Air Force Academy
Texas Invitational
Falcons Wrap up Competition at Texas Invitational
4/11/2015 12:00:00 AM | Track and Field
AUSTIN, Texas - Sophomore Cydnee Reese accounted for the fourth-best discus throw mark in Academy history on Saturday, April 11, as members of the Air Force track and field team wrapped up competition at the Texas Invitational in Austin. Reese was one of two event winners for the Falcons, who finished sixth (men) and eighth (women) in the team standings at Mike A. Myers Stadium.
Reese recorded a career-best distance of 169'1" to win the discus and move into fourth on the program's all-time list. The sophomore bettered the 17-thrower field by nearly 10 feet, while holding a 15-foot advantage over the rest of the collegiate field. Reese, who upped her career distance three times during the meet, finished today's series with a throw that was more than 11 feet better than her entry mark.
Sophomore Taylor Smith was the top collegiate finisher in the high jump, recording the second-best clearance of his career - 6'10¾" - to finish second only to Olympic bronze medalist Derek Drouin in the overall field. The Falcons accounted for two scoring finishes in that event, as senior Kobi Rex cleared a season-best bar of 6'4¾" to tie for fourth in the collegiate standings (sixth overall).
The high jump was one of three field events where Air Force accounted for multiple scoring finishes. Freshman Donny Crabill and sophomore Taylor Hulslander placed third (career-best 199'10") and fifth (174'3"), respectively, in the javelin throw, while junior Dylan Bell finished fourth (season-best 16'9¼") and senior Joey Uhle tied for fifth (16'3¼") in the pole vault.
Junior Grant Hamilton added two scoring finishes to the Falcons' lineup, as he posted season-best distances to finish second in the shot put (57'11¾") and fifth in the discus throw (171'0"). Freshman John Reynolds rounded out the men's list of field event scorers, as he placed second in the triple jump with a distance of 46'10¼".
On the track, sophomores Chandler Myers, Garrett Newman and Zach Johnson joined senior Jake Spuller for a sixth-place finish in the 4x100-meter relay (41.80). Johnson also accounted for a scoring finish in the 100-meter dash, after placing eighth in the collegiate field (12th overall) behind a career-best time of 10.77
Sixth-ranked Texas scored 187 points to win its home invitational. Minnesota (97), Sam Houston State (84.50), Stephen F. Austin (78) and Cal State Northridge (64.50) rounded out the top five, while Air Force recorded 57.50 points to finish sixth. UT San Antonio (54), North Texas (36.50) and Rice (3) completed the men's field.
In addition to her victory in the discus, Reese also scored for the Falcons in the hammer throw, as she finished eighth with a career-best distance of 153'11".
The sophomore was one of four field athletes to score on the women's side. Classmate Jacki French recorded a season-best throw of 126'8" to finish third in the javelin, while juniors Angelea Ross and Katelyn Holland scored in the triple jump (sixth, 37'10½") and shot put (seventh, 41'10"), respectively.
Fourth-ranked Texas won its own meet with 184 points, while Cal State Northridge finished second with 152 points. Sam Houston State (74.50) edged North Texas (70) for third, while Stephen F. Austin (58.50), Rice (54), UT San Antonio (49) and Air Force (24) rounded out the team standings.
The Falcons return to action next week, as they travel to California for multiple competitions. The multi-event athletes will compete in the California Invitational Decathlon and Heptathlon (April 15-16), while the rest of the squad will split for the Mt. SAC Relays (Apr. 17-18) and the Beach Invitational (April 18).
Players Mentioned
