Air Force Travels to First-Ever Military Classic
3/29/2007 12:00:00 AM | Track and Field
March 29, 2007
The Air Force track and field team heads to
WHO'S WHO: Air Force will be competing against the fellow service academy programs of Army, Navy, The Citadel,
SCHEDULING 101: The field events kick off the day, as the women's hammer and men's javelin throws begin at 9 a.m. The first running event of the meet - the women's 3000-meter steeplechase - is slated to go at 2:00 p.m.
QUOTING THE COACH: "Without question, the first-ever "Service Academy Classic" on March 31, at the Virginia Military Institute will be the highlight of our schedule, outside of the MWC Championships. It will be the first-ever opportunity to meet the majority of our sister service academies in the same competition."
THE FIRST HAS FALLEN: The first Academy record of the outdoor season fell as freshman Melissa Beerse broke the Academy record in the pole vault on March 24. Beerse won the event after clearing a Regional Qualifying Height of 12'6¼". That mark, which was over a foot better than the rest of the field, broke Ana Maria Ortega's 2001 record of 12'0½". The mark was also a new Freshman Class record, breaking the previous mark of 12'4¼" that Beerse set while setting the Academy's indoor record back in January.
BUT, WAIT! THERE'S MORE: Melissa Beerse wasn't the only women's pole vaulter to impact the Academy's record book on March 24. With a new Sophomore Class record, Michelle Fryling cleared 11'3¾" to finish second in the event.
IMPACT HOLES: Freshman Sara Neubauer finished second in the shot put at the Rob Upton Invitational with a throw of 42'5½" - a mark that is fifth on the Academy's all-time list. Fellow freshman Katie Weber threw a 136'5" in the javelin to take third. Weber's first collegiate throw was the sixth-best throw in Academy history.
TOPPING OUT: On the men's side, freshman Nick Frawley was the top Air Force scorer, as he placed second in the pole vault with a height of 15'11". That was the best mark by any collegiate competitor.
MAKING HISTORY: Freshman Dan Paladino rounded out the Falcons' scorers with an eighth-place finish in the hammer throw. Recording a distance of 175'9", Paladino set a new Freshman Class record, in addition to tallying the 10th-best mark in Academy history.
TAKING TWO: Junior Matt Gensic and sophomore Skylar Morgan were the top two collegiate finishers at the Glenn Morris Multi-Events. Gensic's combined total of 6327 points was the best of any collegiate athlete and the 10th-best score in Academy history. Morgan, who entered the day in second, accounted for 6117 points to finish the 10-event competition in third.
ONE WEEK-ONE HONOR: Senior Olivia Korte was named the MWC Athlete of the Week on March 21 for her stellar performance at the Potts Invitational. Korte was the top collegiate finisher in all three of her throwing events, including the overall winner in two. Her winning discus throw was a regional qualifying mark and the third-best throw of the short outdoor season.
ON DECK: The Falcons return to
Players Mentioned
