SAN DIEGO, Calif. –
In her first place performance at last year’s Armed Forces Triathlon Championship, Navy Ensign Hannah Walz paced herself to the finish line by running and swimming alongside other competitors.
To her surprise at the 2025 Triathlon Championship Saturday, Walz, found herself swimming through the inner San Diego Bay alone and ahead of the pack.
She continued to distance herself from the competition on the bike race through the city’s Liberty Station District.
Walz finished first in the women’s division for the second straight year, leading the Navy women to the 2025 Armed Forces Triathlon team title.
She credited her improvement in each triathlon event to training in the humid Florida heat. Walz also focused more on holistic nutrition and recovery. Walz trained for the triathlon in the Florida Panhandle while stationed at NAS Whiting Field, Florida.
“I think I improved a lot from last year especially training in Florida the last two years,” Walz said. “The heat acclimation made this seem a lot smoother, so when I got to the run it felt really really manageable.”
However, in the final run to the finish line, Walz saw Air Force Capt. Samantha Skold gaining ground. Skold has competed in triathlons on and off since 2017, dating back to her years on the Air Force Academy’s triathlon team.
“She’s an insane athlete. I saw her closing and knew I had to put in a huge effort to keep her off. I also knew she could outrun me so I had to really pick it up on the run,” Walz said. “And she was still closing even with a personal best [run].”
Besides Walz the four Navy female competitors competed in the Armed Forces championship for the first time, Lt.j.gs. Anna Bryant, Natalie Schieuer, Taylor Thompson and Brielle Pearce.
“I think we put together an incredible race and they are awesome athletes,” Walz said. “It’s great to see such powerful women putting together a race so well. It just shows how adaptable a military woman can be.”
Bryant, an Explosive Ordnance Disposal officer, finished third in her first draft-legal triathlon and Pearce, a Sailor stationed at U.S. Coast Guard Miami Beach, placed tenth.
“It’s an honor to be able to represent the Navy,” Bryant said. “I feel good with my performance, I don’t know how I stack against everyone else, but I’m happy with how the team did.”
For the second straight season, Skold finished as the runner up for the women clocking in at 2:12:42. As a college athlete, Skold competed on the Air Force Academy’s women’s cross country and track teams but a chronic nagging hamstring injury often sidelined her. During her recovery she discovered the triathlon to help her heal.
After falling behind by eight minutes, Skold narrowed the gap to two minutes on the bike before finishing 1.4 seconds behind Walz.
Skold said she has struggled in the swim race and often finishes last. However, on Saturday she finished the swim in the 8th position, then posted the fastest bike time to put herself in second place.
“When I got myself in second position on the bike, I thought it was going to be an easy run-in,” Skold said. “But [Walz] just absolutely took it from me. She had an amazing race.”
For the Marine Corps, 1st Lt. Megan Gephart, a Reno, Nevada native, crossed the finish line in fourth place with a time of 2:22:52, while Army 1st Lt. Waverly Schnetzler, a 2022 West Point grad, finished 5th at 2:23:12.
“I feel good,” Schnetzler said. “I was moving pretty good on the bike. The run I finished strong.”