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JBLM soldier leads Army women to gold

Solana wins at Marine Corps Marathon

Courtesy photo Nicole Solana, third from right, was part of the All-Army marathon team that won gold at the Marine Corps Marathon in Washington, D.C. Oct. 30.

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When running in a race with more than 19,000 in Washington, D.C., finishing in the top 30 would usually be a great accomplishment. Captain Nicole Solana, flight surgeon with the 16th Combat Aviation Brigade, was disappointed in her time of 3:13:58 — good for the 30th best time among all female runners at the 41st annual Marine Corps Marathon.

Disappointment didn’t last long; she was part of the All-Army women’s marathon team that earned gold during the 2016 Armed Forces Marathon Championship, which runs within the Marine Corps Marathon.

The All-Army women were led by Capt. Meghan Curran (Army Reserve, Colo.) with a time of 2:53:28. That was the second fastest time among female runners. Specialist Susan Tanui (Fort Riley, Kan.) was 12th overall with a time of 3:06:26.

“That’s really what clinched the gold,” Solana said. “I’m not giving myself any credit here, but overall, the team did great.”

The reason for Solana’s humble opinion of her performance is she knows she has done better at the Marine Corps Marathon. In her first year with the All-Army team in 2012, she finished ninth among all female runners with a time of 2:59:38.

Her times have slowed a bit since then. In 2014, she was 23rd among females with a time of 3:10:11. She did a little better last year with a time of 3:09:01 for the 20th best female time.

This was the first year the All-Army team won the gold medal during Solana’s time with the team, which has won its share of silver and bronze medals against other military branches.

“It’s just nice to represent and finally get that gold,” Solana said.

Solana has built connections with not only her male and female Army runners, but also with other services’ members — all of whom share the honor of being able to represent their branch and the active-duty military at one of the largest marathons in the country.

Before 2012, Solana hadn’t run competitively since her high school days in Valrico, Fla. She focused on her studies while attending the University of South Florida and entered medical school at the Virginia College of Osteopathic Medicine at Virginia Tech University.

“It’s like a reunion every year,” Solana said. “Having the All-Army sports teams, it gives me something to look forward to whenever there’s an event.”

Solana said she expects to miss next year’s Marine Corps Marathon due to deployment. She hopes to return to the All-Army team in the future, but she expects there will be a lot of competition when she is able to tryout again.

“Hopefully my times will improve over the years,” Solana said. “There’s a lot of new West Pointers who the coaches have been eye balling. They might be the next group of runners who could be on the team.”

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