An official website of the United States government
A .mil website belongs to an official U.S. Department of Defense organization in the United States.
A lock (lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .mil website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Article Display

Air Force Wrestling Team take to the mat at JB MDL

  • Published
  • By Christian Deluca
  • Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst Public Affairs
JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, N.J. --  In a sweatbox of a building called the fight house, on the Dix side of JB MDL, members of the U.S Air Force Wrestling Team roll-up large wrestling mats, signifying the end of a grueling six-week training camp and the beginning of a competitive journey, one that could take them all the way to the Olympic Games.

The camp was in preparation for the annual Armed Forces Wrestling Championships, currently being held at Naval Base KITSAP, Bremerton, Wash. The event, where the best wrestlers from the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps compete in three of the sports disciplines (men's freestyle, women's freestyle and Greco-Roman), is heralded as one of the most intense wrestling competitions of the year.

"(It) is one of the best tournaments in the U.S." said Floyd Winter, U.S. Air Force Wrestling Team coach, "Not only is there the rivalry between the services, but also, the talent is so condensed. The Army has four Olympians and eight National Champions. The other teams train year-long and compete in tournaments in Europe and Asia."

The fact that the Air Force is only able to train for six-weeks prior to the event is one of the hardest obstacles they have to overcome, but Winter, who holds 13 gold medals from the event, has coached the Army team and has been a member of the Olympic coaching squad, says it's definitely one they can hurdle.

"It makes our job very arduous," Winter said, "Some of these guys haven't wrestled in three or four years. They come here, not quite in the shape they need to be. You can't stay in top wrestling shape when you're out doing your day-to-day job. Even if you work-out or lift weights. It's a different type of conditioning."

Twenty-one Airmen from all around the world came to JB MDL to participate in the camp and compete for a spot on the team. At the end of the six-weeks, 13 remained.

During the camp, coach Winter and assistant coach Stephen Horton, who started wrestling when he was six, was a three-time Missouri State Champion and U.S. Open National Champion, ran them through the paces. They split-up the day-long practices between conditioning and mat work. Winter said getting the team in to their optimum shape in such a short time was a thin line to walk.

"When you bring in 20 guys who haven't been wrestling year round, you have to think 'do I slack off and do less so they don't get hurt. Or, do I push them to get in shape and wrestle them hard," he said.

1st Lt. Brandon Mueller, Kirtland AFB, N.M., who took 3rd in the Wisconsin State Championships and now coaches a high school team, said the transition from coaching to training everyday was difficult and rewarding.

"The level of intensity is taxing on your body," he said. "Your mind remembers how you used to wrestle, how hard you can push. Then you start doing that. But since you haven't been on the mat often, you end up getting banged up."

A number of wrestlers had to take time off the mat during camp due to minor injuries.

1st Lt. Gabrian Martinez, Schriever Air Force Base, Colo said coming back to the sport after a hiatus has been a great experience so far.

"A lot of us didn't think we would be wrestling out of the academy," said Martinez, former Colorado State wrestling champion. "So it was nice to train and be in that environment again, working hard and beating each other up."

"It certainly was an environment I missed," 1st Lt. Clayton Gable, Buckley AFB, Colo, and former Pennsylvania State wrestling champion said. "We all coach and wrestle, and try to keep the dream alive till we get another shot. Then Floyd (Winter) pulled us out of retirement."

Mueller, Martinez and Gable wrestled together for four years at Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo.

Winter said all the hard work will pay off at the tournament and he expects great things from the team, which is the best he's coached in a while.

"We trained for six weeks," he said "And I expect medals from all of them."

Although an annual event, this year The Armed Forces Wrestling Championship is also a part of the Olympic trial qualifier series, with the champion of the Greco-Roman division moving on to the Olympic Team Trials in Iowa City, IA. Up to eight spots will be up for grabs at the tournament.

Members of the team are excited about the opportunity of moving up and potentially represent their country in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil this summer. But, Gable said they have to focus on one thing at a time.

"I don't even think about it," he said. "I just think about today and I'm thinking about the Armed Forces Championship."

A strategy that coach Winter agrees with.

"I just tell them. Put your shoes on and go get 'em," he said. "That's all you gotta do."

This year's team consists of:

Capt. Kurt Spranger, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH.
1st Lt. Clayton Gable, Buckley AFB, Colo.
1st Lt. Gabrian Martinez, Schriever Air Force Base, Colo.
1st Lt. Brandon Mueller, Kirtland AFB, N.M.
Master Sgt. Sherwin Severin, Joint Base Anacosta-Bolling, D.C.
Staff Sgt. Randy Duncan, RAF Mildenhall, UK
Staff Sgt. Jeffrey Zastrow, Elgin, AFB, Fla.
Senior Airman Thomas Domerese, JB Lagley Eustis, Va.
Senior Airman Jorge Hernandez, Hurlburt Field AFB, Fla.
Senior Airman Brandon Johnson, Fairchild AFB, Wa.
Senior Airman Tyler Knepper, RAF Lakenheath, UK
Airman 1st Class Joey Garza, JB Elmendorf-Richardson, AK
Airman 1st Class Tyler Westlund Wright-Patterson AFB, OH

For more information about the championship or to watch a live stream of the matches go to the Armed Forces Sports website at http://armedforcessports.defense.gov/