Falcons Set to Host Air Force Team Challenge
2/3/2016 12:00:00 AM | Track and Field
Feb. 3, 2016
The Air Force track and field team closes out the home portion of its indoor season this Friday (Feb. 5), when it hosts North Dakota State, South Dakota and Wichita State at the fifth-annual Air Force Team Challenge at the Cadet Field House Indoor Track. The meet is slated to begin with the women's weight throw at 3:00 p.m.
Meet Notes 06: Air Force Team Challenge 
MEET INFORMATION
Admission is free to the Air Force Team Challenge. Please note, the Falcons are hosting a hockey game at 7:05 p.m., so track and field spectators should plan to be inside the Field House prior to the ticket office opening at 6:00 p.m. Spectators arriving after the ticket office opens will be required to purchase a hockey ticket. A link to live results will be available through GoAirForceFalcons.com, while in-meet updates will be available on the team's Twitter account (@af_trackfield).
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
3:00 p.m.: Women's Weight Throw, Men's Weight Throw, Women's Shot Put, Men's Shot Put; 4:00 p.m.: Women's Pole Vault, Men's Pole Vault; 4:00 p.m.: Women's Long Jump, Women's Triple Jump; 4:00 p.m.: Men's Long Jump, Men's Triple Jump; 4:00 p.m.: Women's High Jump, