Courtesy Photo | Rodney Carson, Army Warrior Games head track coach, uses a megaphone to encourage...... read more read more
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By Craig Coleman
Northern Regional Medical Command
EL PASO, Texas – The culmination of months and, in some cases, years of healing and reconditioning through adaptive sports training comes to a head as some of the Army’s top track and field athletes recovering from serious wounds, injuries or illnesses compete for the chance to represent the Army in inter-service competition this summer.
About 80 wounded, ill and injured Soldiers and veterans are after one of the 45 available spots on the Department of Defense Warrior Games 2015 Army Team, June 19 - 28, at Marine Corps Base, Quantico, Virginia.
Although the runners have not yet been selected, Rodney Carson, Army Warrior Games head track coach, is optimistic about his team’s chances when the competition with the other services begins.
“Overall, we’re looking solid,” Carson said. “Like last year, we expect to win 30-plus medals, which helped overall in winning the Chairman’s Cup.”
Track and field awards the largest number of individual medals at the Department of Defense Warrior Games, and the team with the most medals wins the Chairman’s Cup.
Carson said he expects Army track to sweep some events, including sprints and the 1,500 meter run.
“Our females, last year, swept the 1,500 meters and it’s looking like we’re going to do that again,” Carson said.
Sgt. 1st Class Sam Goldenstein, Walter Reed Warrior Transition Battalion, Bethesda, Maryland, and Sgt. 1st Class Katie Kuiper, Warrior Transition Battalion, Fort Sam Houston, San Antonio, Texas, who are also excellent cyclists, were a part of the Army team 1,500 meter medal sweep in 2014. Added to the mix is U.S. Army Sgt. Madeleine Morales, Fort Hood Warrior Transition Brigade, who, although primarily a sprinter, Carson plans to run in the 1,500.
“My personal feeling about her is that she’s a quick learner and she has improved times 10 in a short amount of time,” Carson said.
Look for big things from Spc. Terry Cartwright. The Warrior Transition Brigade National Capital Region Soldier put in one of the best performances of the regional trials in March during an Arctic-like storm that included snow and freezing rain. Carson said his 1,500 meter time in regional trials would have won the Army trials last year. “He came around on the back stretch and just accelerated. I’m going to run him in some middle distance races and maybe some sprints.” Look for Cartwright to participate in the 400, 800 and 1,500 meter events.
A strong male sprinter returning to the trials this year is Army Reserve Spc. Quintarious Almon, Warrior Transition Battalion, Fort Benning, Georgia, who won gold two years ago at the Warrior Games held at the U.S. Air Force Academy and took the silver medal in last year’s games as well.
“He has been a strong sprinter for us,” Carson said. “He guns up when it’s time to gun up.”
Also look for strong performances from U.S. Army National Guard Sgt. Craig Netter, Warrior Transition Brigade Fort Hood and U.S. Army Reserve Sgt. Zedrik Pitts, Fort Bliss.
Carson said that watching these Soldiers compete is exciting, but there is another side to the competition. He sees sports as a confidence-builder that can help wounded warriors reach their best levels of recovery.
“You see the level of confidence build up and that feeling of accomplishment, even on a daily basis,” Carson said. “They just build on that and we tell them, there’s a lot more than what you’re doing here in track and field. You can take that into your personal life and use it as a stepping stone to get on the right path.”
| Date Taken: | 04.01.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 04.01.2015 15:24 |
| Story ID: | 158816 |
| Location: | EL PASO, TX, US |
| Web Views: | 172 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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