Left to Right: SUNY Maritime Athletic Director Mike Berkun, USMMA Director of Physical Education and Athletics Kris Schnatz, USMMA Commandant Capt. Mikel Stroud, and SUNY Maritime Interim Commandant of Cadets Cmdr. Adam Grohman, at mid-field following the announcement of the Tomb Trophy series at halftime of Saturday's USMMA-SUNY Maritime College football game.

KINGS POINT, N.Y., September 19, 2022 – The United States Marine Academy (USMMA) at Kings Point and State University of New York (SUNY) Maritime College have begun a sports rivalry series with the establishment of a new victory trophy to be awarded annually to the institution that wins the most sporting match-ups between the two schools. The creation of the “Captain James Harvey Tomb Trophy” was announced at halftime of Saturday's 48 – 13 Homecoming Weekend win by the USMMA Mariners over the Maritime College Privateers.

Tomb served as the superintendent of the New York State Merchant Marine Academy (now SUNY Maritime College) from 1927 until 1942, and was instrumental in finding that institution a permanent home at Fort Schuyler in the Bronx. In 1942 he moved across Long Island Sound to become the first superintendent of USMMA, a position he held for a year-and-a-half.

The football field at USMMA is named for Tomb.

USMMA Director of Physical Education and Athletics Kris Schnatz was joined at mid-field by USMMA Commandant Capt. Mikel Stroud, SUNY Maritime Athletic Director Mike Berkun, and SUNY Maritime Interim Commandant of Cadets Cmdr. Adam Grohman for the Tomb Trophy announcement. Saturday's game counted as the first in the new series.

This year’s Homecoming game was the first at Kings Point since 2019 to not be impacted by Covid-19 rules.

The large crowd at Tomb Field witnessed a pre-game USMMA Athletic Hall of Fame ceremony; an in-game video tribute to USMMA Director of Admissions Cmdr. Mike Bedryk, who has been deployed to active duty by the U.S. Army; on-field recognition of recently retired USMMA Superintendent Vice Adm. Jack Buono, ’78, who was named Kings Pointer of the Year by the USMMA Alumni Association and Foundation; and on-field recognitions of the USMMA women’s lacrosse team, men’s and women’s track and field, and men’s and women’s swim and dive teams, who all qualified for national-level post-season play last spring.

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The United States Merchant Marine Academy, located in Kings Point, N.Y., educates and graduates leaders of exemplary character who are inspired to serve the national security, marine transportation, and economic needs of the United States as licensed Merchant Marine Officers and commissioned officers in the Armed Forces. President Franklin D. Roosevelt dedicated the Academy, which was established under the Merchant Marine Act of 1936, as the United States Merchant Marine Academy in 1943. It is administered by the Maritime Administration under the auspices of the Department of Transportation.