Adam Mertens, a 2023 graduate of Eden Prairie High School (EPHS), attends the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, and plays on the academy’s Division I men’s rugby team. He played on Nov. 15, when Navy rugby beat Army 21-16. Navy rugby remains undefeated and will travel to play the University of California Berkeley and Brigham Young University in the spring.
Mertens plays multiple positions, including lock, wing or flanker for the Naval Academy team. At EPHS, he was a three-sport (football, basketball and baseball) varsity athlete.
Daniel Jiang, a 2025 graduate of EPHS, attends the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York, where he plays on the men’s volleyball team in the libero position. Jiang played varsity volleyball at EPHS, on the team that won Minnesota’s first boys volleyball state championship. Jiang attended the Nov. 15 Army-Navy rugby match.
Mertens and Jiang crossed paths at EPHS due to their shared interest in attending a military academy. They will both serve a minimum of five years as officers upon commissioning.
