Air Force Concludes Action at Rocky Mountain Classic

Feb. 19. 2016

LARAMIE, Wyo. – Backed by one improvement to the Academy record book and five first-place finishes, a small contingent of the Air Force track and field team wrapped up competition at the Rocky Mountain Classic this evening (Feb. 19) at Wyoming's War Memorial Field House.

Junior Cydnee Reese added nearly a foot to her career-best distance in the weight throw, as she registered a distance of 53'7" to move from ninth to sixth on the Academy's all-time list.

Junior Zoe Casteel and freshman Tami Cardenas picked up first-place finishes for the women this evening. Casteel cleared a season-high 11'11¾" to pace the Falcons to the top three placements in the pole vault, while Cardenas clocked a time of 2:21.46 to lead Air Force to a one-two finish in the 800-meter run.

Freshmen Jerni Self and Natalie Hawthorne completed the Falcons' sweep of the top-three finishes in the pole vault, as they placed second (career-best 11'11¾") and third (career-best 10'6"), respectively. Classmate Hillary Kiele joined Cardenas at the top of the 800-meter standings, as she clocked a time of 2:23.48 to finish second.

Air Force also earned a pair of runner-up finishes from junior Alexa Chacon, who clocked a time of 8.34 in the 55-meter hurdles and cleared 5'1" in the high jump.

The men claimed first-place finishes from junior Kyle Pater (pole vault, 16'4¾"), freshman Sam Hinegardner (high jump, 6'2¾") and junior Darby Maier (shot put, 55'8½"). Air Force swept the scoring finishes in the pole vault, while earning three of the four point-placements in the high jump.

Pater cleared 16'4¾" to win the pole vault, while freshmen Walker Newell and Joe Ernst finished second and third, respectively, with matching clearances of 14'11". Hinegardner, who finished fourth in the pole vault with a height of 14'5¼", tied for the night's top clearance in the high jump (6'2¾"), while classmate Steven Moyer and sophomore Tyler Berson finished third (5'7") and fourth (5'5"), respectively.

The men claimed two of the top-three spots in the long jump, as sophomore Jake LaCoste finished second (21'8") and freshman Tyler Cibotti took third (20'8½"). Cibotti also scored for the Falcons in the triple jump with a career-best distance of 43'5", while junior Chandler Myers (55-meter dash, 6.49), senior Joey Wilkin (55-meter hurdles, 7.90) and junior Reed McGuire (weight throw, career-best 56'2½") finished fourth in their respective events.

The partial men's team combined for 33 points to finish second to Wyoming's full squad (62). Members from Colorado State and Colorado finished third (6) and fourth (3), respectively, in the men's standings. The women's split squad also finished second (24) to Wyoming (78), while Colorado placed third with 12 points.

The men's distance medley relay will compete at the Alex Wilson Invitational in South Bend, Ind., tomorrow (Feb. 20), while the rest of the squad prepares for the 2016 Mountain West Indoor Track and Field Championships, which begin on Thursday, Feb. 25, in Albuquerque.

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