WASHINGTON — President Obama yesterday welcomed Navy's football team — which is coached by former Radford High and University of Hawai'i athlete Ken Niumatalolo — to the White House and presented the Midshipmen the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy, awarded yearly to the winner of the competition among the three major service academies.

It is the sixth straight year in which Navy has won the trophy.

Obama talked to Niumatalolo and another local product who plays for Navy.

"Coach Ken, thank you. We were just talking — he's another local boy from Hawai'i. ... I want to congratulate coach Ken ... the first Samoan American head coach in the history of Division I-A, just the third Navy coach since World War II to have a winning record in his first season.

"Your starting quarterback is also Hawaiian. ... I hear Kaipo (Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada) is a pretty easy-going guy. He doesn't get rattled easily, performs under pressure. That's the Hawaiian spirit. That's how we roll."