Lieutenant wins national track, field championship

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SAN ANTONIO (AFPN) --  First Lt. James Parker, an Air Force world-class athlete from Malmstrom Air Force Base, Mont., won the 2004 USA Track and Field Indoor National Championship Weight Throw, held Feb. 26 to 29 in Boston.

The weight-throw competitor credited the win to his intense training regimen and fine-tuning his technique during the warm-up session just before the official throws.

After throwing a foul on his first throw and a safety throw of 71.87 feet on his second attempt, the lieutenant threw a strong 73.36 feet on his third try. He followed this by a foul on his fourth attempt and then completed the event with the winning throw of 76.49 feet. This beat his closest competitor by more than 2 feet.

His throws of 73.36 and 76.49 set his personal records for indoor meets.

Lieutenant Parker is one of the smallest competitors in the weight throw. He attributes his success to participation in the Air Force World-Class Athlete Program and the direct opportunity for extensive training in his sport. (Courtesy of Air Force Services Agency)