Glendale, Colo. (Aug. 17, 2014) – Army and Air Force repeated their 2013 performance by advancing to the finals, with the Army once again victorious in the 2014 Armed Forces Rugby Sevens Championship.
First Lt. Uiki Leatigaga of Fort Carson, Colo trampled over Second Lt. Jackson Bristol for Army’s final try that sealed Army’s back-to-back Armed Forces crown winning 24-15.
Air Force struck early in the match jumping to a 5-0 lead after Tech. Sgt. Cameron Freeman’s try at the two-minute mark.
The both teams exchanged the lead until Army’s back-to-back tries from First Lt. David Geib and Sgt. Matt Tago, which gave the Army a 19-10 lead.
Air Force Second Lt. Jackson Bristol gave the Air Force a chance scoring at the 13th-minute mark, but Air Force struggled once again to make the conversion, leaving the score at 19-15 before Army sealed the final score 24-15.
During pool play, Army went undefeated forcing 124-points over the other Services. Leatigaga’s five total tries earned him All-Tournament honors and a spot on the U.S. Armed Forces Rugby Team. Leatigaga was joined on the All-Armed Forces Team by Sgt. Nuuese Vinkavich and Capt. Andrew Locke both from Ft, Carson, Colo.
Air Force finished pool play with two wins, one loss and tied the Coast Guard in a close match that nearly went to the Coast Guard. Air Force dominated the Armed Forces Rugby 15’s Championship, winning gold for eight-straight years. Since the Armed Forces Rugby format moved the seven-aside in 2012, the Air Force has reached the finals taking home silver each year.
In other pool play action;
Coast Guard finished pool play with a record of one win, 2 losses and one tie. Coast Guard blanked Navy 14-0 in their only pool play win.
Navy’s Petty Officer 2d Class Brandon Smith from Naval Base Norfolk, VA broke loose and gained three tries over the Marine Corps in their 26-14 win.
The 2014 Armed Forces Rugby Seven’s Championship was held in conjunction with the Serevi Rugbytown 7’s Tournament, which featured some international and national teams.
At the conclusion of the Armed Forces Championship match, the top four Services entered into an elimination bracket within the Serevi Rugbytown 7’s competition.
Army won their first match against Mexico (National 7’s team) 26-19, but lost to the USA Falcons 22-14, then Negro y Azul from Austin, Texas 17-10 to finish fourth overall.
Coast Guard lost their first match against the Royal Air Force from the United Kingdom 37-7. Coast Guard bounced back and defeated the Bahamas national 7’s team 19-15 but lost to Bermuda 29-14 in their final match finishing 10th overall.
The 2014 Armed Forces Championship was used as the selection process to name the U.S. Armed Forces Team that will compete in the USA Rugby 7’s Invitational in Feb 2015.
The 2014 Armed Forces returned to host Glendale, Colo for third straight year and plans to return in 2015.
