Track and Field Splits For a Pair of Meets
4/21/2004 12:00:00 AM | Track and Field
April 21, 2004
The Air Force track and field program splits up this weekend, as 18 members of the team will travel to Des Moines, Iowa, for the Drake Relays on April 22-24. Another contingent of Falcons will head north to Fort Collins, Colo., and the Jack Christiansen Invitational on Saturday, April 24. Freshmen Brian Walsh (decathlon) and Dierra Poland (heptathlon) will conclude the weekend with the Glenn Morris Multi-Events Meet on April 25-26, also in Fort Collins. (NOTE: the Glenn Morris Multi-Events Meet was originally scheduled for April 22-23, but has been moved due to snow forecasted tomorrow.)
Complete Release in PDF Format
Download Free Acrobat Reader
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
The Falcons hit California with a vengeance last weekend, representing the Academy at the Mt. SAC Relays (Walnut), the Cal Invitational Decathlon (Azusa), the Long Beach State Invitational (Long Beach) and the Pomona-Pitzer Invitational (Claremont). When all was said and done, two champions were crowned, one school record was set, six Falcons recorded NCAA Qualifying Marks and 12 athletes placed their names in the Academy's all-time record book.
ANOTHER ONE BITES THE DUST (TWICE)
In just 24 hours, the Academy discus throw record was improved not once, but twice. Freshman Olivia Korte topped the previous record by five feet on Friday, April 16, at the Mt. SAC Relays, throwing a distance of 164'6". The very next day, Korte heaved a 166'6" at the Long Beach State Invitational to redefine the mark.
By the way, the discus throw record that Korte first broke on Friday was less than two weeks old. Junior Dominique Boivin threw a 159'6" at the Tom Benich Classic on April 3 to improve on the record she already held.
CALIFORNIA DREAMIN'
The Falcons are developing some sort of trend this season...when they compete in California, a school record falls. In the team's two trips to the Golden State, four school records have been broken. Prior to Olivia Korte's record-setting discus throw in Long Beach, three Falcons toppled Academy records during the squad's trip to Palo Alto. At the Stanford Invitational, senior Ben Payne displaced his own school record time in the 10,000-meter run, while classmate Jean Taylor moved into the top-spot of the 3,000-meter steeplechase. In that same meet, sophomore Dana Pounds shattered the school's javelin record by nearly 10 feet, when she threw a 167'3".
- - - - -
MEN'S HIGHLIGHTS
HURDLING TO THE FINISH
During the final day of competition at the Mt. SAC Relays, a trio of seniors finished in the top-15 (out of 30 competitors) in the 110-meter hurdles. By winning his section, Luke Marker finished seventh overall with a NCAA Qualifying time of 14.18. Sean Temple and Jim Campbell finished 11th and 14th, respectively, with time of 14.33 and 14.61.
Temple and Campbell recorded NCAA Qualifying Scores in the 400-meter hurdles, as Temple finished 10th, with a time of 51.25 and Campbell crossed the finish line in a time of 52.08 to take 19th. Sophomore Kory Pearson recorded a 26th-place finish with a time of 53.13.
VAULTING TO NEW HEIGHTS
Junior pole vaulter Paul Gensic tied for 12th with a season-best mark of 17'5" - his best outdoor mark since 2002. The NCAA Qualifying Mark was the fifth-best height by a collegiate athlete and is just ?" off of his personal mark.
HAPPY HOMECOMING
Some California natives had good showings among some of the larger fields of competition at the invitational. Junior Chris Gausepohl recorded a time of 1:52.52 in the 800-meter run to finish eighth out of 65 competitors. Sophomore Troy Jensen clocked a time of 22.14 in the 200-meter dash to finish 25th out of the nearly 60 competitors in his event. Of the 50 runners competing in the 1500-meter run, sophomore Travis Patterson finished ninth with a time of 3:53.60.
- - - - -
WOMEN'S HIGHLIGHTS
CLASSING IT UP
Two Class records were broken this weekend in California. Vivien Aspden set a new Sophomore Class record in the 10,000-meter run at the Pomona-Pitzer Invitational, with a time of 38:11.70. The previous record of 38:17.20a was set by Jamie Flood in 1999. With a distance of 166'6", Olivia Korte crushed the Freshman Class record in the discus throw by over 15 feet. Dominique Boivin set the previous record of 151'8" as a first-year thrower in 2002.
SHE'S NOT DONE YET
Also taking part in the hammer throw, Olivia Korte posted a mark of 149'10" to finish 19th out of 47 athletes. Her mark is the best throw by any member of the Falcon team this season.
Junior Dominique Boivin (Shoreline, Wash.), who entered the meet with the second-best shot put mark in Academy history, strengthened her position as she threw a distance of 45'0?" to finish fifth. Freshman Olivia Korte (Seneca, Kan.) finished 12th, with a mark of 40'9".
MIXING IT UP
Sophomore Vivien Aspden and senior Anne Chumlea competed in the combined 10000-meter run. Aspden recorded an eighth-place finish overall (38:11.70), but was the second-fastest female on the course. Chumlea finished 12th - her time of 39:18.43 being the fifth-best time by a female.
