RICHMOND, Va. –
With a shot of Team USA Track and Field roster spots up for grabs and a chance at Armed Forces gold, Army standouts Sgt. Ednah Kurgat and Staff Sgt. Leonard Korir (both of Fort Carson, Colo.) lead their women’s and men’s team to gold during the 2023 Armed Forces Championship held in conjunction with the USA Track and Field Cross Country National Championship at Pole Green Park in Richmond, Virginia.
WOMEN’S OPEN
The Women’s 10km opened with a pack of twelve runners immediately jumping to the lead. As the pack dwindled down to six with 2km left to go, Kurgat quickened her pace significantly to take the lead.
Kurgat’s surge and smart running technique gave her the edge to capture the USA Track and Field National Cross Country title with a 17-second lead over the rest of field.
Kurgat’s first USA Track and Field title is also her first Armed Forces Gold. Kurgat’s first place finish also earns her a spot with Team USA to compete in the 2023 World Athletics Cross Country Championship in Bathurst, Australia on February 18.
Finishing second in the Armed Forces Women’s Championship was Spc. Colett Rampf of Fort Carson, Colo. Rampf in her first Armed Forces championship elevated Army women to team gold.
Navy’s Lt. Rachel Viger of Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, took bronze and led the way to Navy capturing team silver.
Air Force placed third, followed by Marine Corps in fourth during the team competition.
MEN’S OPEN
The Men’s 10km started with a massive 25+ pack surging out of the starting blocks. Throughout the race, Army’s Korir and 1st Lt. Sam Chelanga from Fort Carson, Colo. took the overall lead as the pack reduced to 12 men after the halfway mark.
Korir and Chelanga finished fourth and fifth overall, all within five seconds from the overall champion. Korir and Chelanga captured Armed Forces gold and silver, along with Spc. Benard Keter’s bronze, led Army men’s team gold medal.
Navy edged out Air Force for silver led by Lt. Stanley Linton of NSA Millington, Tenn., Ensign Thomas Slattery of the Coast Guard, Washington, D.C., and Ensign John Bowers of Naval Station Mayport, Florida, who were grouped together placing 7th through 9th place within the Armed Forces competition.
Air Force finished third, followed by the Marine Corps who did not score as a team due to injury.
WAY AHEAD
Kurgat is joined by Korir and Celanga on the men’s side on Team USA at the world championship. The 2023 Armed Forces Championship is the first championship since 2020 when all four teams competed due to COVID-19. The 2024 Armed Forces Championship will return to Richmond, Virginia, who will once again host the USA National Championship.
Complete Results:
FINAL WOMEN TEAM STANDINGS
1st Place Army 18 pts
2nd Place Navy 36 pts
3rd Place USAF 42 pts
4th Place USMC 55 pts
FINAL MEN TEAM STANDINGS
1st Place Army 21 pts
2nd Place Navy 55 pts
3rd Place USAF 58 pts
4th Place USMC DNP
INDIVIDUAL WOMEN MEDALISTS
Gold: SGT Ednah Kurgat, Fort Carson, CO - Army - 32:06.5
Silver: SPC Colett Rampf, Fort Carson, CO - Army - 36:20.9
Bronze: LT Rachel Viger, Joint Base Andrews, MD - Navy - 36:53.3
INDIVIDUAL MEN MEDALISTS
Gold: SSG Leonard Korir, Fort Carson, CO - Army - 28:48.5
Silver: 1LT Sam Chelanga, Fort Carson, CO - Army - 28:48.6
