Falcons Head to Nebraska for Two Competitions
1/19/2012 12:00:00 AM | Track and Field
Jan. 19, 2012
The Air Force track and field team hits the road for the first time in 2012, as it travels to Lincoln, Neb., for a pair of competitions. Select Falcons will compete at the Nebraska Wesleyan Invitational on Friday, Jan. 20, while the rest of the squad will take on some of the nation's top teams at the adidas Classic on Saturday, Jan. 21. Both meets will take place at the Bob Devaney Center on Nebraska's campus.
Meet Notes 02: at Nebraska Wesleyan Invitational; at adidas Classic 
Indoor Performance List
Interview with Kassie Gurnell
NEBRASKA WESLEYAN INVITATIONAL SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
11:30 a.m.: Weight Throw, Shot Put; 12:30 p.m.: 5000-Meter Run; 1:30 p.m.: Long Jump, Triple Jump (the men's and women's long jump/triple jump will run simultaneously on separate pits); 1:30 p.m.: Pole Vault; 1:30 p.m.: High Jump; 1:30 p.m.: 60-Meter Hurdles (Prelims), 60-Meter Dash (Prelims), 60-Meter Hurdles (Finals), 60-Meter Dash (Finals), Mile Run, 400-Meter Dash, 600-Meter Run, 800-Meter Run, 1000-Meter Run, 200-Meter Dash, 3000-Meter Run, 4x400-Meter Relay (the throws, pole vault and running events will begin with the women's competition
ADIDAS CLASSIC MEET INFORMATION
The 2012 adidas Classic, the first scoring meet of the season for the Falcons, will feature teams from Air Force, Houston, Iowa, Nebraska and Wichita State. Nebraska's men are ranked fifth in the USTFCCCA Preseason Poll, while the Cornhusker women were listed 25th. In addition, Iowa's men's team is ranked 16th.
ADIDAS CLASSIC SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
12:30 p.m.: Weight Throw, Shot Put; 12:45 p.m.: Long Jump, Triple Jump; 12:45 p.m.: High Jump; 12:45 p.m.: Pole Vault; 1:00 p.m.: 60-Meter Hurdles (Prelims), 60-Meter Dash (Prelims), 5000-Meter Run, Mile Run, 60-Meter Hurdles (Finals), 60-Meter Dash (Finals), 400-Meter Dash, 600-Meter Run, 200-Meter Dash, 800-Meter Run, 3000-Meter Run, 4x400-Meter Relay (all field events will begin with the men's competition, while all races will start with the women)
A FAMILY AFFAIR
The men's 2012 team boasts three sets of brothers - including two sets of twins. Air Force's sibling connection includes the Owens (Gage and Gavin), the Perkins (twins Charlie and Zach) and the Simmons (twins Cale and Rob).
THE LOCAL FLAVOR
The Falcons have 15 athletes that hail from the state of Colorado, including five - junior Jen Bremser (Sand Creek HS), freshman Kobi Rex (Lewis Palmer HS), senior Rachel Thomas (Falcon HS), sophomore Libby Westfall (Pine Creek HS) and senior Nick White (Falcon HS) - that are from the Colorado Springs area.
CAUTION, FALLING RECORDS!
Kassie Gurnell set a new Academy record in the triple jump record, as she recorded a career-best distance of 39'8½" to win the Air Force All-Comers Meet on Jan. 13. With that mark, Gurnell broke the program's 2003 record by three inches, while resetting the Sophomore Class Record that she first set in December. For her record-setting performance, Gurnell was named the Academy's Athlete of the Week.
HIGHER AND HIGHER
Zach Wood cleared a career-best 6'9¾" to win the high jump at the Air Force All-Comers Meet and move into 10th on the Academy's all-time list. He is the first high jumper since 2003 - and only the second since 1997 - to impact the men's top-10 list.
MAKING A MARK
Two other additions were made to the program's all-time standings at the Air Force All-Comers Meet. Sophomore Jalen Fooster bettered his distance in the weight throw to 55'2¼" and moved into ninth on the men's all-time list, while freshman Alexis Jones-Hardy improved her eighth-place standing on the women's 60-meter dash with a time of 7.85.
JUST THROWING IT AROUND
Air Force won three of the four throwing event titles at the Air Force All-Comers Meet. Paige Blackburn matched a season-best throw of 56'0½" to win the weight throw by four feet, while tallying a season-best shot put mark of 46'6¾" to win that event by over one foot. On the men's side, Sean Herbison used a career-best throw of 53'8¾" to win the shot put.
FALCONS PACE CONFERENCE IN NATIONAL RANKINGS
The men's track and field team was ranked 39th in the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Preseason Rankings. The Falcons lead the Mountain West, ranking ahead of Boise State (45th), New Mexico (53rd), TCU (85th), Wyoming (119th) and Colorado State (unranked). The men are also the top-ranked service academy and the highest ranked program among Division I programs in the state of Colorado.
LEADING THE WAY
Eight Falcons will serve as captains of the 2011-12 Air Force track and field team. Bryce Bergman, Rob Drye, Jim Walmsley and Alex Zubey will represent the men's team, while Paige Blackburn, Emily Cotharn, Auriele Fain and Kimber Shealy will captain the women's squad.
NEW FACE ON THE SIDELINE
Air Force added 1996 Olympic gold medalist Allen Johnson to its coaching staff for the 2011-12 season. Johnson, who will coach the Falcons' sprint and hurdle athletes, won the 110-meter hurdles at the Atlanta Games. He also claimed gold medals in that event at seven IAAF World Outdoor Championship meets and in the 60-meter hurdles at three indoor world championships. Johnson will be joined on the coaching staff by head coach Ralph Lindeman, associate head coach Scott Irving and assistant coaches Juli Benson and Scott Steffan.
WHAT'S ON DECK
Air Force returns to the Academy for a busy weekend of competition. The Falcons will host the Air Force Indoor Combined Events meet on Thursday-Friday, Jan. 26-27, before welcoming eight schools to the Cadet Field House for the Air Force Team Challenge.
