Sports News

MILLINGTON, Tenn. – The 2009 Armed Forces Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships wrapped up competition late Sunday night with the Navy women and the Air Force men taking gold medals in their respective divisions. The Navy women finished up strong with a record of 5-1, taking gold for the second consecutive year, while the Air Force men swept the competition away with a record of 6-0, clinching their fourth consecutive title.

The competition took place this year at the Naval Support Activity Mid-South in Millington, Tenn.

Navy guard (Yeoman Third Class) Syreeta Bromfield-Kemp, of the U.S. Coast Guard Training Center Cape May, N.J., led the Navy team to gold with 98 points, 73 rebounds, and 13 assists for the week. Bromfield-Kemp, the team captain, pushed her teammates hard to win their second gold medal in two years.

"We really did a gut check, and everybody brought something to the games; I'm so proud of the team," Bromfield-Kemp said. "It was awesome this week. It was kind of ruff when we started out, but I think we finally realized we could do it so we came together and we won. It feels so good to get my second gold. Woo!"

The All-Navy women's team dominated the championship series with a team total of 385 points, 231 rebounds, and 65 percent free-throw average. Head coach (Lt.) Samuel Caldwell attributed the win to the abilities of the guards.

"The women fought hard this week," Caldwell said. "We knew the Air Force was going to come out and try to be a spoiler by keeping us from making history with back to back gold medals. (Air Force head coach) Dale Carpenter is very capable head coach, I highly respect the guy. I knew he was going to have the Air Force ready to come out to play, but I think we have the best guards here collectively. I think they proved they were the best here with tonight's win and a second gold medal."

Air Force forward (Senior Airman) Jammar Major, from Hurlburt Field in Fort Walton Beach, Fla., led the men's team to a fourth consecutive gold medal with 61 points, 30 rebounds, and a free throw average of 75 percent. Major contributes the team's superior conditioning as the main factor for the Air Force's success.

"The last game was a heart filled game, because the Marines came to play," Major said. "They were all that stood between us and another gold medal, but we finished them off for the gold. I think we are the best conditioned team out here and that was a huge factor in our win."

The Air Force men's team racked up 377 points and grabbed 180 rebounds during the week-long championship series leading them to a historical fourth consecutive gold medal. Head coach John Bailey understands history; he has been part of the Air Force team for more than a decade and knew the games would be tough.

"I played on this team for 10 consecutive years, and now I'm coaching," Bailey said. "It's an incredible feat for me. The wins this week were hard fought. Every team came out here and challenged because we had a target on our backs with three in a row gold medals. My guys refused to lose. We stayed with our game plan and prevailed. It's so sweet to win the gold; we left no doubt with our fourth consecutive championship."

12 May:
(W) Navy def Marine Corps 91-63; (M) Marine Corps def Navy 86-72; (W) Air Force def Army 58-52; (M) Air Force def Army 62-59

16 May:
(W) Air Forces def Marine Corps 79-44; (M) Air Force def Marine Corps 69-65; (W) Army def Navy 74-70; (M) Navy def Army 82-80

17 May:
(W) Navy def Air Force 70-62; (M) Air Force def Navy 100-93; (W) Army def Marine Corps 61-51; (M) Army def Marine Corps 74-69

OST TOURNAMENT TEAMS

Second Lieutenant Monica Mason (Air Force) Tyndall Air Base, FL
Hull Technician Fireman Morgan Petite (Navy) USS Harry S. Truman
Corporal Nicole Torres (Marine Corps) Marine Corp Air Station Cherry Point, NC
Specialist Aquanita Burras (Army) Fort Bragg, NC
Yeoman 3rd Class Syreeta Bromfield-Kemp, U. S. Coast Guard

Yeoman 2nd Class Jason Jefferson (Navy) Navy Recruiting District Atlanta, GA
Second Lieutenant Matthew McCraw (Air Force) Malstrom Air Force Base, MT
Staff Sergeant Jelani Nix (Marine Corps) Okinawa, Japan
Second Lieutenant Danny Nwaelele (Air Force) Keesler Air Force Base, MSAviation Administrator 3rd Class Brandon Newman (Navy) Fleet Readiness Center, New Orleans, LA