Bronze: SPC Benard Keter, Fort Carson, CO - Army - 29:28.8
INDIVIDUAL WOMEN RESULTS
Gold: SGT Ednah Kurgat, Fort Carson, CO - Army - 32:06.5
Silver: SPC Colett Rampf, Fort Carson, CO - Army - 36:20.9
Bronze: LT Rachel Viger, Joint Base Andrews, MD - Navy - 36:53.3
4th Place: MAJ Kelly Calway, McLean, VA - Army - 37:30.4
5th Place: 2ndLt Pamela O'Brien, MCB Quantico, VA - USMC - 37:41.8
6th Place: Capt Margaux Curcuru, Edwards AFB, CA - USAF - 38:04.0
7th Place: LCDR Katherine Irgens, Submarine Base New London, CT - Navy - 38:08.1
8th Place: 2ndLt Maddie Warrander, MCB Quantico, VA - USMC - 39:12.4
9th Place: LT Paige Mita, Navy Manpower Analysis, VA - Navy - 39:24.6
10th Place: 2d Lt Grace Tinkey, Sheppard AFB, TX - USAF - 39:40.4
11th Place: 1LT Abigail Halbrook, Fort Jackson, SC - Army - 40:19.8
12th Place: Lt Col Amy Natalnii, Wright-Patterson AFB, OK - USAF - 40:39.0
13th Place: 1LT Kristen Gray, Fort Meade MD - Army - 40:40.4
14th Place: Capt Nicole Anderson, Buckly SFB, CO - USAF - 41:09.6
15th Place: CPT Jessica Knoll, USAG Vicenza, Italy - Army - 41:25.0
16th Place: Maj Katherine Ward, Presidio of Montery, CA - USAF - 41:44.7
17th Place: ENS Corrine Florie, NAS Whiting Field, FL - Navy - 42:23.5
18th Place: ENS Maeve Roach*, USCG Headquarters, Washington, DC - Navy - 42:28.2
19th Place: 2d Lt Shanna Thomas, Shaw AFB, SC - USAF - 42:39.0
20th Place: 2ndLt Annie Pentaleri, MCB Quantico, VA - USMC - 43:34.6
21st Place: LT Emma Ferris, Submarine Base Kings Bay, GA - Navy - 44:37.3
22nd Place: LCpl Kelsey Gaston, MCB Camp Lejeune, NC - USMC - 47:39.6
WOMEN TEAM RESULTS
Top 4 of 6 Runners Score
1st Place: Army - Team Score - 18 pts
Place Runner - Time
1 SGT Ednah Kurgat, Fort Carson, CO - 32:06.5
2 SPC Colett Rampf, Fort Carson, CO - 36:20.9
4 MAJ Kelly Calway, McLean, VA - 37:30.4
11 1LT Abigail Halbrook, Fort Jackson, SC - 40:19.8
(13) 1LT Kristen Gray, Fort Meade MD - 40:40.4
(15) CPT Jessica Knoll, USAG Vicenza, Italy - 41:25.0
2nd Place: Navy - Team Score - 36 pts
Place Runner - Time
3 LT Rachel Viger, Joint Base Andrews, MD - 36:53.3
7 LCDR Katherine Irgens, Submarine Base New London, CT - 38:08.1
9 LT Paige Mita, Navy Manpower Analysis, VA - 39:24.6
17 ENS Corrine Florie, NAS Whiting Field, FL - 42:23.5
(18) ENS Maeve Roach*, USCG Headquarters, Washington, DC - 42:28.2
(21) LT Emma Ferris, Submarine Base Kings Bay, GA - 44:37.3
3rd Place: USAF - Team Score - 42 pts
Place Runner - Time
6 Capt Margaux Curcuru, Edwards AFB, CA - 38:04.0
10 2d Lt Grace Tinkey, Sheppard AFB, TX - 39:40.4
12 Lt Col Amy Natalnii, Wright-Patterson AFB, OK - 40:39.0
14 Capt Nicole Anderson, Buckly SFB, CO - 41:09.6
(16) Maj Katherine Ward, Presidio of Montery, CA - 41:44.7
(19) 2d Lt Shanna Thomas, Shaw AFB, SC - 42:39.0
4th Place: USMC - Team Score - 55 pts
Place Runner - Time
5 2ndLt Pamela O'Brien, MCB Quantico, VA - 37:41.8
8 2ndLt Maddie Warrander, MCB Quantico, VA - 39:12.4
20 2ndLt Annie Pentaleri, MCB Quantico, VA - 43:34.6
22 LCpl Kelsey Gaston, MCB Camp Lejeune, NC - 47:39.6
INDIVIDUAL MEN RESULTS - OPEN
Gold: SSG Leonard Korir, Fort Carson, CO - Army - 28:48.5
Silver: 1LT Sam Chelanga, Fort Carson, CO - Army - 28:48.6
Bronze: SPC Benard Keter, Fort Carson, CO - Army - 29:28.8
4th Place: SPC Geoffrey Kipchumba, Fort Carson, CO - Army - 30:13.5
