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RANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE, Texas – The Air Force women’s softball team, including two KMC Airmen, earned gold medals at the Armed Forces Slow-pitch Softball Championships Sept. 25 at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Fla.
Staff Sgt. Lindsay Ciullo, from the 86th Communications Squadron at Ramstein, and Senior Airman Jenn Taylor, from the 21st Operational Weather Squadron at Sembach, were part of the Air Force women’s team who went 6-3 during the tournament and won their third armed forces title in three years.
Both women are also members of the Ramstein Lady Rams varsity softball team, which recently finished their 2009 season with a 44-0 record.
The Air Force team finished the tournament with the same records as their Army and Navy counterparts, but Air Force took first place after officials calculated head-to-head wins and run differentials.
Sergeant Ciullo was among the team’s top hitters, with a .448 average and two RBIs.
Coach Cheryl Trapnell said the real key to her team’s wins in the tournament was their outstanding play on defense.
“We struggled offensively throughout the (tournament) except for the two games where we hit double digits,” she said. “We had young players in key positions and they stepped up and did a great job too.”
The Air Force Sports Program is designed to allow active-duty, National Guard and reserve Air Force personnel an opportunity to participate at Air Force, armed forces, national and international sports events.
“We also are ambassadors in the community – we are advocates for the military and the sports program,” Coach Trapnell said. “This team is out in the community representing the Air Force, which is a great recruiting tool and morale builder.”
Coach Trapnell said the benefits of having Air Force sports programs can be seen in the community as well as at military bases where they compete against other Department of Defense teams.
“Young men and women see this program in action and hear about military jobs, opportunities – and you would not believe the interest that is generated,” Coach Trapnell said. “The interaction with the other services also builds camaraderie between the branches. This is the total force concept in action.”
For more information about the U.S. Air Force sports program, visit www.usafsports.com.
(Courtesy of 86th Airlift Wing Public Affairs)
