Four First-Place Finishes Highlight the Don Barrett Duals

Jan. 31, 2009

USAF ACADEMY, Colo. - Highlighted by four first-place finishes, the Air Force track and field team concluded competition at the first-ever Don Barrett Duals on Saturday, Jan. 31, at the Academy. In all, the Falcons combined for 27 top-five finishes in a meet that featured Colorado State, Northern Colorado and Wyoming.

The men finished the "Duals" with a 2-2 record. The Falcons narrowly defeated Colorado, 59-55, while easily besting Northern Colorado, 77-31. The Falcons two losses came from the MWC programs of Colorado State (44-74) and Wyoming (43.50-77.50). The women defeated Northern Colorado, 69-48, but were dropped decisions to Colorado (51-69), Colorado State (60-62) and Wyoming (48-72).

Juniors Melissa Beerse and Sara Neubauer paced the women's team with their respective victories in the pole vault and shot put. They were two of the 15 top-five finishers for the Falcons.

Beerse cleared 12'8¼" to win the pole vault and pace a quartet of Falcons to the top four spots. Sophomore Rachel Simmons matched Beerse's mark to take second, while freshman Kimber Shealy and sophomore Rachel Miller finished third and fourth, respectively, with matching heights of 12'0½".

Neubauer, who also placed fifth in the weight throw with a distance of 53'4¼", won the shot put with a toss of 49'8¼". She was one of two Falcons to place within the top-five of the shot put, as freshman Paige Blackburn improved her career-best distance to take fourth at 43'5¼".

Sophomore Auriele Fain was the runner-up in the 800-meters, clocking a time of 2:18.94, while junior Jessica Mapes clocked a time of 58.44 in the 400-meter dash to take fourth. That time is the ninth-best in Air Force's history.

Junior Nicole Elliott improved her standing in the program's all-time 60-meter hurdles, as she finished fourth in 9.09 - the seventh-fastest time in Academy history. Elliott also picked up a fourth-place finish (7.98) in the 60-meter dash, earning the tie-break (7.974) with sophomore Necressaine White, who took fifth (7.980). White also scored for the Falcons in the 200-meter dash, taking fifth in 26.47.

In addition to her placement in the 400 meters, Mapes ran the leadoff leg of the 4x440-yard relay that placed fourth. Mapes joined classmate Becca Burditt and freshmen Gabrielle Quirao and Margaret Weingart in that race.

Freshman Jordyn Stoddard rounded out the top-five finishes for the women, as she placed fourth in the triple jump with a distance of 34'9¾"

The men collected 12 top-five finishes, including a pair of first-place marks from senior Kellen Curry and junior Nick Frawley. Curry clocked a time of 8.17 to win the 60-meter hurdles, while Frawley cleared 16'5¼" to take first in the pole vault.

Frawley paced a sweep of the top three spots on the pole vault. Freshman Cort Rogers cleared a career-best 16'3½" to take second, while junior Marshall Wills and freshman Brandin Bear tied for third with matching clearances of 15'0".

Freshman Max Lutton finished second in the 400-meter dash with a team-leading time of 49.67, while senior Kevin Rivers' time of 6.98 in the 60-meter dash was third. Classmate Sebastian Ortiz also picked up a third-place mark, after crossing the finish line of the 800-meter run in 1:57.09

Freshman Bryce Bergman placed fourth in the 60-meter hurdles with a time of 8.52 and ran a leg of the 4x440-yard relay team that placed fifth in 3:25.61. Joining Bergman on the relay was classmate Max Lutton, as well as sophomores Matthew Jones and Tyler Stanley. From the field, senior Kirk Devine threw 57'0¼" in the weigh throw to place fourth, while freshman Robert Drye placed fifth in the shot put with a personal-best toss of 50'1¼".

Air Force heads out on the road next weekend, traveling to Notre Dame's prestigious Meyo Invitational in South Bend, Ind., on Feb. 6-7.

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