Soldiers dominate Armed Forces Cross Country

BOULDER, Colorado — The All-Army men swept the top six spots and the women claimed four of their top six positions as the black and gold dominated the 2015 Armed Forces Cross Country Championships at Flatirons Golf Course, Feb. 7.

The Army men’s dominance marked the first time in U.S. Armed Forces Cross Country history that a team has swept the top six spots, said Ken Polk, Armed Forces Sports program manager.

Army Reserve Pfc. Stanley Kebenei, of Fayetteville, Arkansas, won the men’s 12-kilometer race in 37 minutes, 28 seconds. Spc. Caroline Jepleting, of Landstuhl, Germany, won the women’s eight-kilometer race in 30:01.

The Armed Forces Championships were run in conjunction with the USA Track and Field Winter National Cross Country Championships, and the top six finishers in both races automatically qualified for Team USA at the International Amateur Athletics Federation 2015 World Cross Country Championships, which will take place in Guiyang, China, March 28.

U.S. Army World Class Athlete Program, or WCAP, runner Spc. Augustus Maiyo, of Fort Carson, Colorado, was second among Armed Forces men with a time of 37:29, followed by Spc. Emmanual Bor (38:47), of Fort Bliss, Texas; WCAP Spc. Aron Rono (38:52), of Fort Carson; Spc. Samuel Kosgei (39:38), of Fort Riley, Kansas; and Spc. Laban Sialo (39:55), of Fort Carson.

The top five finishers for each squad counted in the Armed Forces men’s team scoring. The Army men won with 15 points, followed by Air Force (37), Navy (46) and Marine Corps (55).
Navy Lt. Amanda Rice (31:00), of Naval Air Facility Atsugi, Japan, was second among Armed Forces women, followed by Pfc. Susan Tanui (31:05), of Fort Riley, Kansas. First Lt. Chelsea Prahl (fifth in 31:22), of Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington, and former WCAP Maj. Emily Potter (sixth in 31:43), of Fort Bragg, North Carolina, rounded out the All-Army women’s scoring.

The top four finishers for each squad counted in the Armed Forces women’s team scoring. The Army women prevailed with 15 points, followed by Air Force (60), Navy (60) and Marine Corps (71).

Chris Derrick, of Portland, Oregon, won the USA open men’s division with a time of 36:18, and was followed by Robert Curtis (36:48), of Rochester, Michigan, and Dathan Ritzenhein (36:51), of Belmont, Michigan. Kebenei and Maiyo finished eighth and ninth, respectively, and may advance to the world championships as alternates.

Although Jepleting won the Armed Forces women’s division, she did not qualify for the world championships.

To see the 2015 Armed Forces Cross Country Championships standings, visit the KA online at www.kaiserslauternamerican.com.