Falcons Travel to New Mexico Team Invitational
1/30/2014 12:00:00 AM | Track and Field
Jan. 30, 2014
The Air Force track and field team heads back out on the road this weekend, as it opens the month of February in Albuquerque at the New Mexico Team Invitational. On Saturday, Feb. 1, the Falcons will travel to the ABQ Convention Center to face off against a strong field of nationally-recognized competition, including three ranked programs.
Meet Notes 05: at New Mexico Team Invitational 
MEET INFORMATION
The New Mexico Team Invitational will be held at the ABQ Convention Center in downtown Albuquerque - site of the 2014 NCAA Indoor Championships. The meet, which begins at 9:30 a.m., on Saturday, Feb. 1, features nine teams, including three that are listed in the national rankings - Air Force, Arizona State (#11 men, #22 women), LSU (#8 women), Nebraska (#9 men), New Mexico, Notre Dame, TCU, UCLA and Utah State. Live results are scheduled to be available via the Lobos' website (golobos.com).
SATURDAY'S SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
9:15 a.m.: Women's Weight Throw, Men's Weight Throw, Women's Shot Put, Men's Shot Put; 10:00 a.m.: Women's High Jump; 10:00 a.m.: Men's High Jump; 11:00 a.m.: Women's Pole Vault, Men's Pole Vault; 11:00 a.m.: Women's Long Jump, Women's Triple Jump; 11:00 a.m.: Men's Long Jump, Men's Triple Jump; 12:15 p.m.: 60-Meter Hurdle (prelims), 60-Meter Dash (prelims), Mile Run, 60-Meter Hurdles (finals), 400-Meter Dash, 60-Meter Dash (finals), 800-Meter Run, 200-Meter Dash, 3000-Meter Run, 4x400-Meter Relay (men will compete first in all running events).
MEN MOVE UP IN DUAL MEET RANKINGS
Air Force's men moved up to 11th in the Track and Field News Dual Meet Rankings, which were released on Jan. 28 (rankings take into account wins and losses, strength and depth of dual meet schedule, strength and breadth of marks). The men were also listed second on the USTFCCCA Mountain Region Index, which debuted on Tuesday. A complete list of the national and regional rankings can be found on page 3 of this release.
REX NAMED MOUNTAIN WEST ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
Kobi Rex was named the Mountain West Athlete of the Week after matching his conference-leading high jump clearance of 7'0½" during a victory at the Air Force Invitational - his third title in as many weeks. Ranked 18th in the NCAA standings, Rex matched his career-best clearance to better 16 jumpers, including one ranked in the top 10.
McHENRY LISTED IN TWO-SPORT TOP 10
By matching a career-best time of 6.81 in the 60-meter dash at the Air Force Invitational, Gavin McHenry is tied for ninth on the USTFCCCA's weekly list of football players that also compete in track.
GET THE WHITEOUT READY!
The top-10 list of the men's 800-meter run received a major rewrite at the Air Force Invitational on Jan. 25, as Zach Perkins and Matt Dorsey both debuted on the list. Perkins recorded the seventh-fastest time in Academy history (1:51.10, adjusted for altitude) during a runner-up performance, while Dorsey finished fourth with the program's 10th-fastest time (1:51.32a). In addition, Patrick Corona used the 11th-fastest time in Air Force history (1:51.36) to finish sixth overall.
RECORD BOOK GETS A REWRITE
Several additions to the Academy's top 10 occurred over the Jan. 23-25 weekend. Grant Hamilton and Dylan Bell improved their No. 6 all-time positions in the shot put (56'8¾") and pole vault (17'6½"), respectively, while Naomi Alston (400-meter dash, 58.29, ninth all-time), Alexa Chacon (pentathlon, 3116, ninth all-time) and Zoe Casteel (pole vault (11'11¾") all debuted on the top-10 lists of their respective events.
GOING FOR THE WIN
The Falcons swept the high jump at the Air Force Invitational, as Kobi Rex claimed his third straight victory and Rachel Herald picked up her third win in the last four meets. Air Force also swept the unseeded pole vault behind wins from Elliott Beski and Zoe Casteel, while Kassie Gurnell finished first in the triple jump and Zach Perkins was the top collegiate finisher in the 800-meter run.
FACILITY AND MEET RECORDS FALL ON FINAL DAY OF AF INVITATIONAL
Three different Cadet Field House and Air Force Invitational records were set on Jan. 25. Olympic champion Jenn Suhr cleared 15'1¾" to win the pole vault and eclipse the previous venue standard that she set two weeks earlier, while Laura Thweatt of the Boulder Track Club shattered the meet and facility standards in the mile (4:49.98) and 3000-meter run (9:41.78) that had stood for over one decade.
WHAT'S ON DECK
Air Force returns to the Academy next Friday (Feb. 7) for its annual Team Challenge at the Cadet Field House Indoor Track. The quadrangular meet, which is slated to begin at 3:00 p.m., includes Air Force, Indiana State, Sacramento State and Wichita State.
