Naval Academy plebes scale monument

Sun photo by Amy Davis

The plebes begin to struggle one hour into the climb.

Sun photo by Karl Merton Ferron

A sea of plebes tries to support the pillar of bodies fighting to scale greased sides during the plebes' annual climb of the Herndon Monument.

Sun photo by Karl Merton Ferron

Alexander Lim of Queensbury, N.Y., is hoisted on the shoulders of his classmates after replacing the dixie cup with the midshipmen's cap.

AP photo

Daniel Shea, a 20-year-old U.S. Naval Academy midshipman from Lake Grove, N.Y., is carried on the shoulders of fellow plebes after he successfully reached the top of the 21-foot-tall Herndon Monument at the Academy in Annapolis.

AP photo

Daniel Shea, a 20-year-old Naval Academy midshipman from Lake Grove, N.Y., struggles to free a plebe hat and replace it with an upperclassman's hat as he sits atop the 21-foot-tall greased Herndon Monument in Annapolis. The class of 2006 accomplished the feat in the fastest time since 1988.

Sun photo by Amy Davis

Midshipmen race to climb the Herndon Monument, which was covered in 100 lbs. of lard.

AP photo

Daniel Shea, a 20-year-old U.S. Naval Academy midshipman from Lake Grove, N.Y., sits atop the 21-foot-tall, greased Herndon Monument at the Academy in Annapolis. Shea was hoisted up the greased granite obelisk and retrieve a hat glued to the top.

Sun photo by Karl Merton Ferron

Beverly Fenbert and husband Timothy of Grosse Lie, Mich., smile after spotting their son David run past them in the charge to make the annual climb of the Herndon Monument

Sun photo by Amy Davis

The plebes used the "Dixie cup" cap that belonged to Kristen Dickmann, who died in her dorm room earlier this month. The midshipman who reached the top was Greg Reichel, 11th Company, of Hummelstown, Pa.

Sun photo by Elizabeth Malby

Using his classmates as steps, the 5th Company's Daniel Knott of Los Angeles was the first plebe to reach the top of the lard-covered 21-foot Herndon Monument at the Naval Academy. Knott replaced a plebe's hat with an upperclassman's hat after the class tried for 2 hours, 7 minutes and 41 seconds.

Sun photo by Amy Davis

This year's Herndon Monument Climb at the U.S. Naval Academy took the first-year midshipmen 2 hours, 35 minutes and 59 seconds to replace a plebe's "Dixie cup" cap affixed to the top of the monument with an officer's white cover.

Sun photo by Karl Merton Ferron

Naval Academy freshmen scale Herndon Monument, a 21-foot obelisk covered with lard. Alexander Lim of Queensbury, N.Y., replaced a plebe cap at the top with that of a midshipman in 2:15:52. Legend says he'll be first in his class to make admiral.

AP photo

Daniel Shea, a 20-year-old U.S. Naval Academy midshipman from Lake Grove, N.Y., celebrates atop the 21-foot-tall, greased Herndon Monument at the Academy in Annapolis after he removed a plebe's hat and replaced it with an upperclassman's hat. The Naval Academy's class of 2006 completed the right of passage in one hour and 19 minutes.

AP photo

Midshipman Daniel Knott places an upper classman's hat atop Herndon Monument today as plebes at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis undertook their annual conquest of the lard-covered, 21-foot-tall granite obelisk. The task, part of Commissioning Week events, took 2 hours, 7 minutes and 41 seconds.

Sun photo by Karl Merton Ferron

Plebe Jeff McLean of Milwaukee, Wis., grimaces in the rain as water is sprayed on the pyramid of bodies during the plebes' annual climb of the Herndon Monument.

AP photo

Daniel Shea, a 20-year-old U.S. Naval Academy midshipman from Lake Grove, N.Y., sits atop the 21-foot-tall greased Herndon Monument at the academy in Annapolis as he struggles to free a plebe hat and replace it with an upperclassman's hat.