One thing that four of the 10 players selected to the All-Air Force softball tryout camps have in common: Been there, done that.
Chris “Moose” Bast of South Korea’s Kunsan Air Base, Chris Markey and Michael Jenkins of Osan Air Base, South Korea, and Michele Polachek of Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, will return to camp to help Air Force defend its dual championships in the All-Armed Forces tournaments.
The Pacific Air Forces foursome counts 13 total All-Air Force and eight All-Armed Forces selections between them, Markey five and four, Jenkins three and two, and Bast four and two. Polachek was named All-Air Force for the first time last year.
Selected for the first time to the All-Air Force camps, according to e-mail messages received from men’s coach Steve “Pup” Shortland and women’s coach Cheryl Trapnell, were Michael Charvat and Jessica Meadows of Kadena Air Base, Okinawa; Travis Haywood of Misawa Air Base, Japan; Chelsea Kemper of Yokota Air Base, Japan; Samantha Ward of Osan; and Jennifer Hardy of Kunsan.
All told, 16 women and 24 men will vie for spots on the All-Air Force team playing in the All-Armed Forces tournament Sept. 18-24 at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Fla. Air Force women’s camp is at nearby Tyndall Air Force Base and the men’s camp at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., Aug. 25-Sept. 17.
Players selected to the All-Armed Forces team will next play at the Amateur Softball Association national championship tournament Sept. 30-Oct. 4 at ASA’s Oklahoma City headquarters.
