11th ADA wins Fort Bliss Commander’s Cup swim meet

16th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment
Story by Sgt. Robert Golden

Date: 11.08.2012
Posted: 04.17.2013 13:44
News ID: 105357
11th ADA wins Fort Bliss Commander’s Cup swim meet

FORT BLISS, Texas– Soldiers from 11th Air Defense Artillery Brigade won the Commander’s Cup Swim Meet with 232 points at the Fort Bliss Replica Aquatic Center Nov. 8.

Ninety-six members of Team Bliss hit the lanes to compete with 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, finishing in second place followed by Joint Task Force North in third place.

For the 72 men and 24 women from units across the base, the swim meet was another chance to add points to their unit’s standing in the Commander’s Cup Competition.

“That really spurred the competition to come out,” said Lauren Renz, the aquatics program manager for the Fort Bliss Morale, Welfare and Recreation program. “We were getting registrations up to the last minute.”

With so many people registered to participate, the competition ran from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. each day of the event and the competitors were in the pool by 5 a.m. to warm up.

The swim meet consisted of 22 solo and relay events that tested the strength and endurance of the competitors. Medals were awarded to the first and second place finishers for male and female age groups 34-and-under and 35-and-over.

This swim meet was well done,” said Marine Corps Maj. James Lenard, regional planner with Joint Task Force North, Biggs Army Airfield. “I did the event two years ago before the pool was shut down and this event was done first class.

The Commander’s Cup did not have a swim event last year due to renovation being performed on the aquatic center.

“For it being two years, we had a really decent turn out,” said Renz. “We are really happy with it.”

The final results of the swim meet can be seen on the Fort Bliss MWR Sport’s page at www.facebook.com/teamblisssports.