By Gina Cavallaro – Staff writer
Posted : Wednesday Sep 23, 2009 5:49:07 EDT

A team of 14 soldiers from Fort Campbell, Ky., took first place at the Army Combatives Tournament on Sunday at Fort Benning, Ga.

The victory marked the Campbells first team win at the competition. Another first was the participation of Col. Thomas MacDonald, Fort Benning garrison commander, who became the highest ranking fighter in the tournaments five-year history.

MacDonald didnt make it to the finals, but he says thats not a bad thing.

The Benning tournament [this summer] was harder on me because I got to the striking phase in that one, MacDonald said, referring to the final rounds in a combatives tournament in which competitors are allowed to strike one another with open hands. I didnt get far enough in this one, so Im in much better shape.

MacDonald, who trains three times a week in combatives, lost in preliminary rounds to an opponent from Fort Sam Houston, Texas.

I put him in my guard and I was unable to sweep him out before time ran out, MacDonald said, adding, I tried some submissions and sweeps, but he was able to stay up there.

MacDonald said he did some after-action reviews on his fights and plans to make some adjustments to his technique before next years tournament.

The three-day tournament began with weigh-ins Thursday and saw the participation of 318 soldiers from across the Army, with some coming from as far away as Japan and Iraq.

Seven female soldiers fought in the preliminary rounds, though none made it to the finals. But participation by women was up from four who took part in last years tournament and up from two who fought in 2007.

Though medics treated injuries such as compressions, concussions, and lacerations, all soldiers were returned to duty status, said Fort Benning public affairs specialist Brenda Donnell.

The final team standings were determined by the total number of points accumulated by each teams 14 individual fighters, or two soldiers per weight class.

Here are the final team standings along with the winners in the tournaments seven weight classes:

Team Standings
1. Fort Campbell, Ky.

2. 3rd Infantry Division

3. Fort Riley, Kan.

4. Fort Lewis, Wash.

5. 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team

6. Fort Benning, Ga.

7. Fort Hood, Texas

8. 3rd Special Forces Group

9. Fort Knox, Ky.

10. 75th Ranger Regiment

Flyweight (125 pounds)
1. Sgt. Joe Clark, Fort Lewis, Wash.

2. Staff Sgt. Nate Ford, Fort Benning, Ga.

3. Sgt. Grover Muirheid, Fort Campbell, Ky.

4. Staff Sgt. Shawn Pretat, Fort Knox, Ky.

Lightweight (140 pounds)
1. Capt. Ken Laird, Fort Carson, Colo.

2. Capt. Neil Chitwood, SROTC Battalion, Capital University, Bexley, Ohio

3. Staff Sgt. Keith Bach, 3rd Infantry Division

4. Capt. Kenton Stenrose, Fort Stewart, Ga.

Welterweight (155 pounds)
1. Staff Sgt. Pedro Lacerda, 75th Ranger Regiment

2. Staff Sgt. Michael Robinson, Fort Jackson, S.C.

3. Spc. Matthew McGee, 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade

4. Sgt. 1st Class Donnie Bowen, Fort Campbell, Ky.

Middleweight (170 pounds)
1. Staff Sgt. Jacob South, 95th Division

2. Sgt. Walter Bubenzer, Fort Knox, Ky.

3. Capt. Jonas Bray, Fort Benning, Ga.

4. Sgt. Raymond Pintor, Tripler Army Medical Center, Hawaii

Cruiserweight (185 pounds)
1. Lt. Col. Larry McCord, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment

2. Staff Sgt. Colton Smith, 3rd Infantry Regiment, Old Guard

3. Sgt. Andrew McLauchlan, 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team

4. 2nd Lt. Daniel Midget, Fort Benning, Ga.

Light Heavyweight (up to 205 pounds)
1. Staff Sgt. John Gendron, 75th Ranger Regiment

2. Sgt. 1st Class Jared Roy, Fort Detrick, Md.

3. Sgt. 1st Class Rich Miranda, 3rd Special Forces Group

4. Spc. Guillermo Villa, Tripler Army Medical Center, Hawaii

Heavyweight (over 205 pounds)
1. Staff Sgt. Brandon Sayles, 3rd Infantry Division

2. Sgt. Nathan Freeman, 3rd Infantry Division

3. Staff Sgt. Lonnie Kincaid, Fort Riley, Kan.

4. Sgt. Ryan McCracken, Fort Hood, Texas