Air Force Academy
FHSU Tiger Open
Air Force Runners Finish Third at Tiger Open
10/11/2008 12:00:00 AM | Cross Country
Oct. 11, 2008
HAYS, Kan. -- Members of the Air Force cross country team wrapped up competition with matching third-place finishes at the annual Fort Hays State Tiger Open in Hays, Kan., on Saturday, Oct. 11. Seniors Sebastian Ortiz and Scott Balcao collected top-10 finishes to lead the men's team, while freshman Meghan Prinkey's top-10 spot led the women's team.
Ortiz paced the Falcons with an 8K time of 25:08. That time is the second-fastest time of the season for the Falcons. Balcao crossed the finish line in a time of 25:12 to place sixth.
All five of the Falcons scorers finished within the top-15. Junior Andy Schweitzer finished in a time of 26:01 to place 12th, while freshmen Alex Zubey and Jonathan Rock clocked consecutive times of 26:02 (14th) and 26:03 (15th) to round out the Falcons' scoring competitors.
Nine other Air Force runners competed at the meet. Junior Conor Murphy placed 16th, with a time of 26:08, while freshman Chase Welch clocked a time of 26:22 to finish 22nd. Fellow freshman Ryan Del Grosso finished 23rd with a time of 26:23 and junior John Oliphint placed 26th in 26:27.
Sophomore Tyler Small crossed the finish line in 26:56 to finish 31st. Four freshmen rounded out the Air Force contingent. Jacob Fulton and Matthew Cain clocked matching times of 27:04, as Fulton finish 35th (27:03.95) and Cain placed 36th (27:04.13). Nick White finished 41st in 27:14, while Zachary Marx clocked a time of 27:17 to place 42ns.
The Falcons tallied 51 points to finish third, just four points out of second (47). Host school Fort Hays State won the meet with 35 points. The top three teams distanced themselves from the rest of the field, as the fourth-place team totaled 120 points.
Prinkey led the women's team with a seventh-place finish. Her 5K time of 18:54 is a personal-best and the third-best time of the season for the Falcons. Classmate Phaelen French finished 11th in a time of 19:18, while junior Katie Anderson placed 12th in 19:22.
Freshman Alexa Ramsier and junior Danielle Snider rounded out the Air Force scorers, with respective finishes of 19th (19:58) and 21st (20:02). Glorimar Torre Santiago and junior Becca Burditt also competed at the meet. Torre Santiago finished 22nd with a time of 20:04, while Burditt placed 24th behind a time of 20:18.
The Falcons tallied 70 total points to finish third in the nine-team meet. Northern Colorado won the meet with 37 points, while host Fort Hays State totaled 42 points to finish second. The top three teams distanced themselves from the rest of the field, as the fourth-place team scored 131 points.
Select members of the Falcons' team will travel to Terre Haute, Ind., for the prestigious Pre-Nationals Meet on Saturday, Oct. 18.
Players Mentioned
