Last modified Wed., December 13, 2006 - 06:18 PM
Originally created Thursday, December 14, 2006

Team NAS Jax earns Xtreme regional champ berth

By Miriam S. Gallet, NAS Jax Assistant PAO

Team NAS Jax comes across the finish line in second place on day one after completing a four-mile canoe track, 16-mile mountain bike trail and an eight-mile run in four hours and 24 minutes not including time penalties they might have accrued during the day's events.

Drew Miller, Mark Lassiter, Joshua Davidson and Amanda Steele of Team NAS Jax placed third with a time of 7:55:42 in the two-day Xtreme Challenge Adventure Race Dec, 7-8 outpacing forth and fifth place finishers Team Ott and Team Kings Bay. The team's third place finish secured a spot in the upcoming regional championship Feb. 17-19 in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Team Blackout from NAS Key West placed first with a time of 7:12:04, followed by Team This Won't Take Long of NS Mayport.

NSB Kingsbay, Ga., played host to the two-day event last week during which 10 teams from NAS Key West, Naval Ordnance Test Unit, Cape Canaveral, NS Mayport, NSB Kings Bay and NAS Jax competed for an opportunity to earn an all expenses paid trip to the regional competition.

The race consisted of continuous and staged events such rock climbing and rappelling, mountain biking, cross-country running, orienteering, marksmanship, kayaking, swimming and team challenges. The cold front that swept through the South last Thursday and Friday added an unexpected dimension to the race.

Seconds after crossing the finish line, a tired but exuberant Miller, team captain and a lieutenant assigned to the Naval Oceanography Anti-Submarine Warfare Detachment, said, ''It went well considering we had to make a last minute change to our team roster. Our female active duty member, Lt. j.g. Crystyne Good broke her ankle while in training and had to be replaced. However, we pulled together and finished.''

''Amanda Steele of the NAS Jax Fitness Center was our MVP,'' explained Lassiter, an AEAN assigned to VP-30. ''Literally, 30 minutes before the start she changed and joined the team. She enabled us to not only complete the event, but we placed third and are now eligible to compete in Guantanamo in February. We all wish there were more events like this one throughout the year.''

According to Miller, the team never ran into any real problems, however, they found the rock-climbing portion of the event very difficult.

Extreme Challenge Team NAS Jax members, from left, Joshua Davidson, Mark Lassiter and Drew Miller listen attentively to Florida Trail Association Orienteering Leader John Trow as he explains the basics of orienteering during a two-hour class Dec. 2 at Westside Regional Park. Photo by Miriam S. Gallet

''It was a very cold day, something like 34-degree weather, but the wind factor, made it feel like it was in the 20's and we had to remove our gloves to hold on and grab the rocks, making our fingers numb. It was a very tough leg of the race,'' he stated. ''Also, the orienteering leg definitely kicked our butts. Finding the markers was difficult. We could get to the spot marked in the map and them would spend 15 to 20 minutes looking for the silly markers. I think for all of us, the mountain biking portion of the race was the most fun. We just had a great time riding.''

He further explained that although the competition only took less than eight hours, the training and preparation leading up to the two-day race was intense.

''We were only given seven weeks to train and the first challenge was putting a team together. Even though the Xtreme Challenge was well publicized aboard the base, the response was poor. Yet, we managed to find four active duty members, including a female to enter and compete,'' Miller stated. ''Once we had a team, we immediately pooled all our resources and started to train in all of the disciplines. Megan, Amanda, Tim and Bill at the fitness center and base gym were awesome. They assisted us every step of the way and we are very grateful for their support and for believing in us.''

NAS Jax Morale Welfare and Recreation (MWR) Fitness Director Tim McKinney summarized the adventure race as an opportunity for the Sailors to compete with other bases. ''The purpose of the event is for MWR to host a friendly competition that incorporates fitness, teamwork and camaraderie between the different bases,'' McKinney stated.

Participants in the Extreme Challenge at NSB Kings Bay, Ga., are given some safety precautions before competing. Ten teams competed in the event Dec. 7-8. The top teams from each base qualified for the Ultimate Extreme Challenge in Guatanamo Bay, Cuba in February 2007.

The next step for Team NAS Jax is to remain competitive and fit with continuous training.

''From now until February, we will definitely continue our aggressive training and focus on improving our orienteering skills,'' remarked Miller. ''We want to win in Gitmo. Therefore, we have to push ourselves beyond our limits. That is what adventure racing is all about.''The regional race in Guantanamo will consist of the top teams from each of the 22 commands assigned to Navy Region Southeast. The teams will face similar challenges as those encountered in Kings Bay, but in a completely different and unknown setting.