CAFB equistrian top female athlete

JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-LACKLAND, Texas - The Air Force has  named its male and female 2019 athletes of the year. They are a world-class handball player and a top equestrian. The Air Force’s Female Athlete of the Year is Maj. Andrea D. Matesick of Columbus AFB, Miss. She is the chief of safety and a T-38C instructor weapons system officer, and one of the nation’s top equestrian show-jumping competitors. Her sport has deep roots in military heritage, she added, “and to be a small part of it is amazing.” She ended the season with a win at the USEF National Equestrian Events Tyron Fall IV 1.10m Jumper in North Carolina against a field of 28. Matesick said her passion for the sport and a genuine love for horses pushes her to excel. When not competing, Matesick serves as a children’s riding instructor and donates several hours a week at a local therapeutic riding center. The Air Force’s Male Athlete of the Year is Capt. Andrew L. Donlin. He is an acquisition program manager and one of the nation’s top-ranked USA Team Handball players and a member of the 26-member USA Men’s National Team premier player pool, and in training for the Summer Olympics in 2021. (Source: Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center 05/19/20)