Pete Medhurst, the longtime voice of Navy athletics, was diagnosed with brain cancer this week.
Brenda Medhurst posted the news about her husband to social media on Thursday morning, asking friends to keep Pete in their thoughts and prayers as he was scheduled to undergo surgery on Friday morning to remove a brain tumor.
Medhurst, 55, has been a member of the Navy Radio Network since 1997, initially handling pregame, postgame and sideline duties for football. He was the play-by-play announcer for men’s lacrosse and handled coverage of various other sports.
Medhurst was promoted to play-by-play announcer for Navy football in 2013 after predecessor Bob Socci left to accept the same position with the New England Patriots.
Medhurst is now the undisputed “Voice of Navy Athletics,” calling radio play-by-play for football, men’s and women’s basketball, and men’s and women’s lacrosse. He also performs play-by-play duties for other Navy varsity sports that are broadcast on ESPN+.
Since 1997, Medhurst has worked 240 consecutive Navy football games from either the sideline or the booth. That streak will end this Saturday when Medhurst misses the Navy at Rice game in Houston.
Color commentator Joe Miller will slide over to the play-by-play chair for that game with sideline reporter Keith Mills performing color commentary from the field. Miller is a 1996 Southern High graduate and has worked alongside Medhurst in the Navy radio booth for years.
“We are heartbroken about the news that Pete is facing this medical challenge and are praying that Friday’s surgery is successful,” Navy athletic director Chet Gladchuk said.
Gladchuk called Medhurst the “heartbeat” of Navy athletics and praised his performance as “voice of our varsity programs for many years.”
“Everyone involved with Navy athletics is hopeful and optimistic that Pete will come through this and will be back spreading the good word about Navy athletics once again,” Gladchuk said.
Medhurst is a 1987 graduate of Southern High in Harwood, where he played football and baseball. The lifelong Shady Side resident had dreamed of being a sportscaster since childhood. He would turn down the sound while watching sports on television and do the play-by-play himself while talking into a tape recorder.
Medhurst got his start in professional radio at WNAV (1430 AM) in Annapolis after being hired by Dave Johnson, who would go on to become sports director at WTOP (1500 AM) and is the radio play-by-play announcer for the Washington Wizards.
Medhurst worked for a radio station in Pocomoke City for a period of time before returning to Anne Arundel County to work primarily for Navy athletics. He is also the longtime track announcer at Rosecroft Raceway.
Medhurst reached the pinnacle of the profession when he was chosen to co-host a daily show on The Team 980, a sports talk station based in Washington, D.C. He and co-host Chris Russell were on the air Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to noon.
Medhurst has handled the pregame and postgame shows for the Washington Nationals on 106.7 The Fan. He was given the opportunity to fill in as play-by-play announcer for the Nationals’ radio broadcast whenever David Jageler shifted to the MASN television booth.
For the past two seasons, Medhurst has served as studio host for the Ravens Radio Network, broadcasting pre- and post-game on WBAL and 98 Rock in Baltimore.
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