ANNAPOLIS — The contrast is immediately apparent — St. John’s College students clad in scruffy T-shirts and shorts and U.S. Naval Academy midshipmen wearing crisp white pants, shirts and sweaters.
There seems to be little in common between these two historic Annapolis institutions separated by a narrow street, a brick wall and wildly different academic traditions.
But the midshipmen and the Johnnies mingled easily on the bright green lawn of St. John’s College on Tuesday, aiming wooden croquet balls at wickets and chatting amiably as they tuned up for the 22nd annual croquet match between the two schools scheduled for today.
It is one of the few events that bring together students from the military academy with its traditional curriculum and St. John’s, where everyone pursues a course of study based on great books and a flier on a coffee shop bulletin board advertises a seminar on “Plato in the Springtime, Charamides.”
“There is the stereotype of us as the barefoot, slacker college,” said Sam Spalding of Freeport, Maine, imperial wicket of the St. John’s team. “We have our stereotype of them, too, but they’re not so different from us.”
Midshipman Luke Dreyer of Portland, Ore., imperial wicket, or team captain, at the Naval Academy, agrees. “We get along together well, surprisingly well,” he said.
Having a good time is a top priority, but “we do take it seriously,” said Kabe ErkenBrack of Denver, a St. John’s student whose father and grandfather are Naval Academy graduates.
While its student body is only about one-tenth the size of the academy, St. John’s has a big edge in the competition, having won 17 of the first 21 annual matches.
The Johnnies may well run it to 18 of 22 today. They recently won the U.S. Croquet Association’s collegiate world croquet championship, finishing ahead of the University of Virginia. Navy was third and the College of William & Mary, the only other entrant, was fourth.
Croquet is a popular game at St. John’s, and students play year-round when the weather is appropriate.
It is not so easy at the academy, said Brock Zimmerman, of Carlisle, Ark., the co-captain of the Navy team. “You have to sacrifice a lot of your personal time, which isn’t much.”
Members of both teams say they knew little, if anything, about competitive croquet before coming to Annapolis. They have found it surprisingly challenging, involving a lot of strategy about when to advance through the wickets and when to whack opponents’ balls off the field to halt their progress.
“It’s like a big chess game,” Midshipman Zimmerman said.
The annual croquet match has become quite a social event in Annapolis. Hundreds of spectators gather to watch the teams, listen to music from the academy’s swing band and enjoy picnic lunches.
The St. John’s team may add a little flair to the event with unusual attire. Last year it was tuxedo tee shirts; the year before, 1970s tennis outfits.
Mr. Spalding is evasive about whether the team will be wearing something special this year. “We might, but it’s customary for that to be a surprise,” he said.
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