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News | Feb. 10, 2015

Soldiers dominate Armed Forces Cross Country

By Tim Hipps U.S. Army Installation Management Command

BOULDER, Colorado (Feb. 9. 2015) -- The All-Army men swept the top six spots and the women claimed four of their top six positions as the black and gold dominated the 2015 Armed Forces Cross Country Championships on Feb. 7 at Flatirons Golf Course.

The Army men's dominance marked the first time in U.S. Armed Forces Cross Country history that a team has swept the top six spots, said Ken Polk, Armed Forces Sports program manager.

Army Reserve Pfc. Stanley Kebenei of Fayetteville, Arkansas, won the men's 12-kilometer race in 37 minutes, 28 seconds. Spc. Caroline Jepleting of Landstuhl, Germany, won the women's eight-kilometer race in 30:01.

The Armed Forces Championships were run in conjunction with the USA Track and Field Winter National Cross Country Championships and the top six finishers in both races automatically qualified for Team USA at the International Amateur Athletics Federation 2015 World Cross Country Championships, scheduled for March 28 in Guiyang, China.

U.S. Army World Class Athlete Program runner Spc. Augustus Maiyo of Fort Carson, Colorado, was second among Armed Forces men with a time of 37:29, followed by Spc. Emmanual Bor (38:47) of Fort Bliss, Texas, WCAP Spc. Aron Rono (38:52) of Fort Carson, Spc. Samuel Kosgei (39:38) of Fort Riley, Kansas, and Spc. Laban Sialo (39:55) of Fort Carson.

The top five finishers for each squad counted in the Armed Forces men's team scoring. The Army men won with 15 points, followed by Air Force (37), Navy (46) and Marine Corps (55).

Navy Lt. Amanda Rice (31:00) of Naval Air Facility Atsugi, Japan, was second among Armed Forces women, followed by Pfc. Susan Tanui (31:05) of Fort Riley, Kansas. First Lt. Chelsea Prahl (fifth in 31:22) of Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington, and former WCAP Maj. Emily Potter (sixth in 31:43) of Fort Bragg, North Carolina, rounded out the All-Army women's scoring.

The top four finishers for each squad counted in the Armed Forces women's team scoring. The Army women prevailed with 15 points, followed by Air Force (60), Navy (60) and Marine Corps (71).

Chris Derrick of Portland, Oregon, won the USA open men's division with a time of 36:18, and was followed by Robert Curtis (36:48) of Rochester, Michigan, and Dathan Ritzenhein (36:51) of Belmont, Michigan. Kebenei and Maiyo finished eighth and ninth, respectively, and may advance to the world championships as alternates. Although Jepleting won the Armed Forces women's division, she did not qualify for the world championships.

2015 Armed Forces Cross Country Championships
Feb. 7 at Flatirons Golf Course, Boulder, Colorado

Women's team standings: 1. Army 15; 2. Air Force 37; 3. Navy 46; 4. Marine Corps 55.

Women's medalists: Gold -- Army Spc. Caroline Jepleting, Landstuhl, Germany; Silver -- Navy Lt. Amanda Rice, Naval Air Facility Atsugi, Japan; Bronze -- Army Pfc. Susan Tanui, Fort Riley, Kansas.

Men's team standings: 1. Army 15; 2. *Air Force 60; 3. Navy 60; 4. Marine Corps 71.
*Air Force awarded second place based on first non-scoring runner tiebreaker

Men's medalists: Gold: Army Reserve Pfc. Stanley Kebenei, Fayetteville, Arkansas; Silver -- Army Spc. Augustus Maiyo, Fort Carson, Colorado; Bronze -- Army Spc. Emmanuel Bor, Fort Bliss, Texas.

Women's team scoring -- based on top four runners

Army: 1. Spc. Caroline Jepleting, 30:01; 3. PFC Susan Tanui, 31:05; 5. 1st Lt. Chelsea Prahl, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington, 31:22; 6. Maj. Emily Potter, Fort Bragg, North Carolina, 31:43; 10. Capt. Meghan Curran, Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey, 33:19; 11. Capt. Ashley Hall, Fort Benning, Georgia, 33:27.

Air Force: 4. 1st Lt. Katherine Ward, Colorado Springs, Colorado, 31:15; 8. Lt. Col. Brenda Schrank, Joint Base Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland, 32:44; 12. 2nd Lt. Magin Day, Ramstein Air Force Base, Germany, 33:37; 13. Maj. Charlotte Portlock, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, 33:51; 16. 2nd Lt. Samantha Morrison, Colorado Springs, 34:48; 20. Capt. Cindy Dawson, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado, 37:15.

Navy: 2. Lt. Amanda Rice, 31:00; 9. Lt. Rachel Beckmann, U.S. Coast Guard Marine Safety Center, 32:56; 17. Ensign Elizabeth Milewski, USS Anchorage, 35:39, 18. Lt. Susan Richardson, Patuxent River, Maryland, 35:58; 21. Lt. Jessica Hafey, USS Cape St. George, San Diego, 38:04.

Marine Corps: 7. Capt. Christine Taranto, NPS Monterey, California, 31:45; 14. Capt. Angelica Valdez, Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia, 34:10; 15. 1st Lt. Katherine Sullivan, Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California, 34:46; 19. Staff Sgt. Sara Pacheco, Marine Corps Recruit Depot, San Diego, 36:44.

Men's team scoring -- based on top five runners

Army: 1. Pfc. Stanley Kebenei, Fayetteville, Arkansas, 37:28; 2. Spc. Augustus Maiyo, Fort Carson, Colorado, 37:29; 3. Spc. Emmanual Bor, Fort Bliss, Texas, 38:47; 4. Spc. Aron Rono, Fort Carson, Colorado, 38:52; 5. Spc. Samuel Kosgei, Fort Riley, Kansas, 39:38; 6. Spc. Laban Sialo, Fort Carson, Colorado, 39:55.

Air Force: 7. 2nd Lt. James Walmsley, Malmstrom Air Force Base, Montana, 40:11; 8. Capt. Matthew Williams, Joint Base San Antonio, Texas, 40:26; 13. 2nd Lt. Isaiah Bragg, Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, 42:07; 15. Capt. Jacob Bradosky, Malmstrom Air Force Base, Montana, 42:35; 17. Capt. Daniel Castle, McConnell Air Force Base, Kansas, 43:58; 19. Lt. Col. Douglas Wickert, Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, 45:18.

Navy: 9. Lt. William Christian, Navy Information Dominance Forces, 40:58; 10. Lt. j.g. Patrick Fernandez, Washington, D.C., 41:34; 11. Lt. Justin Lutz, Office of Naval Intelligence, 41:42; 14. Lt. Aaron Lanzel, Washington, D.C., 42:28; 16. Petty Officer 2nd Class Justin Turner, USS Nicholas, 43:33, 22. Lt. Kevin Sorrell, New London, Connecticut, 48:10.

Marine Corps: 12. Capt. Sean Barrett, Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California, 41:49; 18. Cpl. Michael Siringer, Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, 45:11; 20. Lt. Col. Joseph Galvin, Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, 46:12; 21. Capt. Luke Rodina, Fort Meade, Maryland, 47:57.

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