Air Force takes Gold, Silver at 2007 Armed Forces Triathlon Championship

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Ty Reyes
  • Air Force Sports
NAVAL BASE VENTURA COUNTY-POINT MUGU, Calif. (AFPN) --  The Air Force women's triathlon team took first and the men's team second at the 2007 Armed Forces Triathlon Championship held July 25 to 29 at Point Mugu, Calif.  The results are based on the raw scoring times of the men's top eight and women's top four competitors.

The Armed Forces Championship is an Olympic distance course comprising a 1,500 meter swim, 40 kilometer bicycle route, and 10 kilometer run.  

The Marine's 2nd Lt. Justine Whipple was the first woman to cross the finish line, with a time of 2:05:45.  Senior Airman Jolene Wilkinson, from Hill Air Force Base, Utah, came in second in the women's division and was the top Air Force women's finisher with a time of 2:08:58. 

The remaining times for the Air Force women were: 2nd Lt. Stephanie Hirst, U.S. Air Force Academy, 2:16:29; Maj. Erika Foster, AFROTC at Rochester Institute of Technology, N.Y., 2:17:46; and Capt. Maiya Anderson, Air Force Academy, 2:19:36. 

The final results for the women's division were Air Force, 9:02:49; Army, 9:15:27; Marine Corps, 9:28:24; and Navy, 9:42:55. 

The Navy's Tim O'Donnell won the men's division event with a time of 1:49:32, keeping his streak going with five straight championships. Capt. James Bales, Lackland AFB, Texas, was the top Air Force finisher, fourth overall, with a time of 1:59:56.  Maj. Peter Ohotnicky, Air Force Academy, the second Air Force member and fifth military finisher, had a time of 2:00:28.  Staff Sgt. Michael Berquist, Fairchild AFB, Wash., was the third Air Force member to finish and sixth overall, and finished with a time of 2:01:22. 

The remaining Air Force scoring times in the men's division were 2nd Lt. Kenneth Corigliano, Andrews AFB, Md., 2:03:44; 2nd Lt. Christopher Larson, Hickam AFB, Hawaii, 2:04:05; Maj. Thomas Jackson, Scott AFB, Ill., 2:04:55; 1st Lt. Jeffery Falcone, Vandenberg AFB, Calif., 2:07:49; Master Sgt. Robert Wieland, Eielson AFB, Alaska, 2:11:17; and team captain Maj. Spencer Cocanaur, Hurlburt Field, Fla., 2:12:15. 

The final results for the men's division were Navy, 14:12:35; Air Force, 14:33:08; Army, 14:59:48; and the Marine Corps, 15:01:59. 

Bales, Berquist, Wilkinson, Hirst, and Foster were named to the combined 2007 Armed Forces Triathlon Team that will compete in the Military World Games to be held
Oct 19 to 22 in Mumbai, India. Selections were based on results and availability, with the top five finishers of each gender earning the right to advance to the Military World Games.

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