The croquet teams from St. John's College and the neighboring U.S. Naval Academy held their annual matchup on Saturday, April 5.
The competition takes over the front lawn of St. John's, which was founded in 1696 in Maryland's capital city. Thousands attended, many in fancy dress, bowler hats and sporting large "Beat Navy" or "Beat the Johnnies" pins.
Before noon, people were twirling to the Naval Academy's Trident Brass jazz and swing band. When the St. John's College Freshman Chorus lined up to sing on the steps of one of the red brick academic buildings, the crowds knew the teams would soon be taking the fields.
The midshipmen exited the building single-file, dressed in pristine white uniforms. The Johnnies, notoriously secretive about their uniforms, made their entrance costumed as the tournament's grass croquet courts, complete with mini wickets, mallets, balls and clips.
The yearly competition between the small liberal arts college lauded for its "great books" curriculum and the famed school for naval officer training began in the early 1980s. Several attendees recounted the legend that a discussion between a St. John's College student and the Commandant of the Naval Academy led to the latter's challenge that his midshipmen could beat Johnnies at any sport. The student suggested croquet. The Johnnies won that first match and, except for the years during the COVID pandemic, the tradition has continued ever since.
The tournament consisted of five croquet games, plus one exhibition match, and lasted until late in the afternoon. The Naptown Brass Band second-lined their way through the venue, keeping feet moving and energy levels high as the day progressed. The well-coiffed crowd lounged on picnic blankets surrounding the croquet courts.
This year's tournament came down to the last match, pitting the Johnnies' Imperial Wicket, or captain, Magnus Oberg and teammate Ben Dahlgren against the Navy's Grant Bartuska and Andrew Wilkinson. Spectators crowded the sidelines, cheering intensely for their team with each thwack of the croquet mallet.
When the midshipmen scored for the win, Navy players and fans rushed the field in a frenzy of white-uniformed jubilation. The Navy's Imperial Wicket, Liam Wert, lifted the trophy cup above his head. The midshipmen poured water into the cup, taking turns drinking from it in a victory celebration.
As the emotions of the games calmed and the crowds thinned, a group of Johnnies formed a circle on the lawn to sing Palestrina's "Sicut Cervus." St. John's student Lainey Rendelman explained that the song was from Psalm 42 and translated the words as, "As my heart panteth for you, like a deer for water, so does my soul for you, God."
"Somehow, it became our unofficial school anthem," she added.
Reflecting on how unique the Annapolis Cup is in the world of croquet, Johnnie croquet alum Elizabeth Meade said the tournament is "not like playing croquet anywhere else in the world." One reason is that, unlike other manicured and level courts, the front lawn at St. John's is bumpy, throwing in a measure of unpredictability. Meade said the joke among players is that, "The lawn giveth and the lawn taketh away."
Tyrone Turner is a visual storyteller and editor with WAMU in Washington, D.C. Follow him on Instagram at @tyronefoto.
Copyright 2025 NPR