NAVAL BASE VENTURA COUNTY, Calif. –
Navy men defended their title as the Marine Corps Women won team gold for the first time since 2008, during an exciting Armed Forces Triathlon Championship held at Point Mugu Beach aboard Naval Base Ventura County, California on April 1st.
Led by Lt. Cmdr Kyle Hooker of Washington, D.C., Navy men brought in all five scorers within the top ten. Hooker takes home his sixth Armed Forces individual gold with a time of 1:52:22.
Army’s Major Nicholas Sterghos brought home bronze as Army took home team silver.
Air Force Major Joel Bischoff of Creech AFB, Nevada won individual silver as Air Force placed third.
MARINE CORPS WOMEN RETURN TO GOLD
Behind a solid performance by Capt. Mollie Geyer of Marin Corps Base Camp Pendleton, Calif., Geyer returned to the top of the podium for the first time since 2018 with a dominating time of 2:08:24, nearly five minutes ahead of the next competitor.
Geyer’s teammate Capt Stephanie Murphy of Marine Corps Base Camp Butler Japan, took bronze with a time of 2:14:49. Murphy was the 2021 Armed Forces Women’s Champion. This one-two punch helped lead the Marines back to the top of podium for the first time in 15 years.
In an thrilling turn of events, Army and Air Force were tied for silver after their three scoring racers finished. Army’s Capt. Danielle Nuszkowski of Fort Eustis, Virginia took home individual silver, as Army won the tiebreaker thanks to Capt. Victoria Haag of Fort Bliss, Texas finished ahead of the next Air Force finisher.
Air Force women finished third after the tiebreaker followed by Navy in fourth.
MASTERS DIVISION
Air Force Lt. Col. Jon Mason of Pope Field, N.C. won the men’s master’s division with a time of 2:01:32. Navy Chief Warrant Officer 4 Jared Pohlman of Naval Base Ventura County and Cmdr. Nicholas Collier of U.S. NORTHCOM won silver and bronze respectively.
On the women’s side, Army Major Christyn Gaa of Tripler AMC, Hawaii captured the women’s master gold. Navy Lt. Commanders Christina Schreckengaust of NMC Portsmouth, Virgina and Meaghan Foster of Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia took home silver and bronze respectively.
CISM WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
This year’s championship serves as the qualifying event to select the U.S. Armed Forces Triathlon Team that will compete at the Conseil International du Sport Militaire (CISM) World Military Championship held in Brive la Gaillarde, France from 4-9 May.
The top five men and women open competitors and the top three men over 40 years of age and top three women over 35 will compete for the U.S. in France.
Team USA will consist of:
Men Elite:
LCDR Kyle Hooker, Pentagon, Washington, DC – Navy
Maj Joel Bischoff, Creech AFB, NV – USAF
MAJ Nicholas Sterghos, Army Reserves – Army
PO3 Kyle Warwick, Naval Base San Diego – Navy
LCDR Ian King*, USCG CC Det.,St. Louis, MO. – Navy
Women Elite:
Capt Mollie Geyer, MCB Camp Pendleton, CA - USMC
CPT Danielle Nuszkowski, Fort Eustis, VA - Army
Capt Stephanie Murphy, MCB Camp Butler, Okinawa, Japan - USMC
Capt Nicole Larson, Mountain Home AFB, ID - USAF
ENS Kristen Heinzel, NAS Whiting Field - Navy .
Men Masters:
Lt Col Jon Mason, Pope Field, NC - USAF
LCDR Patrick Doughtery, Naval Base San Diego - Navy
CWO4 Jared Pohlman, NBVC Point Mugu, CA – Navy
Women Masters:
LtCol Christine Houser, MCAS Miramar, CA - USMC
Maj Esther Wilett, FE Warren, WY – USAF
Col Melissa Tallent, Camp H.M. Smith, HI - USAF
Visit www.armedforcessports.defense.gov for complete results.