Indoor Season Success For Both Men & Women
3/19/2001 12:00:00 AM | Men's Track and Field
Ralph Lindeman will be the first to tell you that all the credit for his being named the Mountain West Conference Indoor Track and Field Coach of the Year for 2001 is a reflection on the hard work and overall improved performances of his teams and the outstanding coaching done by his staff.
Whose to argue?
His mens team finished the season with a 4-1 dual meet season their best since 1987. Just three points kept the Falcons from finishing second in the Mountain West Conference Indoor Championships. Even so, the third place finish behind Brigham Young and Colorado State, respectively, jumped the team up one position from their standings in 2000. The womens team ended their season with a 3-2 dual meet record and more than tripled their point total in the indoor championships by scoring 47 pointsjust 10 points behind fourth-place New Mexicos 57 points.
"I couldn't be happier with how the indoor season finished," said Lindeman. "I'm especially pleased with the improvement our women's program has shown. We have a super group of seniors--maybe the best we've ever had. Yet, we have great reason for optimism for the future with the performance we saw from an amazing group of freshmen--both male and female."
Individual achievements were plentiful. On the mens side, senior Joe Monaco was the MWC champion in the 5,000-meters. Others who earned all-conference honors included Ben Payne (third in 5000m), the mile relay team of Tyler Paige, Marc Fulson, Tom Clark and Nick Bromberek (second), senior Kurt Duffy (third in pentathlon), freshman Tim Hughes (third in high jump), senior Ben Gensic (second in pole vault), freshman Anthony Park (second in long jump).
During the regular season, senior Shawn Johnson established a new school indoor record in the shot put, winning that event in 58'6.75" at the Penn State Invitational.
There were several Falcons who added their names to the schools all-time "Top Ten Lists: junior Brian Carpenter, third in the mile run (4:06.05); senior Shane Rogers, 10th in 3000-meter run (8:21.49); freshman Chris Acs, ninth in the 5000-meter run (14:36.51); Monaco, 10th in the 5000-meter run (14:40.02); Gensic, fifth in the pole vault (16'6.75"); sophomore Paul Goossen, 10th in the pole vault (15'11"); Anthony Park, eighth in the long jump (23'4.75") and fifth in the triple jump (49'8.5"); Kurt Duffy, second in pentathlon (3603); sophomore Tom Clark, fourth in the pentathlon (3547); freshman Nick Herald, sixth in the pentathlon (3425), the distance medley relay team of Carpenter, Clark, Jason Sanders and Joe Lopez, second (9:49.04), and the previously metioned mile relay team, 9th (3:14.27c).
On the womens side, the Falcons had their first-ever Mountain West Conference individual champion. Senior Ana Maria Ortega won the pole vault with a school record jump of 12'0.5". Senior Jaime Flood also earned MWC all-conference honors by virtue of her third-place finish in the 5000-meter run.
The women's distance medley team of Tracy Denaro, Ortega, Kelly McPherson and Jean Taylor also placed third, earning all-conference honors. Just missing making all-conference were freshman Stephanie Cornell who finished fourth in the 800-meters and junior Elissa Ballas who finished fourth in the mile run.
Freshman Brittany Edmonds established a new school mark in the pentathlon by scoring 3236 points at the Air Force Invitational. Freshman LaTravia Robinson set a new school mark in the triple jump (3811.75"). The distance medley relay team of Ballas, sophomore Katy Crow, McPherson and Taylor set a school record when they clocked 12:02.34 at the Penn State Invitational.
Like the men, several women added their names to the schools all-time list. They included: sophomore Domonique Torbert, second in the 200-meters (25.82) and second in the long jump (18'5"); senior LeNetta Banks, fourth in the high jump (5'7") and 10th in the 200-meters (26.41); Crow, 10th in the 400m (59.71); freshman Stephanie Cornell, tied for eighth in the 800-meters (2:17.40); Elissa Ballas, ninth in the mile run (5:04.57); Flood, fourth in the 5000m (17:24.95) and seventh in the 3,000-meters (10:13.42a); Brittany Edmonds, tied for fifth in the high jump (5'6.5"), seventh in the triple jump (36'10.25") and ninth in the long jump (17'4.25"); Robinson, tied for fourth in the long jump (17'11.5"); freshman Alexis Fear, placed third in the pole vault (9'6"); junior Beth Inglis, fourth in the 20-pound weight throw (45'9"); and the mile relay team of Crow, Banks, Cornell and Torbert ran the seventh fastest time in USAFA annals.
