Falcons Travel to Nebraska for Woody Greeno Invitational
9/15/2011 12:00:00 AM | Cross Country
Sept. 15, 2011
The Air Force cross country team heads to Lincoln, Neb., for the 22nd annual Woody Greeno Invitational on Saturday, Sept. 17. The meet is slated to begin at 10 a.m., with the women's 6K race, while the men's 8K race will follow at 10:45 a.m. It is the first scored meet of the season for the Falcons.
Meet Notes 02: at Woody Greeno Invitational 
MEET INFORMATION
The Woody Greeno Invitational began in 1990, when Nebraska and Nebraska Wesleyan combined its two cross country meets into one. Over the last 20 years, the two schools have co-hosted the meet, which has become the largest cross country event in the state. This season, nearly 60 men's and women's teams and over 700 runners will compete at Pioneer's Park in southwest Lincoln.
THE TIMING SYSTEM
Action begins at 10 a.m., with the women's 6K race. The men's 8K race is slated to begin at 10:45.
DIRECTIONS TO THE COURSE
If traveling on I-80, take exit 397 and head south on Homestead Expressway. Take a right on Capitol Parkway West, which turns into South Coddington Avenue. After crossing Van Dorn Street, Pioneer's Park will be on the east side of the road.
LAST YEAR IN NEBRASKA
Then-junior Jim Walmsley won the 2010 Woody Greeno Invitational, as the Falcons finished third in the team standings. Walmsley used the 17th-fastest time ever at Pioneer's Park (23:43.6) to better the field of 295 by 11 seconds, while pacing the men to four top-25 finishes. On the women's side, an 11th-place finish by then senior Katherine Ward led the Falcons to a third-place team finish as all five scoring runner placed within the top 25.
WALMSLEY COLLECTS WEEKLY AWARDS
After winning the Rust Buster Invitational with a meet-record time, Jim Walmsley was named the Mountain West Runner of the Week, as well as the Air Force Athlete of the Week. Walmsley, who covered the 6K course in 18:30.72, finished 15 seconds ahead of the rest of the 135-runner field, while breaking the meet record by 33 seconds.
-- Air Force Athlete of the Week Interview: Jim Walmsley
BEING BLUE
Air Force runners accounted for three of the top five finishes in the men's race at the Rust Buster Invitational. In addition to Jim Walmsley's meet record win (18:30.72), Matt Bell and Jeremy Drenckhahn finished third (18:47.78) and fifth (18:59.07), respectively. All three Falcons easily broke the previous meet standard of 19:03 that was set last season. The Falcons earned three more top-20 spots from Isaiah Bragg (14th, 19:20.33), Andrew Quallio (17th, 19:26.14) and Jake Hawkins (20th, 19:27.58).
SHAKING OFF THE RUST
Kate Kanetzky and Melissa Fuerst paced the women's team at the Rust Buster Invitational, finishing sixth (14:43.92) and seventh (14:44.20), respectively. The top five Falcons runners all finished within the top 15, as Jen Bremser, Katie Carroll and Heather Connick recorded respective finishes of 12th (14:55.52), 13th (15:13.64) and 15th (15:17.99).
WHAT'S AHEAD
Air Force is off next week and will travel for a pair of meets over the Sept. 30-Oct. 1 weekend. Some Falcons will travel to South Bend, Ind., for the Notre Dame Invitational on Friday, Sept. 30, while the rest of the squad will compete in Boulder, Colo., at the annual Rocky Mountain Shootout on Saturday, Oct. 1.
