8 and ranked second in the conference with a 1.88 ERA. Marino also ranked second in the conference with 135 strikeouts in just 119.1 innings pitched, breaking the Academy's strikeout record previously held by Jill Cookson at 114 in 2004.

Langston, Frasier, Ferrer and Thornhill will play equally important senior roles on this year's team as well. Langston, an outfielder from Houston, TX will probably start at third base for the Mariners, but will also see time as catcher. Last season, Langston etched a .310 percent and a .464 slugging percentage with 23 RBIs, third in the team behind Carey and graduated senior Liz Hagner.

Frasier, a probable starter in left field, started 15 of 31 games played. In 33 at bats she scored 9 runs and sent in 5 RBIs. Ferrer, the Mariners' starting second baseman and 2005 co-captain, started 24 of 35 games played last season, hitting in 11 RBIs. Thornhill will start in centerfield for the Mariners. She also will be in the pitching rotation.

Rounding out the probable starting Mariners will be: Heather Lampert, Karen Taylor and Allyson Christensen at first base, and Sara Devlin sharing with Ferrer at second base. The right field spot is still up for grabs between Kaitlin Obrien, Coral Ledford, Kimberly Sercel, (co-captain) and Laura Fong.

New faces at Kings Point Park are freshmen Jen Swanson and Karen Taylor.

With spring track season just around the corner, the 2006 team is looking to build off their success in the indoor season and peak as many Mariners as possible to qualify for ECAC and NCAA competition.

Head coach Yolanda Flamino uses the various meets throughout the year to get her team ready for the important competitions later in the campaign, such as the CTC Championships, the ECAC Championships and the NCAA Championships.

The spring track team uses the fall cross country and the winter track seasons to help build a base for the spring. With the academy's sea requirement, the year-long consistency is broken up.

The CTC Championships will be a competitive meet, with teams participating from Division I - Division III teams. The conference competition will take place from April 22-23 at DeSales University in Center Valley, PA.

The Penn Relays, taking part on April 25-28, will also be an important meet for the Mariners. Last season at the Penn relays, senior Adam Polite finished fourth in the Penn Relays Decathalon, qualifying for NCAA competition and breaking the academy's 21-year-old decathalon record. Polite, an important returnee for the Mariner men, is the Mariners' senior captain and decathlete whose goal is to return to Nationals and earn All-American status this year.

Another key returnee on the men's side is junior sprinter Ben Hayes. Hayes will help earn important points for the Mariners in the 400 meter and 400m-hurdle events. In his freshman season, Hayes has a personal record in the 400m-IH at 55.66 seconds. He will be shooting to break the school record of 48.8 seconds.

This indoor season, the Colorado native has set personal records in the open 400m (52.72 seconds) and 800m (2:05.27) sprints. Hayes also spent his sophomore spring season at sea.

Other key returnees to the men's spring team are Charlie Mayrer, Aaron Reimer and Adam Rapacki. Mayrer is the Mariners' senior discus thrower. Reimer is a junior pole vaulter who also spent last spring at sea. Currently, he is three quarters of an inch shy of the indoor academy record in pole vaulting. Rapacki will be a solid middle distance runner and steeple chaser.

On the women's side, sophomores Callie Beeler and Sarah Jones will be helping to earn major points in this season's meets. Beeler currently holds the outdoor academy records in the 1500m (4:47.41) and the mile (5:13.59), and is looking to break the academy's record in the 800m, held by Anna Maly since 1992 (2:25.29). Prior to the season, her personal best in the 800m is 2.25.8.

Laura Ladd, is a distance runner who has been steadily improving her times in the distance events during the cross country and indoor season. Fellow classmate Christine MacMillan, will complement the Mariners with her versatility, competing in the hurdles and sprints while also dabbling in the other field events. The Texas native's long-term goal is to hold the academy record in the hurdles, which are currently both set by Anna Maly in 1993 (100m H: 15.90, 400m H: 62.30).

For the men, new faces to the outdoor track will be Robert Edsall, Scott Britton, Michael Budesa, Daniel Feeney, Chris Millon and Michael Newsom.

Edsall, a freshman from Lakehead, CA, is one of the Mariners' top indoor distance runners, and top cross country runners this past season. He will be a versatile player in the middle distance and distance events. His main focus will be on the steeple chase.

Britton, Budesa and Feeney will help add strength and distance to the team. They have all participated in the indoor and cross country seasons and are looking to make an impact for the Mariners on the outdoor track. They will be a strong combination in the 400m, 800m, and mile runs, with similar personal records from high school.

Millon is a freshman javelin thrower whose high school personal best was the mid-170. Newsom will be joining the Mariners as a high jumper, whose season record so far is 6'6." He will be very competitive within the conference and at ECACs, with a hopeful look at NCAA qualification.

The first home meet for the Mariners will be the Coach "O" Invitational on April 15. The Mariners will also hold the Kings Point Invitational on Saturday, May 6.