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Complete Results:
INFINITY PARK, GLENDALE, CO, 15-17 AUGUST 2014
(This Championship was conducted in conjunction with the 2014 Serevi 7's Rugby Championship)
16 August
ARMED FORCES CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
Army def Air Force 24-15
Halftime: Air Force 10 -Army 7
ARMY SCORING
Tries: SGT Matt Tago , Kaiserslautern, Germany (2); 1LT David Geib, Ft Campbell, KY (1); 1LT Uiki Leatigaga, Ft Carson, CO (1)
Conversions: CPT Andrew Locke, Ft Carson, CO (2)
AIR FORCE SCORING
Tries: TSgt Cameron Freeman, WCAP OTC, Chula Vista, CA (1); 1st Lt Carson Cleveland, Schriever AFB, CO (1); 2d Lt Jackson Bristol, USAF Academy, CO (1)
Conversions: 0
2014 All-Tournament and All-Armed Forces Teams:
SGT Nuuese Punimata (Army), Ft. Carson, CO
YN3 Alex Vinkavich (Coast Guard), Air Station Miami, FL
TSgt Cameron Freeman (Air Forces), WCAP OTC, Chula Vista, CA
SSgt Mario Land (Marine Corps), MCAS Miramar, CA
SN Jethro Hauser (Coast Guard), USCGC Venturous
PO2 Brandon Smith (Navy), NB Norfolk, VA
1LT Uiki Leatigaga (Army), Ft. Carson, CO
(The All Tournament Selectees above and the athletes listed below will make up the All Armed Forces Team)
CPT Andrew Locke (Army), Ft, Carson, CO
LTJG Chase Burge (Navy), Naval Base San Diego, CA
LT Kyle Millerd (Navy), Kanahoe Bay, HI
Capt Wesley Meredith (Air Force), Atlanta, GA
Capt Eric Duechele (Air Force), WCAP OTC, Chula Vista, CA
HEAD COACH: COL Mark Drown (Army), Utah National Guard
ASST COACH: LtCol Andrew McQuade (Air Force), JB Lewis-McChord, WA
TRAINER: MAJ Joe Miller (Army), Ft Bragg, NC
15-16 Aug
POOL PLAY FINAL STANDINGS
W L T
Army 4 0 0
Air Force 2 1 1
Coast Guard 1 2 1
Navy 1 3 0
Marine Corps 1 3 0
POOL PLAY RESULTS
Army def Marine Corps 38-0
Halftime: Army 19-Marine Corps 0
ARMY SCORING
Tries: 1LT David Geib, Ft Campbell, KY (2); 1LT Uiki Leatigaga, Ft Carson,CO (2); PFC Faleniko Spino, JB Lewis-McCord, WA (1); SPC Stephen Johnson, Ft Bragg, NC (1)
Conversions: CPT Andrew Locke, Ft Carson, CO (3); 1LT David Geib, Ft Campbell, KY (1)
MARINE CORPS SCORING
Tries: 0
Conversions: 0
Army def Coast Guard 29-0
Halftime: Army 17-Coast Guard 0
ARMY SCORING
Tries: SPC Stephen Johnson, Ft Bragg, NC (3); 1LT David Geib, Ft Campbell, KY (1); SGT Matt Tago , Kaiserslautern, Germany (1)
Conversions: 1LT David Geib, Ft Campbell, KY (2)
COAST GUARD SCORING
Tries: 0
Conversions: 0
Army def Navy 28-12
Halftime: Army 14-Navy 7
ARMY SCORING
Tries: 1LT Uiki Leatigaga, Ft Carson,CO (2); CPT Andrew Locke, Ft Carson, CO (1); SPC Michael Melendez-Rivera, Ft Bragg, NC (1)
Conversions: CPT Andrew Locke, Ft Carson, CO (4)
NAVY SCORING
Tries: PO2 Nicholas Flynn, HSC-26 Norfolk, VA (1); PO2 Michael Fletcher, NMCB 27, Washington, D.C. (1)
Conversions: LTJG Chase Burge, NSW BTC San Diego, CA (1)
Coast Guard and Air Force 15-15 (tie)
Halftime: Coast Guard 10-Air Force 5
COAST GUARD SCORING
Tries: LTJG Rich Mozolic, USCG Pacific Area (1); SN Jethro Hauser, USCGC VENTUROUS (1); MK2 John Curtiss, USCG Station Ketchikan (1)
