WASHINGTON (Army News Service) -- Both the Army men's and women's teams captured top standings in the 2016 Armed Forces Triathlon Championship, held at Point Mugu, California, just north of Los Angeles, June 18.
It's been 11 years since the Army won both men's and women's titles, said Lt. Col. Hector Tovar, the coach for both teams. Last year the Army women's team prevailed.
Although the main focus of the triathlon was on team results, the Army also placed well in individual performance, Tovar said, with Army Capt. Gene LeHardy's time of 1:54:27 just an arm's length behind first-place finisher Navy Lt. Kyle Hooker's 1:53:55.
Although his time was outstanding, still it was a disappointment for LeHardy, who was named USA Triathlon Amateur Athlete of the year for 2015. "He's the No.1 triathlete in the nation, not just for the military, but everyone," Tovar noted.
LeHardy said: "I'm a bit disappointed at coming in second place. But overall, I'm beyond pleased with my performance. … Although I was unable to capture the individual overall win, I'm honored to have led the Army men's team to their first team title in 11 years."
TEAM-ORIENTED FOCUS
This is the only triathlon that's "draft-legal, so you work as a team," Tovar pointed out. "All the others, you can't draft off each other."
He explained the draft. After the swimming portion in the frigid Pacific Ocean, the Army members looked for each other and rode their bicycles in tight formation to overcome the stiff headwinds, much like geese do when flying in a V formation. It was much the same with the final running portion as well.
Some of the fast cyclists could have easily pulled ahead, but were focused on the team aspect, choosing to remain with the pack, he added.
Tovar compared the team focus to soldiering and the Warrior Ethos. "It's what Soldiers do every day to succeed," he said.
In recent years, two Army athletes won the individual events of this triathlon but the teams didn't succeed, so although it was nice, it was for naught, Tovar said.
THE TOUGHEST ATHLETES
The onus on winning wasn't necessarily on the top three Army athletes, Tovar said. The first three in the men's team were super fast -- among the fastest of all the services. The outcome of the race would depend on the rest of the pack. They would need to make up the points necessary to win. They are the ones who would have to reach down deep inside to tap every bit of their energy and emotional reserves.
THE STRATEGY
Tovar explained that the human mind, spirit and body run in cycles, being at optimum performance on some days or seasons and ebbing at others.
Peaking at the same time was the big strategy, both psychologically and physically, he said. It's similar to military tactics and training. "You plan for months in advance for an operation. It all comes down to delivering when needed."
THE TRAINING
Athletes are always training and doing races in their region, be it in Korea or around the U.S., Tovar said. All have day jobs as well, being Soldiers working in their various military occupational specialties.
A typical training day would be an hour of swimming 2,500 to 3,000 meters in the morning, doing a 3- to 5-mile run at lunch time and then in the evening 20- to 25-mile bike, he said. Usually on weekends they double the run and the biking portions. A recovery day would typically be an easy hour-long bike ride or 45-minute swim.
In December, Tovar sent out a call for applicants and selected the team based on interviews, resumes and results of recent races. Each service can field eight men and five women. However, of that total, six men and three women score for the overall team competition. The others are backups in case of injury, short-notice deployment and so on.
Tovar began coaching the Army team in 2009. Before that in 2005, he was himself a competitor in the triathlon, which the Army won that year.
Of this year's winners, he remarked: "I can't tell you how proud I am of the entire team."