5th Place: 2d Lt Ryan Ioanidis, Columbus AFB, MS - USAF - 30:16.8
6th Place: Capt Lucas Stalnaker, MCB Camp Pendleton, CA - USMC - 31:23.2
7th Place: LT Stanley Linton, NSA Millington, TN - Navy - 31:27.6
8th Place: ENS Thomas Slattery*, USCG PSC, Washington, DC - Navy - 31:35.1
9th Place: ENS John Bowers, Naval Station Mayport, FL - Navy - 31:37.9
10th Place: 2d Lt Joseph Wittig, Wright-Patterson AFB, OK - USAF - 31:51.6
11th Place: 1LT Kyle Smith, Fort Carson, CO - Army - 31:55.7
12th Place: 2d Lt George Crist, Robbins AFB, GA - USAF - 32:19.7
13th Place: 1LT Nickolas Schmidt, Fort Carson, CO - Army - 32:23.1
14th Place: ENS Nicholas Romanow, Fort Meade, MD - Navy - 32:29.9
15th Place: Lt Col Benjamin Payne, USAF Academy, CO - USAF - 32:34.4
16th Place: 2d Lt Jacob Pitman, Wright-Patterson AFB, OK - USAF - 32:54.4
17th Place: LCDR Patrick Hearn, Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard, HI - Navy - 33:09.1
18th Place: PO3 Kyle Warrick, Naval Base San Diego, CA - Navy - 33:48.9
19th Place: 2d Lt William Kitzhaber, Scott AFB, IL - USAF - 33:50.6
20th Place: 2d Lt Kyle Eller, Wright-Patterson AFB, OK - USAF - 34:13.9
21st Place: PO2 Samuel Dannenbring*, USCG Sector North Bend, OR - Navy - 34:18.7
22nd Place: SGT Nickolas Kelley, Fort Carson, CO - Army - 35:13.2
23rd Place: GySgt Benjamin Schoffstall, MCB Quantico, VA - USMC - 35:57.2
24th Place: LCpl Tyler Halliday, MCB Camp Lejeune, NC - USMC - 36:09.9
25th Place: Col Joseph Galvin, MCB Camp Lejeune, NC - USMC - 36:47.3
26th Place: LCpl Marcus Sosa, MCB Camp Lejeune, NC - USMC - DNF
MEN TEAM RESULTS
Top 5 of 7 Runners Score
1st Place: Army - Team Score - 21 pts
Place Runner/Time
1 SSG Leonard Korir, Fort Carson, CO - 28:48.5
2 1LT Sam Chelanga, Fort Carson, CO - 28:48.6
3 SPC Benard Keter, Fort Carson, CO - 29:28.8
4 SPC Geoffrey Kipchumba, Fort Carson, CO - 30:13.5
11 1LT Kyle Smith, Fort Carson, CO - 31:55.7
(13) 1LT Nickolas Schmidt, Fort Carson, CO - 32:23.1
(22) SGT Nickolas Kelley, Fort Carson, CO - 35:13.2
2nd Place: Navy - Team Score - 55 pts
Place Runner/Time
7 LT Stanley Linton, NSA Millington, TN - 31:27.6
8 ENS Thomas Slattery*, USCG PSC, Washington, DC - 31:35.1
9 ENS John Bowers, Naval Station Mayport, FL - 31:37.9
14 ENS Nicholas Romanow, Fort Meade, MD - 32:29.9
17 LCDR Patrick Hearn, Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard, HI - 33:09.1
(18) PO3 Kyle Warrick, Naval Base San Diego, CA - 33:48.9
(21) PO2 Samuel Dannenbring*, USCG Sector North Bend, OR - 34:18.7
3rd Place: USAF - Team Score - 58 pts
Place Runner/Time
5 2d Lt Ryan Ioanidis, Columbus AFB, MS - 30:16.8
10 2d Lt Joseph Wittig, Wright-Patterson AFB, OK - 31:51.6
12 2d Lt George Crist, Robbins AFB, GA - 32:19.7
15 Lt Col Benjamin Payne, USAF Academy, CO - 32:34.4
16 2d Lt Jacob Pitman, Wright-Patterson AFB, OK - 32:54.4
(19) 2d Lt William Kitzhaber, Scott AFB, IL - 33:50.6
(20) 2d Lt Kyle Eller, Wright-Patterson AFB, OK - 34:13.9
4th Place: USMC - Team Score - DNP
Place Runner/Time
6 Capt Lucas Stalnaker, MCB Camp Pendleton, CA - 31:23.2
23 GySgt Benjamin Schoffstall, MCB Quantico, VA - 35:57.2
24 LCpl Tyler Halliday, MCB Camp Lejeune, NC - 36:09.9
25 Col Joseph Galvin, MCB Camp Lejeune, NC - 36:47.3
26 LCpl Marcus Sosa, MCB Camp Lejeune, NC - DNF