Army pins 14th straight Armed Forces wrestling title

By Walt Johnson (Fort Carson)April 2, 2015

Army pins 14th straight Armed Forces wrestling title
1 / 5 Show Caption + Hide Caption – (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Army pins 14th straight Armed Forces wrestling title
2 / 5 Show Caption + Hide Caption – (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Army pins 14th straight Armed Forces wrestling title
3 / 5 Show Caption + Hide Caption – (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Army pins 14th straight Armed Forces wrestling title
4 / 5 Show Caption + Hide Caption – (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Army pins 14th straight Armed Forces wrestling title
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FORT CARSON, Colo. -- The U.S. Army wrestling team dominated its Air Force, Marine and Navy counterparts to claim its 14th consecutive Armed Forces wrestling championship March 27-28, 2015, at the Special Events Center.

The Army team wasted little time making the opposition aware that it had no intent on surrendering the title. From the beginning of the tournament when the Greco-Roman wrestlers took to the mat until the end of the tournament when the freestyle wrestlers matched up against the opposition, it was clear the Army team was on a mission.

Army's Max Nowry got the team off to a quick start winning a technical fall decision over his Air Force opponent. Nowry's victory was followed by Army victories by Jamel Johnson and Michael Hooker, which set the stage for the most dominant victory of the day in Greco-Roman wrestling. Army two-time gold medalist Justin Lester defeated Navy's Ronald Latimer with a jaw-dropping lift and throw of his opponent. Caylor Williams and Matt Lamb finished the opening round that saw the Army capture seven of the eight weight classes. The Army was perfect in the second round of the Greco-Roman competition, capturing victories in all eight weight classes.

The Marines' team also won its first two matches setting up the winner-take-all third match against the Army. This was the competition most people thought would determine whether the Army would continue its stranglehold on the championship.

The Marines' Aaron Kalil and Bryce Saddonis defeated Nowry and Johnson, respectively, to give the Marines an early 2-0 lead with six matches left as the margin for error was razor thin for the Army team.

Hooker scored the Army's first win of the match with a technical fall over the Marines' Robby Neill. Lester followed that up with a technical fall victory of his own to even the match at two wins apiece. The pressure shifted to the Marines as each team needed three wins in the next four matches to secure the title. Aaron Sieracki, Jon Anderson and Williams scored three consecutive victories to give Army the Greco-Roman title.

Saturday featured freestyle wrestling as the Army looked to lock up its 14th straight title. The Army made quick work of the Navy, wining all eight matches in the first round. The Air Force shocked the Marines with a one-point upset.

The second round pitted the Army against the Marines, a matchup most expected to be the last match of the day battling for the freestyle crown. But that wasn't the only surprise the match would offer.

Nowry got the Army off to a good start defeating the Marines' Ruben Navejas. The Marines' Kalil stormed out to an 8-0 lead as it looked like he would even the score. In what turned out to be the most dramatic match of the tournament, William Simpson fought back to win by a fall to give the Army a commanding 2-0 lead. Saddonis earned the Marines' first victory to close the gap to 2-1, as the Marines hoped to return the favor and claim the title after dropping the first two matches. But the Army team quickly put an end to the comeback, as Vlad Dombrosky, Moza Fay and Victor Terrell put together consecutive victories to continue Army's dominance in interservice competition.

Army coach Shon Lewis, who lost as coach in his first attempt at the armed forces championships before winning the past 14, summed up the streak and why his team has been so successful over the years.

"Winning always feels good, and it never gets old," he said. "I'm really happy for the guys (on the team) because I have a lot of new guys and young guys, and to see them represent the Army -- which is the oldest and most prestigious service -- (in this way) feels great. We were representing all of our brothers and sisters that are in the service and deployed right now (so they) couldn't be here because they are defending our nation (which) makes me very proud. They make it possible for us to do what we do.

"Winning is good and victories are nice, but I have this thing I always say to the team, 'You can only celebrate a win as long as the banana is green. Once that banana turns brown, and it's going to turn brown in a couple of days, then it's time to get a new banana.'"

Lewis noted the team would not be satisfied with past success.

"We are going to keep striving until we get that perfect tournament. Until then, we are going to keep grinding," Lewis said.