RESULTS
MEN'S TEAM RESULTS
Army - 1st Place - 54 Points
2 Capt. LeHardy, Gene, Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri 1:54:27
3 Capt. Farris, Marcus, Fort Wainwright, Alaska 1:55:36
8 Capt. Stergos, Nicholas, Seoul, South Korea 1:59:11
9 Capt. Schiller, Matthew, Fort Jackson, South Carolina 2:00:43
11 Sgt. 1st Class Dressel, Nathan, Camp Williams, Utah 2:01:22
21 Capt. Holmes, Matthew, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii 2:08:26
30 Lt. Col. Tovar, Hector, Kirtland AFB, New Mexico 2:21:38
DNP 1st Lt. Martinelli, Ben, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii
Navy - 2nd Place - 61 Points
1 Lt. Hooker, Kyle, NAS Jacksonville, Florida 1:53:55
4 Lt. j.g. King, Ian, USCG Station, Norfolk, VA 1:56:49
5 Ensign Frease, Davis, Bethesda, Maryland 1:57:09
13 Lt. Cmdr. Brown, Nicholas, NS Newport, Rhode Island 2:02:13
18 Ensign Brahm, Chrisropher, Pensacola, Florida 2:04:13
20 Seaman Dannenbring, Samuel, CG Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin 2:06:26
25 Capt. Jones, Scott, San Diego, California 2:11:14
27 Lt. Trabert, Patrick, USS Albuquerque 2:14:22
Air Force - 3rd Place - 66 Points
6 Capt. King, Brett, Beale AFB, California 1:57:29
7 Capt. Bischoff, Joel, Luke AFB, Arizona 1:57:42
10 Capt. Tonder, Scott, JBSA-Fort Sam Houston 2:01:06
12 Maj. Corigliano, Kenneth, MacDill AFB, Florida 2:01:51
14 1st Lt. Bierman, John, Buckley AFB, Colorado 2:02:41
17 Capt. Dunn, Mike, Buckley AF, Colorado 2:03:16
23 1st Lt. Wise, Lee, Wright-Patterson AFB 2:10:30
DNP Lt. Col. Mason, Jonathan Fort Bragg, North Carolina
Marine Corps - 4th Place - 122 Points
15 Master Sgt. Hilton, Robert, Camp Pendleton, California 2:02:57
16 Capt. Scovel, Thomas, NSB Kings Bay, Georgia 2:02:58
19 Lt. Col. Steele, David, USCENTCOM, Forida 2:05:07
22 Maj. Hickson, Peter, MCAS Yuma, Arizona 2:08:42
24 Col. Armes, Stephen, NAB Coronado, California 2:10:43
26 Lt. Col. Hippe, Edmund, MCAS Beaufort, South Carolina 2:12:37
28 Lt. Col. Galvin, Joseph, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina 2:14:28
29 Gunnery Sgt. Schocken, Arthur, Fort Huachuca, Arizona 2:14:38
WOMEN TEAM RESULTS
Army - 1st Place - 13 Points
3 Capt. Franzese, Samone, Fort Bragg, North Carolina 2:14:42
4 1st Lt. Emge, Justine, Columbia, Missouri 2:16:15
6 Capt. Ressler, Alexis, Burlington, Vermont 2:17:54
19 Capt. Smith, Kathryn, Bethesda, Maryland 2:48:18
DNP Capt. Krueger, Christine, Fort Jackson, South Carolina
Marine Corps - 2nd Place - 18 Points
2 1st Lt. Hebda, Mollie, Camp Pendleton, California 2:12:17
7 Capt. Taranto, Christine, Quantico, Virginia 2:18:00
9 1st Lt Darmody, Kellie, MCB Butler, Japan 2:20:15
12 1st Lt. Randolph, Colleen, Camp Pendleton, California 2:23:53
15 1st Lt. Nuar, Catherine, MCB Butler, Japan 2:36:57
Air Force - 3rd Place - 23 Points
1 Maj. Coyle, Judith, JB Lewis-McChord, Washington 2:11:03
8 Maj. Turner, Jamie, JB Charleston, South Carolina 2:18:53
14 Staff Sgt. Bergquist, Amanda, Fairchild AFB Washington 2:34:51
16 1st Lt. Jones, Katherine, Incirlik AB, Turkey 2:41:51
17 Maj. Hopper, Christina, Vance AFB, Oklahoma 2:43:29
Navy - 4th Place - 26 Points
5 Lt. j.g. Kawamura, Jessica, NS San Diego, California 2:17:28
10 Lt. j.g. Bochner, Elizabeth, NAS Coronadao, California 2:20:56
11 Lt. Cmdr. O'connor, Collen, NS San Diego, California 2:21:14
13 Ensign Hippe, Erica, NAS Whiting Field, Florida 2:28:25
18 Ensign Rist, Konnor, US Naval Academy, Maryland 2:47:31
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