SAN ANTONIO, Texas –
Athletes from the Army, Marines, Navy, Air Force, Space Force and Coast Guard arrive in San Antonio, Texas as the Navy hosts the 2025 Armed Forces Cross Country Championship at the Windcrest Golf Club in Windcrest, Texas, Jan. 25.
The military’s elite runners will compete in the Women’s 8K and Men’s 10K for golf and spot on the U.S. Armed Forces Cross Country team competing in the International Military Sports Council (CISM) Military World Winter Games in Lucerne, Switzerland, March 23-30.
“Coming off a great performance from the Armed Forces Marathon where the men’s team won the overall championship and the women’s team was runner-up, we have great expectations for the Armed Forces Cross Country event,” said Marine Col. Joseph Galvin, staff judge advocate, Marine Forces Command, Fleet Marine Force Atlantic, and Marine team coach.
“Although this coming race is totally different in terms of tactics and distance, the motivation to train and perform well has us very focused. We have a few new runners and a few experienced runners on the team for this race, and we are excited to see how we can compete against the other services.”
Capt. Stanley Skwarlo III, a logistics officer who’s attending the Expeditionary Warfare School at Marine Corps University, Marine Corps Base, Quantico, Virginia, said he’s excited to lace up his spikes again.
“I haven’t put on cross-country spikes and raced since the fall of 2017, when I competed in the Division I regional cross-country race in Ames, Iowa,” he said. “I’m excited. I hope to sustain the momentum our team had at the Armed Forces Marathon Championships during the Marine Corps Marathon. It was the first time in a while that the Marines won a team title. I’m optimistic we can all perform well enough to replicate our success from October.”
Army Staff Sgt. Samuel Kosgei, Army World Class Athlete Program track and field coach, Fort Carson, Colorado Springs, Colorado, said he’s honored to coach the 2025 All-Army Cross Country team.
“Both teams are drilled to toe the line during the championship,” he said. “I have no words to express how excited and ready the teams are to bring home the championship trophy in both the men’s and women’s team competition. Preparation toward the championship has gone very well. I have confidence in the team that they will represent the Army well and qualify for the Armed forces team in the CISM games.”
Army Sgt. Colett Rampf-Cribbs said all the Armed Services athletes serve across the globe, training individually, but stay in contact via social media. She said she is proud to represent the Army team.
“It’s challenging to assess the team's overall performance, as its members are spread across different parts of the United States; however, their unwavering dedication to the mission shows they are fully committed and prepared to compete at the highest level,” she said. “As we have seen in the past, we may train individually, but on race day, we unite as one team, fighting for each other and proudly representing the Army.”
Navy Reserve Lt. Cmdr. Derek Oskutis, Hershey, Pennsylvania, said he’s always impressed with the All-Navy team.
“Everyone’s a full-time service member first, and they train and compete for fun when they can,” he said. “Armed Forces Sports is the highlight for most of these Sailors’ athletic and military careers. Whether we get first or last, we’re just happy to be here, cheering each other on, competing as a team.”
Navy Lt. Cmdr. Stan Linton, human resources officer, My Navy Career Center, Millington, Tennessee, said this is the best men’s Navy team he’s seen in years.
“This Navy squad is the best we’ve had in a very long time,” he said. “We had quite a caliber of applicants we had to turn away this year. It was very competitive to make this team this year. A few of the guys ran the Olympic trial standard. We have very good marathoners, good track men. This will be one of the finest Navy teams that has come to the Armed Forces Cross Country Championships.”
Navy Lt. Cmdr. Katie Irgens, Submarine Escape and Rescue Program Office, Washington, D.C., agreed that both the men’s and women’s teams look solid. She said she’s proud of all of the athletes.
“The men’s team is really driven,” she said. “A lot of guys come straight out of cross country in the Naval Academy. Stan is usually a strong shower. Honestly, all these athletes, across the service branches are impressive, getting up at 4 in the morning, planning their meals, planning their day, getting a run in and the recovery, but also being superstars at their jobs and leaders for their teams. It’s not easy, being a rockstar in your military profession and a high performing athlete.”
Air Force coach Capt. Riley Coates, 16th Air Force, Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas, said he has a very strong men’s and women’s team this year.
“We have a good mix of young, talented runners along with seasoned veterans,” he said. “On the men’s side, we have two 2024 Olympic Track & Field Trials qualifiers and some other very experienced elite runners who will make us a tough team. On the women’s side, we have two former WCAP athletes as well as our returning #1 from last year, and two recent Air Force Academy graduates from their cross-country team that will provide us some quality depth.”
2nd Lt. Ryan Johnson, an acquisitions officer, Hanscom Air Force Base, Massachusetts, said he can’t wait to compete in the championship.
“I’m excited to race on this team!” he said. “We put together a strong, experienced team that puts us in a competitive position. The Air Force/Space Force team is comprised of very talented runners from varying running backgrounds, but united by our pride in our commitment to the service of our nation. Beyond running, the men and women participating in this event are some of the highest caliber people I have ever met, and I’m proud to represent the Air Force alongside them.”