Soldiers earn slots for Army Combatives Championship

By Nathan DeenMay 27, 2011

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(Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

FORT BENNING, Ga. -- Sixteen Soldiers earned the opportunity to represent the Maneuver Center of Excellence (MCoE) at the 2011 All-Army Combatives Championship Friday after finishing in the top two places of their respective weight classes during the MCoE Modern Army Combatives Tournament at Smith Fitness Center.

The final match of the tournament featured a 10-minute brawl in the heavyweight class as Keith Nevins of D Company, 2nd Battalion, 11th Infantry Regiment, edged out Patrick Miller of the 198th Infantry Brigade. The judges determined Nevins had the advantage throughout the match and awarded him the win, though he said that could have easily changed at any point in the match.

“(Miller's) got a great ground game and I knew I would be in a lot of trouble if he got on top of me,” Nevins said. “He slapped me in the face really hard. He kept really good body position the whole time and it was hard to get him off balance. Toward the end, I felt he was off balance and I took him down.”

This was the first year Nevins participated in the MCoE tournament. He said his high school wrestling skills and jiujitsu training helped him overcome the experience of Miller.

“I knew he was experienced and had that edge over me,” Nevins said. “I tried to wear him out an let him make a mistake and capitalize off of it.”

Nevins, a student in the Infantry Basic Officer Leader Course, is eligible to participate in the All-Army Tournament, set for July 20-23 at Fort Hood, Texas, but is unsure whether he will be able to because of his training.

Jon Anderson of the 198th Inf. Bde. won his second consecutive MCoE Combatives Tournament title as he defeated Nehemiah Robertson in the middleweight championship.

Despite having competed all day, Anderson looked the opposite of fatigued as he prepared to face Robertson.

“I've got a big pregame routine I go through,” Anderson said. “I switch gears, clinch my jaw and pace. I turn that into my game plan and onto my opponent.”

Though he fell behind early after being taken down, Anderson recovered and managed to submit Robertson about three minutes into the match.

“He got a takedown on me, unexpected, but I kept focused and got a rear naked choke on him,” Anderson said. “My submissions have gotten a lot better and I finished my fights a lot quicker this year.”

Anderson also won his weight class at the 2010 All-Army Combatives Championship, but said he will forgo a second opportunity to compete. Anderson said he has decided to train and attempt to qualify

for Greco-Roman wrestling in the 2012 Olympics in London.

Anderson said he is working on building his resume for the World Class Athlete Program in Colorado Springs, Colo.

Jodi Krippel won the bantamweight class, David Takahashi won the flyweight class, Tom Perkins won the lightweight class, Jose Barreiro won the welterweight class, Victor McCullough won the cruiserweight class and Ian Macdonald won the light-heavyweight class.

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