Air Force Academy
ASU Invitational
Falcons Earn Six Regional Qualifying Marks
3/30/2008 12:00:00 AM | Track and Field
March 30, 2008
TEMPE, Ariz. - The Air Force track and field team concluded its spring break training trip with six regional qualifying marks during the Arizona State Invitational on Saturday, March 29, in Tempe, Ariz. Three pole vaulters earned regional marks, while three throwers also accounted for regional-ready marks.
Sophomore Melissa Beerse and freshman Rachel Simmons tied for second on the pole vault with matching regional qualifying heights of 12'7½". For the second straight meet, Simmons moved up the all-time list. Her clearance of 12'7½" is the second-best vault in Academy history. Sophomore Nick Frawley also earned a regional qualifying mark in the pole vault, as he cleared 16'10¾" to finish fourth.
Sophomore Sara Neubauer also accounted for a NCAA regional qualifying mark, as she posted a distance of 48'4¾". Classmate Katie Weber also qualified for the regional meet, as she threw a distance of 157'1" to take third in the javelin throw. That distance is the third-best throw in program history. Senior David Lissy picked up a regional mark of 173'1" in the discus throw. That mark, a career-best for Lissy, is also ninth on the Academy's all-time list.
Senior Kevin Hawkins was the top collegiate finisher in the 800-meter run, finishing second overall with a time of 1:53.04. Classmate Travis Picou clocked a pair of fourth-place finishes in the 100- and 200-meter dashes after posting respective times of 10.69 and 21.38.
Junior Kellen Curry crossed the finish line of the 110-meter hurdles in 14.38 to finish third in the event, while fellow junior Parker Cowles earned a fifth-place time (8:33.31) in the 3000-meter run. Senior Josh van Wyngaarden also earned a fifth-place mark after crossing the finish line of the 3000-meter steeplechase in 9:20.15.
Two other female Falcons accounted for top-five finishes. Sophomore Danielle McCarty finished third in the 400-meter hurdles (1:04.07) and fourth in the triple jump (37'1¾"). Her time in the hurdles is the eighth-best in program history, while the triple jump distance is tied for that same placement. Classmate Ally Romanko clocked a time of 2:10.98 to finish fifth in the 800-meter run.
Competing unattached as members of the Air Force World Class Athlete Program, Paul Gensic (pole vault-17'1½") and Dana Pounds (174'4") won their respective events.
The majority of the Falcons return to Colorado next weekend (Apr. 5) for the Tom Benich Classic in Greeley, while the distance runners head to Palo Alto, Calif., for the Stanford Invitational.
Players Mentioned
