Eglin Airman helps AF team win at 2010 Armed Forces triathlon

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  • 30th Space Wing Public Affairs
VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  The Air Force triathlon team recently excelled in all athletic categories at the 2010 Armed Forces Triathlon Championship June 5 at Naval Base Ventura County Point Mugu, Calif.

The Air Force team took first place in every category, including the fastest male (Capt. James Bales at 1 hour, 46 minutes, 32 seconds), fastest female (1st Lt. Kathy Rakel at 2:00:04) and overall fastest team for both male and female categories.

The competition was an Olympic-distance triathlon consisting of a 1.5-kilometer swim, 40-kilometer bike ride and a 10-kilometer run. The triathlon was open to service-selected teams representing the Army, Marine Corps, Navy and Air Force.

The Air Force female's team has come in at first place at this venue for the past three years. This was the first time the Air Force men's team has won this competition since 2004.

A lieutenant from Eglin was one of the winning team's members, competing for the third time in the Armed Forces championship.

"It was by far the toughest field competing that I've seen.," said 1st Lt. Michell Kieffer, 780th Test Squadron, who has been on the team three years. "There were blistering fast times and all teams had very deep fields of talent. It was the first time ever that a service swept the gold medals (first overall male and female, and both teams winning overall)."

According to the Department of Defense's Sportslink site, the Air Force team defeated the other armed forces with a point total of 121. The Army came in second with 124, Navy third with 136 and Marine Corps fourth with 174.

"This was a more experienced team with a higher caliber of athletes than prior years," said Maj. Jonathan Mason,

For Vandenberg AFB's elite triathletes, being selected to participate on the Air Force team in the Armed Forces Triathlon Championship has become an annual occurrence. Lieutenant Tonder competed in the triathlon in 2007 through 2009, and Major Mason competed alongside him in 2008 and 2009.

"One of the highlights of my life and Air Force career was last Saturday at (the) Armed Forces Triathlon Championship," said Maj. Jonathon Mason a 30th Weather Squadron assistant director of operations at Vanderbenberg Air Force Base, Calif. "I was honored to be part of it and for it to happen to the nicest and most professional group of people I know."

Lieutenant Kieffer felt the same about his teammates.

"I was very thankful to be part of such a good team, filled with great people," he said. "It was an incredible team effort this year on the men's side."

From a spectator's perspective, the Air Force team's pregame strategy of sticking together during the bicycling event is what contributed to the success of the team, said Maj. John Roberts, a 30th Space Wing director of operations.

"From what I saw, the reason why the Air Force men's team did so well was because they worked better as a team on the bicycle than the other services did," Major Roberts said. "The place you come in is the amount of points your team accrues. It's like golf, the lower the points the better you place. The Air Force had the tightest, most consistent groups for both the male and female teams therefore the best scores."

The cross country style scoring of the top eight men combined with the Air Force taking ninth and eleventh place is what made the difference, according to Lieutenant Kieffer.

"Without the three 'non-scoring' Air Force men placing in front of the Army's last scorers, with only a three point differential between first and second place, the Air Force and Army would have been tied," he said. "The women also rocked out a great competition."

The Air Force Triathlon Team (team members by rank, base, location and race time):
--Maj. Spencer C. Cocanour, Headquarters Pacific Command, Hawaii (Coach)
--Maj. Brian A. Denaro, Hicham AFB, Hawaii (01:54:48)
--Maj. Jonathan D. Mason, Vandenberg AFB (01:56:37)
--Maj. William S. Poteet, Air Force Academy, Colo. (01:54:41)
--Maj. Melissa M. Tallent, Langley AFB, Va. (02:14:52)
--Capt. James R. T. Bales, Lackland AFB, Texas (01:46:32)
--Capt. Kenneth K. Corrigliano, Cannon AFB, N.M. (01:52:51)
--Capt. Brian E. Hans, Chantilly, Va. (01:56:09)
--Capt. Colleen M. O'Conner, Andrews AFB, Md. (02:14:17)
--1st Lt. Stephanie N. Hirst, Cape Canaveral, Fla. (02:14:47)
--1st Lt. Mitchell R. Kieffer, Eglin AFB, Fla. (01:59:44)
--1st Lt. Erin K. O'Conner, Macdill AFB, Fla. (02:22:42)
--1st Lt. Kathy M. Rakel, Luke AFB, Ariz. (02:00:04)
--1st Lt. Scott A. Tonder, Vandenberg AFB (01:52:39)
--2nd Lt. Brock F. Logan, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colo. (01:54:46)
--Senior Master Sgt. Michael T. McCoy, Scott AFB, Ill. (01:54:19)
--Tech. Sgt. Michael W. Berquist, Fairchild AFB, Wash. (01:56:15)
--Staff Sgt. Aaron J. Appelwick, Sembach Air Base, Germany (Injured)
--Senior Airman Jolene Wilkinson, Hill AFB, Utah (02:09:38)