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Air Force Dominates 2010 Armed Forces Triathlon Championship
By Andrea Howry, Naval Base Ventura CountyJuly August 2010
The U.S. Air Force triathlon team won both the top individual and team titles at the 2010 Armed Forces Triathlon held at Naval Base Ventura County (NBVC), Point Mugu in June. In all, 78 of the military's top athletes completed the 1,500 meter swim, 40K bike, and 10K run.
Captain James Bales bettered his 2009 second place finish with an overall win this year, completing the course in 1:46:32 (19:24 swim, 54:39 bike, 33:44 run + transition times). In the women's competition, 1st Lt. Kathy Rakel, stationed at Luke Air Force Base in Arizona, came in first with a time of 2:00:04 (22:14 swim, 58:18 bike, 37:48 run + transition times). Both winning times are about five minutes off the course records.
Typically, the winners of this event would continue their training and compete in competition at the International Council of Military Sport (French acronym CISM), but this year's international events were canceled so all efforts can go into the 2011 Military World Games to be held in Rio de Janiero, Brazil.
The Air Force team defeated the other armed forces with a point total of 121, just three points ahead of second place Army's 124. Navy came in third with 136 points and the Marine Corps finished in fourth with 174 points. The top eight men and top four women on each team earned points to determine each place.
NBVC Point Mugu is the permanent host of the Armed Forces Triathlon. "It is an honor and a privilege to host this event," said Captain James McHugh, commanding officer, NBVC. McHugh officiated at the medal presentation, thanking the athletes for their commitment and dedication to armed forces sports. While drafting is allowed in the Armed Forces Triathlon, some veterans of the race said that didn't factor much in this year's championships.
"It was a tough day out there," said Navy Lt. Cmdr. John Calvert, who was competing in his fourth Armed Forces Triathlon. "The packs on the bikes didn't stick together. Plus, this was by far the toughest field I've seen. It was a very close competition."
Since drafting was not a big factor it helped the winner of the women's race. "It actually played into my strategy and the way I train," Rakel said. "I always try to be in front of the swim pack and I like to put my head down and bike as fast as possible."
Lt. Laura Springer, stationed in Seattle with the Coast Guard, said cycling is her "weak sport," and without the packs to draft off she struggled. Her saving grace was teammate Lt. Molly Cook, stationed at Miramar. The last swimmer out of the water, she devoted the bike leg to helping Springer.
"It's a team sport," Cook explained. "I went slower on the bike so I could pull Laura." Cook ended up coming in last of all the triathletes while Springer came in third among the women. "It's all about having fun and staying healthy," said Cook, who took part in her first triathlon exactly two years prior to the Armed Forces event at the urging of her husband, Lt. Cmdr. Jerry Cook, who also competed Saturday.
Perhaps the most "challenging" story of the day belonged to Bales, who didn't arrive at Point Mugu until 13 hours before the race start. He had to complete his residency program at Wilford Hall Medical Center, an Air Force Level 1 Trauma Center at Lackland Air Force Base, San Antonio.
"I just finished the 25th grade," he said with a laugh. Within weeks of finishing the championships he was scheduled takes the board exams to become an orthopedic surgeon and then report to Colorado Springs to join the two-year Air Force World Class Athlete Program---a possible prelude to the Olympics.
For more information: armedforcessports.defense.gov.
Naval Base
Ventura County, CA
June 2-6, 2010
Overall Team Standings
Men
1. Air Force 121
2. Army 124
3. Navy 136
4. Marine Corps 174
Overall Team Standings
Women
1. Air Force 24
2. Marine Corps 28
3. Army 38
4. Navy 63
Overall Men
1. Capt James Bales (Air Force) Lackland AFB, TX 1:46:32
2. 2nd LT Nicholas Vandam (Army) Ft. Sill, OK 1:47:42
3. 1st LT Darin Schearer (Army) Ft. Carson, CO 1:48:55
4. ENS Kyle Hooker (Navy) NAS Pensacola, FL 1:49:17
5. 2nd LT Nicholas Sterghos (Army) Ft. Hood, TX 1:49:20
6. LTJG Thomas Brown (Navy) EOD Mobile Unit 3 1:49:36
7. CS3 Samuel Dannenbring (Navy) USS Theodore Roosevelt 1:50:58
8. Lt. Col Greg Price (Marine Corps) MCB Hawaii, HI 1:52:00
9. AST2 Bradley Pigage (Navy) Houston, TX 1:52:22
10. MAJ Arthur Mathissen (Army) Ft. Irwin, CA 1:52:32
Overall Women
1. 1st Lt Kathy Rakel (Air Force) Luke AFB, AZ 2:00:04
2. 2nd Lt. Ashley Messoline (Marine Corps) Texas Tech Law School 2:07:00
3. LT Laura Springer (Navy) USCG Sector Seattle, WA 2:08:54
4. SrA Jolene Wilkinson (Air Force) Hill AFB, UT 2:09:38
5. CPT Erica Chabalko (Army) Ft. Polk, LA 2:10:26
6. SSG Tina Eakin (Army) Redstone Arsenal, AL 2:10:56
7. Maj Amy Ritterbusch (Marine Corps) IRR 2:12:07
8. Maj Karen Krajicek (Marine Corps) IRR 2:12:57
9. Capt Colleen O'Conner (Air Force) Andrews AFB, MD 2:14:17
10. 1st Lt Stephanie Hurst (Air Force) Cape Canaveral AFS, FL