Falcons Set to Host MWC Championships
2/24/2009 12:00:00 AM | Track and Field
Feb. 24, 2009
The Air Force track and field team will host the 2009 Mountain West Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships this weekend (Feb. 26-28) at the Academy's Cadet Field House. This is the eighth time in 10 years that the Falcons have hosted the annual indoor meet for the Mountain West Conference. Action begins with the heptathlon and pentathlon at 11 a.m., on Thursday, Feb. 26.
Meet Notes: Mountain West Conference Championships 
MEET INFORMATION
Action begins at 11 a.m., on Thursday and Friday, while Saturday's events start at 10 a.m. Ticket prices for Friday and Saturday's events will be $5 adults and $2 children. (Due to limited events taking place on Thursday, there is no admission fee for that day.)
PARTICIPATING TEAMS
The MWC Championships features all nine women's team, as well as the six men's teams from Air Force, BYU, Colorado State, New Mexico, TCU and Wyoming.
HISTORY 101
Last year, the Falcons accounted for three conference champions, as Sean Houseworth (3000-meter run), Nick Frawley (pole vault) and David Lissy (shot put) won their respective events. As a team, the men finished third (tying for their best indoor finish at the indoor meet), while the women placed ninth.
RETURNING ALL-CONFERENCE ACCOLADES
The Falcons accounted for 12 all-conference accolades, highlighted by Sean Houseworth's selections in the 3000- and 5000-meter races. Air Force returns five other all-conference honorees, including defending conference champion Nick Frawley (pole vault). The Falcons also return conference runner-ups in Matt Williams (5000-meter run), Kellen Curry (60-meter hurdles) and Melissa Beerse (pole vault), as well as third-place finisher Sara Neubauer (shot put)
LEADERS OF THE PACK
Junior Melissa Beerse leads the Mountain West Conference in the pole vault, with a clearance of 12'11¾". Beerse leads an Air Force contingent of vaulters ranked among the top-eight, which will account for scoring positions at the conference meet. Sophomore Rachel Simmons is ranked third (12'8¼"), while freshman Kimber Shealy is tied for fifth at 12'6". Sophomore Rachel Miller rounds out the Falcons' squad with the eighth-best height in the league at 12'0½".
LEADERS OF THE PACK, PART 2
Like its female counterparts, the men's pole vault team dominates the top of the conference standings, taking four of the top-10 spots. Junior Nick Frawley leads the field with a clearance of 18'1". Junior Joel Nolan is listed sixth with a height of 16'4¾", while freshman Cort Rogers and junior Myles McDowell are ranked eighth (16'3½") and 10th (16'0"), respectively.
SCORING THREATS
Junior Sara Neubauer, who is ranked sixth in the weight throw (56'4¾"), is listed second in the shot put with a distance of 49'11¼", while freshman Paige Blackburn is ranked eighth with a mark of 44'4¾". Junior Danielle McCarty is listed fourth in the pentathlon with 3285 points, while classmate Ally Romanko is ranked eighth in the 800-meter run (2:14.08).
TAKE IT TO THE TOP
Senior Sean Houseworth is ranked second in the conference in the 5000-meter run with a time of 14:00.47, while the distance medley relay team is also ranked second with a time of 9:57.86. Senior Kellen Curry is ranked third in the 60-meter hurdles (8.19), while junior Joel Nolan is listed third (5111) in the heptathlon.
SHEALY SHINES IN LARAMIE
Kimber Shealy cleared 12'6" to win the pole vault at the Robert Shine Invitational on Feb. 20. The personal-best height moved the freshman from fourth to third on the program's all-time list. Shealy led a one-two punch in the women's pole vault, as classmate Tawny Lambuth finished second (
DRYE DOES IT
Recording the 10th-best throw in Academy history (54'6"), Robert Drye rewrote his own Freshman Class record. It is the third straight year where the Class record has been written.
THROW IT OUT
Freshman Paige Blackburn moved into fourth on the all-time shot put list with a distance of 44'4¾" at the Robert Shine Invitational on Feb. 20. Additionally, sophomore Christina Burke debuted in the weight throw record book with the 10th-best throw in Academy history at 47'0¼".
WHITE FOR THREE
At the Robert Shine Invitational on Feb. 20, sophomore Nercressaine White picked up a first finish in the long jump, recording a distance of 18'0½" (a mark just shy of her career-best 18'1"). White also finished second in the 55-meter dash (7.25) and third in the 200-meter dash.
RIVERS RUN THROUGH IT
Senior Kevin Rivers claimed multiple top-three finishes at the Robert Shine Invitational on Feb. 20, including a victory in the 200-meter dash. Rivers also placed second in the 55-meet with a time of 22.97.
WHAT'S AHEAD FOR THE FALCONS
Select Falcons will travel to Last Chance Meets on March 6-7, for a final chance to qualify for the NCAA Championships, which will take place on March 13-14 in College Station, Texas.
Players Mentioned
