ANNAPOLIS, Md. (7News) — Despite the rain, in just over two hours, U.S. Naval Academy midshipmen in the Class of 2027 worked together to climb a greased Herndon Monument in Annapolis, Maryland, early Wednesday morning.

The freshmen pyramid rose to the top of the Commander William Lewis Herdon monument, covered in roughly 200 pounds of vegetable shortening, and removed a "dixie cup hat" from the top.

Now completed, the freshman, or "plebes", became "fourth class midshipmen." The midshipmen were able to complete the task in two hours, 19 minutes and 11 seconds.

The climb coincides with the roughly 14-hour-long Sea Trials and is the true culminating event of their plebe year, the United States Naval Academy said. The company of plebes awarded for the top unit performance during Sea Trials will lead the rest of the plebes in rushing the monument.

In 2019, the Class of 2022 completed the tradition in one hour, five minutes, and five seconds - the fastest time since the Class of 1991.

In 2023, the USNA's Class of 2026 completed the task in two hours, 31 minutes, and 51 seconds, according to the academy. The fastest recorded time was by the Class of 1972, with one minute, and 30 seconds, and officials said this was without the grease.

The longest time was just over four hours by the Class of 1998, though academy officials said their dixie cup had been glued and taped to the monument.

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