National Guard Combatives Tournament draws record field (OLD)

By Vince Little, The BayonetApril 1, 2010

FORT BENNING, Ga. Aca,!" A record number of entries showed up for the third annual Army National Guard Combatives Tournament Aca,!" and a female Soldier from Idaho nearly stole the show.

Organizers from the Warrior Training Center said 132 Soldiers registered this year, but two states were unable to send their teams, leaving a field of 97 at Briant Wells Fieldhouse, home of the U.S. Army Combatives School. About 35 competitors turned out a year ago, while nearly 50 took part at the inaugural event in 2008.

The top four fighters in seven weight classifications moved on from SaturdayAca,!a,,cs preliminary rounds, when limited striking was allowed under standard and intermediate rules. The cage was brought out for SundayAca,!a,,cs third-place and finals bouts, where the Soldiers battled in three 5-minute rounds using advanced techniques.

This marked the first time a cage was used in a combatives tournament at the Army level, said CPT Brian Deaton, officer in charge for the event and commander of the Warrior Training CenterAca,!a,,cs A Company. The All-Army Combatives Championship has put its finalists in a ring but might start employing the structure this fall.

The talk of the tournament, however, was SPC Elisha Helsper of the Idaho National Guard, who took on the men at flyweight and made history as the first woman to reach the finals of an Army combatives tournament.

Aca,!A"I came here expecting to take first,Aca,!A? she said. Aca,!A"I felt like I should win it.Aca,!A?

And why not' Helsper said she grew up on the mat and is known in Mixed Martial Arts circles. The 27-year-old wrestled for her high school varsity team and has a 6-2 mark in womenAca,!a,,cs MMA, including two pro fights. Last November, she lost a unanimous decision to Zoila Frausto at the Strikeforce Challengers MMA event in Fresno, Calif., which aired on Showtime.

She dominated both of her matches Saturday but ran into SFC Ryan Taniguchi of the Hawaii National Guard, a Level 4 combatives instructor, in the finals. He forced Helsper into defensive positions throughout the fight and kept up the pressure, landing a torrent of punches. But she didnAca,!a,,ct fold.

Theirs was the only title match Sunday to go the distance. After receiving the championship trophy, Taniguchi raised HelsperAca,!a,,cs hand in triumph.

Aca,!A"I feel honored to accomplish what I did,Aca,!A? she said. Aca,!A"I donAca,!a,,ct think itAca,!a,,cs sunk in yet, but I got the bruises to prove it. IAca,!a,,cm sure itAca,!a,,cll hurt tomorrow.Aca,!A?

Her face swollen as well, Helsper had a message for female Soldiers hesitant about combatives.

Aca,!A"You can do it. YouAca,!a,,cve just gotta have heart and motivation,Aca,!A? she said. Aca,!A"ItAca,!a,,cs the Army values Aca,!" never quit. ThatAca,!a,,cs what pushed me through it today.

Aca,!A"I love winning. I love competing Aca,!A| The only thing different about this is I was competing against the males.Aca,!A?

In the lightweight division, SSG Matthew Stemmler of Virginia captured the championship after stopping SSG Justin Gottke of Ohio in the first round. Stemmler, who also has MMA aspirations Aca,!" with four amateur fights in his career, won all four of his tournament matches by submission.

Aca,!A"IAca,!a,,cve learned from past mistakes when I wasnAca,!a,,ct aggressive enough,Aca,!A? he said. Aca,!A"Experience is the best thing to have in this Aca,!A| It feels good to be the best. Nobody comes down here 12 hours to lose.Aca,!A?

Stemmler has deployed three times to Iraq, but that pales to the thrill he gets from combatives, he said.

Aca,!A"I had so much adrenaline my first fight,Aca,!A? he said. Aca,!A"IAca,!a,,cve done three combat tours, and nothing compares to the rush you get when that cage door closes and thereAca,!a,,cs a guy across the ring who wants to hurt you.Aca,!A?

