ESCONDIDO — North County first responders produced several medal-winning performances during the 59th annual United States Police & Fire Championships, highlighted by a dominant cycling run from Escondido Police Department officer Craig Miller and a three-medal effort by Vista Fire Department’s Brendan Halle.
“We see a lot of participation from the larger agencies in those team sports, and it’s fun to have them along,” California Police Athletic Federation President Jim King said. “A lot of the smaller agencies in San Diego County that aren’t San Diego PD or San Diego Fire don’t really have the capacity to support organized sports programs for their members, but they still find ways to compete because they love it.”
The multi-sport event, held June 13-20 across San Diego County, drew nearly 3,000 first responders from across the country and featured more than 40 Olympic-style sports. North County hosted multiple competitions, including cycling, mountain biking and disc golf in Escondido and golf at Aviara Golf Club in Carlsbad.
Miller was the top North County performer, sweeping the men’s 55-59 cycling division. He won gold medals in the omnium, sprint, time trial, velodrome pursuit and velodrome sprint, while adding silver medals in the criterium and hill climb.
Escondido Police also earned a shooting medal as Jesse Santaniello placed third in the Police Action Pistol semi-auto A class and helped the department’s team finish third overall.
Vista Fire Department’s Halle earned three swimming medals in the men’s 55-59 division, winning gold in the 50-yard breaststroke, silver in the 100-yard individual medley and bronze in the 50-yard butterfly.
Elsewhere in San Diego County competition, several athletes and teams posted strong results. San Diego County Sheriff’s Deputy Daniel Scanderbeg won gold medals in the biathlon, four-mile cross-country race and half marathon.
San Diego Police Department swimmer Amber Banning captured four individual gold medals, while San Diego firefighter Aidan Bound won the men’s disc golf championship. San Diego Community College Police cyclist Matthew Torres added a gold in the men’s 40-44 sprint, and San Diego Fire’s Ken Rodriguez won the 65-69 hill climb.
