Six alumni from the United States Coast Guard Academy are among the competitors at the 2026 Armed Forces Men's and Women's Basketball Championship, which runs from May 12 through May 17 at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton in California. The event gathers the nation's top service‑academy squads in a week‑long tournament that determines the service‑wide champions.
Camp Pendleton Hosts a Milestone Tournament
The men's side features Jason Frazer, Jack Brunswick and Declan Rooney, each of whom brings a distinct legacy to the court. Frazer and Brunswick previously captured a NEWMAC Championship as members of the 2020 Bears, while Rooney has etched his name into Academy history with a 1,000‑point career and consecutive Second‑Team All‑Conference honors in 2024 and 2025. In the opening game, Rooney contributed nine points and three assists in just 25 minutes, helping the team to a 93‑86 victory over Air Force.
On the women's side, Gill Gerton, Kira Wood and Glory Blethen form a frontcourt that the Academy describes as among the greatest post players in program history. Gerton earned Second‑Team All‑NEWMAC honors in 2017, while Wood was a senior All‑NEWMAC selection in 2024. Blethen, a dominant presence on the boards, combined with Wood’s 15 points to power the team to an 86‑62 win over the Marines, the squad’s sole victory of pool play.
Both squads finished pool play with 1‑2 records. The men’s team entered the weekend bracket as the fourth seed, while the women secured the third seed for their respective brackets. The tournament’s progression now hinges on how these alumni perform against the other service academies vying for the Armed Forces titles.