News>AF represents in Warrior Games track, field events
Photos
Jeff Odom take part in the track and field competition May 4, 2012, during the 2012 Warrior Games at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo. This was Odom's first year competing in the games and he earned two medal in field events. (U.S. Air Force photo/Val Gempis)
Kevin Murphy throws the shot put May 4, 2012, during the 2012 Warrior Games at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo. Murphy won the gold medal in men's standing shot put open category. (U.S. Air Force photo/Val Gempis)
Keith Sekora prepares to throw a discus during the track and field competition of Warrior Games 2012 at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo., May 4, 2012. Sekura is with the Air Force team. (U.S. Air Force photo by Val Gempis/Released)
Athletes take part in a track and field competition May 4, 2012, during the Warrior Games at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Air Force photo/Val Gempis)
Ramina Oraha's hand is taped to her wheelchair by a coach as she before competing in the women's wheelchair shot put competition May 4, 2012, during the 2012 Warrior Games at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo. Oraha is a member of the Air Force team. (U.S. Air Force photo/Val Gempis)
by Tech. Sgt. Mareshah Haynes
Defense Media Activity
5/7/2012 - COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AFNS) -- The Air Force team brought home nine medals in track and field events May 4 here during the 3rd annual Warrior Games.
On the field, Jennifer Stone clutched the silver medal for Air Force in women's shot put open combined with a throw of 10.6m.
The Air Force men represented well with two track medals and six field event medals.
Team Air Force newcomer Mike Sanders won the bronze in the men's 1500m run open with a time of 6:02. Veteran Ryan McGuire earned silver in the men's 1500m run lower body category.
In the field events the Air Force men's team was successful and three first time competitors brought medals back for the Air Force.
Rookie Jeff Odom won the gold in men's wheelchair discus throw with a distance of 16.37m and silver in the men's wheelchair shot put with a distance of 5.66m, just .3m behind first place. He also finished in fourth place in three out of four track events.
"For only being in a racing chair for two weeks, I have to be pretty pleased with how things turned out," he said. "I started out kind of rusty and nervous but with each race I got progressively better.
"I wanted to win, and I wanted to do really well," Odom said. "I still think I did well. I think I want to continue racing especially. I've already signed up for another track meet."
Fellow newcomers Kevin Murphy and Christopher Aguilera also snagged hardware for the Air Force. Murphy took first place in men's shot put open combined with a distance of 12.84m. Aguilera earned the bronze in both the men's shot put other standing and men's discus throw other standing with distances of 10.31m and 32.92m, respectively.
"It was pretty dramatic," Murphy said of his gold medal win. "I won on my final toss of the day, and ended up winning by about a centimeter. On the last one I tried to take some of the loft of it and just tried to throw a straight rocket and it ended up winning for me."
Veteran Damian Orslene rounded out the winnings with a bronze medal in the men's discus throw other seated with a distance of 28.02m.