WOMEN’S ALL ARMED FORCES TEAM
 Note:  The team will reassemble in July at Fort Hood, TX to prepare for the 2009 Tournament of Stars National Basketball Tournament, 7-9 August at Lake Charles, LA
Yeoman 3rd Class Syreeta Bromfield-Kemp, U.S. Coast Guard
Hull Technician Fireman Morgan Petite (Navy) USS Harry S. Truman
Specialist Aquanita Burras (Army) Fort Bragg, NC
Aviation Boatswain Mate Tysheka Simpson (Navy) Second Fleet Headquarters
Second Lieutenant Monica Mason (Air Force) Tyndall Air Base, FL
Sergeant Shamyra Daigle (Army) Fort Bragg, NC
Senior Airman Willimina Folks (Air Force) MacDill Air, FL
Captain Caitlin Chiaramonte (Army) Fort Benning, GA
Master at Arms Seaman Katherine O’Hara (Navy) Strategic Weapons Facility Pacific
Airman First Class Talia Johnson (Air Force) Eglin Air Force Base, FL
Staff Sergeant Tarina Loyd (Army) Ansbach, Germany
Senior Airman Muneerah Williams (Air Force) Dyess Air Force Base, TX
HEAD COACH: Lieutenant Samuel Caldwell (Navy) Naval Base Norfolk, VA
ASST COACH: Technical Sergeant Darryl Carpenter (Air Force) Travis Air Force Base, CA
OFFICER IN CHARGE : Ms. Claudia Berwager (Army) Fort Indiantown Gap, PA
ALTERNATES:
Private First Class Doretha Stanley (Army) Fort Stewart, GA
Airman First Class Richere Harrison (Air Force) Tyndall Air Force Base, FL
Seaman Shardea Jones (Navy) Transient Personnel Unit, San Diego, CA
Private First Class Theais Edmonds (Army) Fort Bragg, NC
Airman First Class Brittney Vines (Air Force) Robins Air Force Base, NC
Aviation Warfare Systems Operator 3rd Class Ameda Jackson (Navy) Okinawa, Japan

MEN’S ALL ARMED FORCES TEAM
Note: The team will represent the U.S. Armed Forces in the 49th CISM World Military Men’s Basketball Championship, 7-14 June 2009 in Klaipeda, Lithuania.  The team won the CISM Championship in 2008.
Second Lieutenant Matthew McCraw (Air Force) Malstrom Air Force Base, MT
Sergeant Ron Bartley (Army) Fort Lee, Virginia
Aviation Administrator 3rd Class Brandon Newman (Navy) Fleet Readiness Center, New Orleans, LA
Second Lieutenant Danny Nwaelele (Air Force) Keesler Air Force Base, MS
Staff Sergeant Marico Gray (Air Force) Nellis Air Force Base, NV
Yeoman 2nd Class Jason Jefferson (Navy) Navy Recruiting District Atlanta, GA
Sergeant Brett Thomas (Army) Camp Stanley, Korea
Aviation Boatswain Mate Paul Darkwa (Navy) Naval Air Station Key West, FL
Second Lieutenant John Frye (Air Force) Schriever Air Force, CO
Sergeant Vernardo Harris (Army) United States Army Reserves, OK
Air Traffic Controller First Class Jarred Haynes (Navy) USS Abraham Lincoln
Sergeant Russell Queener (Army) Fort Huachuca, AZ
Head Coach: Mr. John Bailey (Air Force) Robins Air Force Base, GA
Asst Coach: Captain David Smith (Army) Los Alamitos Reserve Training Center, CA
Trainer: Captain Richard Clark (Army) United States Military Academy, West Point, NY
Team Captain; Mr. Stephen Brown (Air Forces) Randolph Air Forces Base, TX
Technical Committee Member: Mr. Carl Goad (Air Force) Robins Air Force Base, GA
Referees:
Mr. Patrick Rosenow, New Orleans, LA
Mr. Wayne Otto, Boone, NC
Ms. Oralia Guenther, San Antonio, TX
Chief of Mission: Lieutenant Colonel Peter Gedraitis (Air Force)