Air Force Academy
Shine Invitational
Falcons Conclude Competition at Wyoming
2/23/2008 12:00:00 AM | Track and Field
Feb. 22, 2008
LARAMIE, Wyo. - Backed by six first-place finishes, the Air Force track and field team concluded competition at the Robert Shine Invitational in Laramie, Wyo., on Friday (Feb. 22) night. The men's side picked up four victories, while the women's team claimed a pair of wins. Freshman Noah Palicia paced the Falcons to a top-five sweep on the pole vault.
Palicia cleared a career-best 15'6¼" to win the pole vault, while sophomore Kyle Ellsworth finished second with a clearance of 14'6". Freshman Hatton Updike cleared 14'0" to take third, while classmates William Waugaman and Philip Rancourt added matching marks of 13'6¼" to take fourth and fifth, respectively.
Freshman Terry Robinson guided the Falcons to four of the top-five spots in the 55-meter hurdles. Robinson crossed the finish line in 7.81, while senior John Payne finished second in 7.84. Freshman Mike Vetri placed fourth with a time of 7.99, while Palicia finished fifth in 8.19. The men also won the 4x400-meter relay, behind a time of 3:40.28.
Senior David Lissy improved his standing in the all-time in the shot put with a winning mark of 57'0¾". Lissy remains in fourth-place in the Academy's record book, upping his career-best distance. Freshman Alex Arndt placed fifth in the event with a mark of 43'10".
The Falcons accounted for seven other top-three finishes. Freshman LD Woods, who finished second in the 200-meter dash (23.23), also earned a third-place time of 6.64 in the 55-meter dash. In addition, Kevin Rivers placed third in the 55-meter dash (6.52), while freshman Richard Gelles finished third in the 200-meter dash (24.54).
Freshman Kyle Southard picked up a second-place time of 2:41.06 in the 1000-meter run, while senior Payne (1:18.61/600-yard run) and junior Kirk Devine (50'10¾"/weight throw) tallied third-place marks.
Freshman Sarah O'Meara and sophomore Sara Neubauer accounted for the victories on the women's side of the team. O'Meara won the pole vault with a career-best clearance of 10'0". That mark is tied for the 10th-best mark in Academy history. Neubauer recorded a distance of 48'6" to win the shot put, as Air Force took two of the top three spots in that event (freshman Christina Burke posted a distance of 35'5¼" to take third).
Classmate Necressaine White picked up three top-three marks. She finished second in the long jump with a distance of 17'10¾"), while earning third-place marks in the 200-meter dash (26.56) and 55-meter dash (7.26).
Freshman Jessica Mapes was the runner-up in the 400-meter dash (1:00.23), while sophomore Becca Burditt earned the same finish in the 600-yard run (1:34.17). Senior Deb Durey (15'8¼"/long jump), freshman Whitney Beck (6:22.59/mile run) and sophomore Nicole Elliott (8.83/55-meter hurdles) all earned third-place finishes.
The meet, which featured conference foe Wyoming, was the Falcons final tune-up before the Mountain West Conference championships. That meet begins next Thursday (Feb. 28) at the Academy's Cadet Field House.
Players Mentioned