Conversions: 0
AIR FORCE SCORING
Tries: Capt Nathan Terrazone, Los Angeles AFB, CA (2); 1stLt Stewart Brandon, Tinker AFB, OK (1)
Conversions: 0
Air Force def Navy 24-5
Halftime: Air Force 17-Navy 0
AIR FORCE SCORING
Tries: Capt Eric Duechle, WCAPOTC, Chula Vista, CA (2); TSgt Cameron Freeman, WCAP OTC, Chula Vista, CA (1); Capt Wesley Meredith, Atlanta, GA (1)
Conversions: 0
NAVY SCORING
Tries: SN Urban Iyo, USS Constitution (1)
Conversions: 0
Marine Corps def Coast Guard 24-14
Halftime: Marine Corps 17-Coast Guard 0
MARINE CORPS SCORING
Tries: Capt Barrett Dupuy, MCAS Yuma (1); Cpl Timoci Kawa, MCB Camp Pendleton, CA (1); Cpl Michael Roote, MCB Quantico, VA (1); SSgt Mario Land,MCAS Miramar, CA (1)
Conversions: Cpl Mila Satafene, MCAS Miramar, CA (2)
COAST GUARD
Tries: LTJG Christopher Smith, USCGC MIDGETT (1); SN Ryan McManus, USGCG MELLON (1)
Conversions: SN Ryan McManus, USGCG MELLON (2)
Air Force def Marine Corps 26-5
Halftime: Air Force 12-Marine Corps 5
AIR FORCE SCORING
Tries: A1C Benjamin Haapapuro, Greely Air National Guard (1); Capt Eric
Duechle, WCAP OTC, Chula Vista, CA (1); SSgt Joseph Senteno, Nellis AFB, NV
(1); TSgt Cameron Freeman, WCAP OTC, Chula Vista, CA (1)
Conversions: SSgt Joseph Senteno, Nellis AFB, NV (1); 1stLt Carson Cleveland, Schriever AFB, CO (1); 2dLt Jackson Bristol, USAF Academy, CO (1)
MARINE CORPS SCORING
Tries: SSgt Mario Land, MCAS Miramar, CA (1)
Conversions: 0
Coast Guard def Navy 14-10
Halftime: Coast Guard 14-Navy 0
COAST GUARD SCORING
Tries: MK2 Eric Geckas, USCGC MALLET (1); MK2 John Curtiss, USCG Station Ketchikan (1)
Conversions: SN Marcus McManus, USCGC MELLON (2)
NAVY SCORING
Tries: SN Kyel Hardrick, USS Abraham Lincoln, (1); LTJG Chase Burge, NSW BTC San Diego, CA (1)
Conversions: 0
Navy def Marine Corps 26-14
Halftime: Navy 14-Marine Corps 7
NAVY SCORING
Tries: PO2 Brandon Smith, VCF-12, Norfolk, VA (3); CECA Dejon Dawsey, PWD, Sigonella, Italy (1)
Conversions: ENS Broaderick Neel-Feller, USNA, Annapolis, MD (3)
MARINE CORPS SCORING
Tries: 2ndLt Chris Addison-Hood, Whiting Field, FL (1); Cpl Josh Berry, MCAS Miramar, CA (1)
Conversions: Cpl Mila Setafene, MCAS Miramar, CA (2)
Army def Air Force 31-5
Halftime: Army 19-Air Force 0
ARMY SCORING
Tries: SPC Stephen Johnson, Ft Bragg, NC (2); 1LT Benjamin Paul, Ft Benning, GA (1); PFC Faleniko Spino, JB Lewis-McChord, WA (1); CPT John Bryant, South Carolina National Guard (1)
Conversions: 1LT David Geib, Ft Campbell, KY (3)
AIR FORCE SCORING
Tries: TSgt Cameron Freeman, WCAP OTC, Chula Vista, CA (1)
Conversions: 0
SEREVI POST POOL RESULTS:
BOWL QUARTER FINALS
Royal Air Force def Coast Guard 39-7
All Americans def Navy 36-7
CUP QUARTER FINALS
Army def Mexico 26-19
Denver 7's All Stars def Air Force 28-10
SHIELD SEMIFINALS
Coast Guard def Bahamas 19-15
Bermuda def Navy 17-7
BOWL SEMIFINALS
Glendale Raptors def Air Force 24-19 (OT)
CUP SEMIFINALS
USA Falcons def Army 22-14
SHIELD FINALS
Bermuda def Coast Guard 29-14
CUP FINALS THIRD PLACE MATCH
Azul (Austin, TX) def Army 17-10