Fountain Valley News - Your Hometown Community Newspaper

Congressman Doug Lamborn recently announced that 40 students from Colorado's Fifth Congressional District – including a few from the Fountain Valley – would receive a nomination from his office for one of the following U.S. Service Academies: U.S. Military Academy (West Point), U.S. Naval Academy, U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, and the U.S. Air Force Academy. This year's nominees were selected based on meeting or exceeding Congressman Lamborn's rigorous selection process.

"This year's nomination process yielded 40 outstanding young men and women to our prestigious United States Service Academies," Lamborn said. "These Coloradans have demonstrated a remarkable level of talent, work ethic, academic success, and a deep commitment to patriotism. As a ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee and representative of five military installations, I understand the importance of having qualified, dedicated individuals attending these prestigious academies as they will become the next generation of military leadership. I congratulate all those who went through the application and interview process and wish these young men and women the best as they continue through the final stages of the appointment process.

"I'd like to thank the many defense, business, and community leaders that served on my Academy nomination board for their time and commitment reviewing applications, scoring, and conducting nearly 100 interviews."

Congressman Lamborn's U.S. Service Academy Award Ceremony will be held in March at the World War II Aviation Museum in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Individuals residing in Colorado's Fifth Congressional District who meet the minimum requirements set by the U.S. Service Academy admission offices and who would like to submit an application to be considered for a nomination for the class of 2027 can find more information at https://lamborn.house.gov/services/military-academy-nominations

Nominees for the Class of 2026 are:

U.S. Military Academy

Destiny Bystroff, Colorado Springs

Alex Choi, Colorado Springs

Colton Edelbach, Colorado Springs

Emily Landon, Colorado Springs

Ian Osko, Colorado Springs

Kai Palam, Fountain -Fountain-Fort

Carson

High School

Nathaniel Plotner, Buena Vista

Kaylee Stone, Colorado Springs

Oakley Wykstra, Colorado Springs

Benjamin Zimmerman, Colorado Springs

U.S. Naval Academy

Tristan Beaurpere, Colorado Springs

Jacob Blaser, Colorado Springs

Benjamin Carlander, Monument

Caden Chau, Monument

Ian Coffey, Colorado Springs

Ryan Flaherty, Colorado Springs

Luke Marsh, Colorado Springs

Catherine Pederson, Colorado Springs

Michaela Schwappach, Colorado Springs

Joseph Van Dyck, Colorado Springs

U.S. Merchant Marine Academy

Tate Christian, Colorado Springs

Jacob Coffey, Monument

Paige Diehl, Colorado Springs

Jacob Gallegos-Stroman, Colorado Springs - Mesa Ridge High School

Justin Livergood, Colorado Springs

Blake Martin, Elbert

Trinity Puno, Colorado Springs

Noah Ramos, Colorado Springs

Bruce Reinhard, Falcon

Trevor Ridge, Fountain - Fountain-Fort Carson High School

U.S. Air Force Academy

James Baumert, Monument

Alan Davis, Monument

Brenna Durbin, Fountain - Fountain-Fort Carson High School

Griffin Greenwood, Monument

Reagen Hitzler, Colorado Springs

Collin McWhorter, Monument

Jaxen Sellers, Manitou Springs

Elijah Wilcox, Salida

Christopher Wilson, Colorado Springs

Natalia Wright, Colorado Springs