Justin Tyner Wins Steeplechase, Advances in NCAA Championships

May 27, 2011

EUGENE, Ore. - Air Force senior Justin Tyner punched his ticket to the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships this evening, winning the 3000-meter steeplechase during the second day of competition at the West Preliminary Meet in Eugene, Ore. Tyner, one of three Falcons to compete today, won the West title in just his second steeplechase of the season.

With a time of 8:44.86, Tyner won the first heat of the 3000-meter steeplechase national quarterfinal and earned an automatic berth to the NCAA Championships. He moved into the front of the pack right from the start and took over second at the midway point. After clearing the final barrier, Tyner sprinted to the finish line to edge out Iowa State's Hillary Bor by 0.26 seconds.

Despite competing in the first of three heats, Tyner's time easily held up for the final two races. The recently-commissioned second lieutenant bettered 47 other runners, including the national leader by three seconds, to win the overall West title.

With his finish, Tyner earned an automatic bid to the NCAA Championships next month in Des Moines, Iowa. The top 12 finishers from tonight's West Preliminary, as well as the top 12 runners from this weekend's East Preliminary, will compete in the national semifinal on Wednesday, June 8.

Two Falcons competed in national semifinal events during the second day of competition.

Junior Robert Drye placed 14th in the hammer throw, missing a spot in the championship meet by just two places. Drye opened the competition with a throw of 202'1" - the third-best throw of his career - to start in 11th place. He added distances of 201'3" and 192'11" in the event trials, finishing 14th overall after all 48 competitors received their first three attempts. With his placement among the meet's top 16, Drye earned three more throws in the event finals, adding distances of 191'9", 194'0" and 189'3". Drye, one of only 15 throwers to surpass the 200-foot mark, concluded the meet with a 14th-place finish, based on his opening throw of 202'1".

Kassie Gurnell capped off an impressive freshman campaign with a 24th-place finish in the triple jump. Gurnell, who entered the meet ranked 48th in the West Region, significantly bettered her standing during the event trials, as she recorded a mark of 40'0¾" on her third attempt. The freshman opened the day with a foul mark, before earning a distance of 38'4" on her second attempt. Despite jumping into a strong headwind, the freshman posted her second-best mark of the season at 40'0¾" to place 24th overall. Her distance is just eight inches off of the Academy record that she set earlier this season.

The Falcons conclude NCAA West Preliminary action tomorrow (Saturday, May 28) at Historic Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore. Included on the Air Force schedule are the national semifinals of the men's and women's discus throw, as well as the men's 5000-meter run.

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