Semper Fit Announces U.S. Marine Corps Athletes of the Year

1. CAPTAIN KRISTIN L. MCCANN AND CAPTAIN JOSEPH D.
HICKS WERE NAMED U.S. MARINE CORPS FEMALE AND MALE ATHLETES OF THE
YEAR FOR 2002. CAPT MCCANN, STATIONED AT MCOTEA, QUANTICO, VA, AND
CAPT HICKS STATIONED AT III MEF, OKINAWA, WILL BE HONORED ALONG WITH
ATHLETES FROM THE NAVY, ARMY, AIR FORCE AND COAST GUARD AT THE
"PRIDE OF THE NATION" AWARDS BANQUET. THE UNITED STATES MILITARY
SPORTS ASSOCIATION WILL HOST THE EVENT ON 28 MARCH 2003 AT THE
CRYSTAL GATEWAY MARRIOTT IN ARLINGTON, VA.
2. CAPTAIN MCCANN DISTINGUISHED HERSELF AT THE ARMED FORCES
CROSS-COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIP AND THE ARMED FORCES MARATHON
CHAMPIONSHIP. AS A MEMBER OF THE ALL-MARINE TEAM, SHE PLACED THIRD
AT THE ARMED FORCES CROSS-COUNTRY AND QUALIFIED FOR THE CONSEIL
INTERNATIONAL DU SPORT MILITAIRE CHAMPIONSHIP. LATER IN THE YEAR,
AS A MEMBER OF ALL-MARINE HALF MARATHON TEAM, CAPT MCCANN WAS THE
FIRST WOMAN FINISHER AND LED THE MARINE TEAM TO VICTORY, CAPTURING
THE WARRIORS FROM THE SEA CHALLENGE CUP. IN OCTOBER, AS A MEMBER OF
THE ALL-MARINE MARATHON TEAM, SHE WAS THE SEVENTH WOMAN FINISHER AT
THE MARINE CORPS MARATHON, AGAIN A KEY MEMBER OF THE MARINE WOMEN'S
VICTORY IN THE CHALLENGE CUP COMPETITION. CAPT MCCANN COMPETED IN
FIVE MILITARY COMPETITIONS AND WAS A SCORING MEMBER OF THREE
ALL-MARINE TEAMS IN 2002.
3. CAPTAIN JOSEPH D. HICKS WON DOUBLE GOLD MEDALS AT THE ARMED
FORCES CHAMPIONSHIP IN THE GRECO-ROMAN AND FREESTYLE COMPETITIONS IN
THE 96-KILO WEIGHT CLASS. HE WAS THE BRONZE MEDALIST AT THE U.S.
NATIONALS AND A BRONZE MEDALIST AT THE WORLD TEAM TRIALS WHICH
QUALIFIED HIM TO BE A MEMBER OF THE U.S. NATIONAL TEAM. CAPT HICKS
HAD THE BEST PERFORMANCE BY A U.S. MARINE WRESTLER WITH A FOURTH
PLACE FINISH AT THE CONSEIL INTERNATIONAL DU SPORT MILITAIRE
CHAMPIONSHIP HELD IN ESTONIA. AS A MEMBER OF THE ALL-MARINE TEAM,
CAPT HICKS HAS ALSO BEEN A SCORER IN SEVERAL INTERNATIONAL MATCHES.
REPRESENTING THE SPORT OF WRESTLING, CAPT HICKS WAS THE MALE ATHLETE
OF THE YEAR IN 1997.