level of competition, but we also focus on
getting our guys the experience they need
to improve.”
The tournament featured what is called
pull-through bracketing: a single elimination format that allows for wrestlers—
whose first loss comes at the hands of an
eventual finalist—to compete for third
place against the others in his bracket
who lost to that same finalist.
One of the Marines present, Sergeant
David Arendt, advanced to the final match
in the 265-pound weight class, where he
squared off with the reigning world champion, Mijail Lopez of Cuba.
Although Arendt was defeated in the
match, he said the experience he gained
in the tournament will be invaluable to his
progression in the sport.
“Competition is what drives you in this
sport,” said Arendt, a rifleman and Operation Iraqi Freedom veteran. “There’s
nothing fun about losing, but we are out
here with the world’s best, pushing to improve ourselves.”
The Cristo Lutte was just one of many
tournaments the All-Marine wrestlers
compete in each year. At this level in the
sport, Hicks said each tournament is a
stepping-stone for the wrestlers to achieve
their ultimate goal, wrestling for the U.S.
Olympic team.
“In addition to our mission of promoting the Marine Corps through wrestling,
one of our ultimate goals is to put Marines on the Olympic wrestling team,”
Hicks said. “It’s an Olympic year, so we
compete in tournaments like these to get
our Marines ready to try out for the national team.
“When it comes to being successful,
wrestling and being a Marine have a lot
of things in common. You have to have
the physical and mental strength to get
through the hard parts, and the dedication, discipline and perseverance to succeed. These Marines have all of those
traits, and that’s why they succeed on and
off the mat.”
Second Lt Justine Whipple trains for the 4th Military World Games at America the Beautiful Park, Colorado
Springs, Colo., in October 2007. (Photo by PO1 Joaquin Juatai, USN)
Sgt Rocco DeFilippis
PAO, MARFOREUR
with the second-place finish. “It was great
to get an opportunity to represent the U.S.
here. It was a great race.”
SSG Brian D. Lehnhardt, USA
U.S. Armed Forces Sports Public Affairs
Marine Triathlete Wins Silver
During Military World Games
■ Marine Second Lieutenant Justine
Whipple captured the first silver medal
ever won by the United States military
women’s team in the triathlon during the
4th Military World Games, which were
held in Mumbai and Hyderabad, India,
during October 2007.
For Whipple, finishing second did not
come easily. “The race started a little rough.
We [the team] were separated from the
main pack of girls. … There were a couple of girls around me to swim with. So
when we got out of the water, I composed
myself and got on the bike.
“I was fortunate to have another girl to
ride with. … We worked together phenomenally. We were both willing to take
turns pulling each other until we caught
up with the main group by the third lap
where we kind of sat up because they were
actually going pretty slow.”
Whipple didn’t know how well she was
doing until someone told her. “When I
got to the run, my stomach was a bit jostled, but I just went with it. I didn’t go out
too hard, just kind of watched the girls
and amazingly [I caught up to them], and
I didn’t realize what place I was in until
somebody yelled at me and I realized the
girl ahead of me was winning the race.”
At that point, Whipple said she had
given all she could give and was happy
Instilling Core Values:
Coast Guard Team Visits Parris Island
■ A team from the Coast Guard Training
Center in Cape May, N.J., visited Marine
Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, S.C.,
during January to review recruit training
procedures and to see where they can
make changes in their own recruit training program.
“The training center command visited
all four [U.S. Armed Forces] recruit training centers to get a feel for where we are
at in comparison to other services,” said
Coast Guard Master Chief Steve Dyke-
