Hannah Everson Wins the West, Advances to NCAA Championships

May 28, 2015

AUSTIN, Texas - Air Force junior Hannah Everson broke her own Academy record in the 10,000-meter run to win the West Preliminary and punch her ticket to next month's national finals. Everson was one of eight Falcons to compete on the opening day of competition at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships (West Preliminary) in Austin, Texas.

Everson, who entered the race ranked 37th in the preliminary field, picked her way through the group during the initial laps, before settling in with the front runners. She stayed with the lead runners and continued with the main group, as the pack shrunk to eight and then four. As the final four - a group that included three runners from the Mountain West - entered the final turn, Everson made her way to the front and didn't look back, bettering a field that included two national champions by more than a second-and-a-half for the victory.

Crossing the finish line with a time of 34:23.52, she shattered her own Academy record by more than eight seconds, marking the second time this season she has improved a mark that had previously stood for 24 years.

Sophomore Kyle Eller competed in the men's 10,000-meter race, finishing 42nd in a time of 32:52.42.

Sophomore Taylor Smith posted the Falcons' top field event finish, as he tied for 15th in the high jump with a clearance of 6'11¾" - a finish just three spots shy of advancing to next month's finals. Smith was a perfect three-for-three on first-attempts makes, before recording narrow misses at a would-be career-best 7'1½". Junior Grant Hamilton finished 24th in the discus with a throw of 173'1", while senior Blue Kearney placed 34th in the long jump with a distance of 23'4½" (under a new regional format, athletes in the throwing events and horizontal jumps only received three attempts)

In addition to the five events that were considered national semifinals, three Falcons competed in first-round races today on the track.

Senior Zach Perkins and sophomore Matt Dorsey both advanced to Saturday's regional final the 1500-meter run. With the top five runners earning automatic places into Saturday's race, both easily earned automatic bids after placing third in their respective heats. Perkins clocked in with a time of 3:46.67 to take third in his heat and ninth overall, while Dorsey used a 3:52.05 to finish earn the same placement in his race (29th overall).

Sophomore Zach Johnson rounded out the trio of today's preliminary runners, as he finished ninth in his heat of the 100-meter dash (43rd overall) with a wind-aided time of 10.65

The Falcons continue action at Mike A. Myers Stadium tomorrow (May 29). Hamilton will compete in his second event in as many days (shot put), while sophomore Cydnee Reese participates in the discus throw and freshman Jamiel Trimble competes in the first round of the 110-meter hurdles.

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