SSG Robert Early of Idaho connected with a big left roundhouse against SGT Adam Therriault of Illinois early in Round 1 to claim the welterweight title. The middleweight crown went to CPT Joachim Eitenmiller of Minnesota, declared the winner when MAJ Curtiss Robinson of South Carolina could not compete due to injury.

At cruiserweight, SSG Steven Elliot of California forced a first-round submission from SFC Ryan Chroninger of Idaho to pick up the championship. In an intense scrap for the heavyweight title, SSG Jeremy Christenson of Alaska scored a technical knockout in Round 2 against SGT Gregory Main of Arizona.

2LT Brandon Hern of Oregon earned the light heavyweight championship over SSG Phillip Wagoner of Rhode Island via submission in the second round. Hern, whoAca,!a,,cs attending the Infantry Officer Basic Course at Fort Benning, said the sum of his combatives experience can be traced over the past four weeks. A former collegiate wrestler at Oregon State, he went 5-0 in the tournament and credited the training he got with 2nd Battalion, 11th Infantry Regiment.

Aca,!A"They prepared me for this,Aca,!A? he said. Aca,!A"I owe it all to my brothers who trained with me the last few weeks. The adrenaline rush is like nothing I had before. I love it. CanAca,!a,,ct wait to get back in there.Aca,!A?

The Illinois National Guard amassed 171 points to claim its second team championship. It also won in 2008. Arizona and Idaho tied for runner-up.

Aca,!A"We take combatives super serious,Aca,!A? said SSG Nicholas Grant, who finished third at middleweight to help power Illinois. Aca,!A"Last year, almost the entire team was deployed to Afghanistan. We got a lot of our guys back and had a really good showing here, and itAca,!a,,cs awesome.Aca,!A?

Illinois has run combatives Level 1 and 2 classes for several years, he said, and the state is about to become the first National Guard unit to host a Level 3 course on site. A mobile training team from Fort Benning will travel there within the next year to conduct the certification.

Aca,!A"The competition factor is important, but weAca,!a,,cve always got to concentrate on what weAca,!a,,cre training for Aca,!" thatAca,!a,,cs to save lives in combat,Aca,!A? Grant said.

Deaton, the tournamentAca,!a,,cs OIC, said a larger venue might be sought if the field grows beyond 100 competitors next year.

TOP GUARD FIGHTERS

A look at the top teams (with point totals) and individual finishers by weight classification in the third annual Army National Guard Combatives Tournament, held Saturday and Sunday at Briant Wells Fieldhouse on Fort Benning, Ga.:

Teams

1. Illinois Aca,!" 171

tie-2. Arizona Aca,!" 117

tie-2. Idaho Aca,!" 117

4. Minnesota Aca,!" 110

Flyweight

1. SFC Ryan Taniguchi, Hawaii

2. SPC Elisha Helsper, Idaho

3. SPC Jacob Schommer, Minnesota

Lightweight

1. SSG Matthew Stemmler, Virginia

2. SSG Justin Gottke, Ohio

3. SPC Erik Cabral-Garibay

Welterweight

1. SSG Robert Early, Idaho

2. SGT Adam Therriault, Illinois

3. SGT Joshua Fridgen, Minnesota

Middleweight

1. CPT Joachim Eitenmiller, Minnesota

2. MAJ Curtiss Robinson, South Carolina

3. SSG Nicholas Grant, Illinois

Cruiserweight

1. SSG Steven Elliot, California

2. SFC Ryan Chroninger, Idaho

3. SGT Neil Magny, Illinois

Light Heavyweight

1. 2LT Brandon Hern, Oregon

2. SSG Phillip Wagoner, Rhode Island

3. SSG Jacob Torrez, Washington

Heavyweight

1. SSG Jeremy Christenson, Alaska

2. SGT Gregory Main, Arizona

3. SGT Andres Behrens, Arizona