SAN ANTONIO, Texas — Team Marine Corps opened competition at the 2026 Department of Defense Warrior Games on June 13 with a strong showing in powerlifting and an exhibition pickleball competition, earning 10 medals and setting the tone for the week ahead.
The opening day featured powerlifting competition at the Henry B. González Convention Center, where Team Marine Corps athletes captured two gold, four silver and four bronze medals.
Master Sgt. Stevan Ball of Boise, Idaho, earned gold in the men’s 97-kilogram division, while Staff Sgt. Brett Meil of Kerrville, Texas, captured gold in the men’s 107-kilogram division. For Meil, the victory came in front of a host of family members, including his wife and 20-month-old son. Earlier this week, Meil said participating in the Warrior Games is important because of the sense of belonging he finds among fellow competitors, making the gold-medal performance especially meaningful close to home.
Ball, a communications chief recovering from multiple injuries, including a traumatic brain injury and dual hip surgeries, credits adaptive sports with helping restore purpose and resilience throughout his recovery journey.
Silver medals were earned by Staff Sgt. Marshal Ivy, Staff Sgt. Morgan Rempel, Cpl. Giavanna Vicario and Lance Cpl. Calbert Martinez. Bronze medals went to Capt. Gabriela Ortiz, Maj. Kim Yen Soto, Master Sgt. Modesto Garcia and Pfc. Baltazar Torresjara.
In the women’s 55-kilogram division, Vicario and Ortiz shared the podium for Team Marine Corps, with Vicario earning silver and Ortiz taking bronze. Every Team Marine Corps woman who competed in powerlifting earned a medal during the opening day of competition.
For Ortiz, the bronze-medal performance came during her first Warrior Games competition and in front of a hometown crowd. The San Antonio native was supported by her parents and members of her unit as she helped Team Marine Corps open the Games with a strong showing in powerlifting.
“It was amazing,” Ortiz said. “All the females got a medal. That was the strongest thing I’ve seen.”
Vicario, competing in her second Warrior Games after earning 11 medals during the 2025 Games, said medaling in the first competition of the week meant a great deal and helped set the tone for the remainder of the competition.
Soto, Team Marine Corps captain, also opened the week on the podium with a bronze-medal performance, while Garcia earned bronze in the men’s 88-kilogram division.
In addition to powerlifting, Team Marine Corps athletes participated in the Warrior Games’ inaugural pickleball exhibition competition. The team featured retired Gunnery Sgt. Gabriela Carbajal, Lance Cpl. Yates Cooper Jr., veteran Cpl. Arion Klein and Staff Sgt. Jacob Wolfe, a Marine Corps reservist. The exhibition marked the introduction of pickleball to the Warrior Games, highlighting the continued evolution of adaptive sports opportunities available to wounded, ill and injured service members and veterans.
The day was not without adversity. Lance Cpl. Brandon Ndashi suffered an injury prior to competition and was unable to participate. His teammates rallied around him while continuing to represent the Marine Corps with determination and competitive spirit throughout the day.
The Warrior Games bring together wounded, ill and injured service members and veterans from across the Department of Defense to compete in adaptive sports while promoting recovery, rehabilitation and camaraderie. Team Marine Corps athletes demonstrated those values throughout the opening day, experiencing recovery in real time while competing alongside fellow wounded, ill and injured service members and veterans.
Competition continues June 14 with cycling events and the opening round of wheelchair basketball as Team Marine Corps looks to build on its early momentum.
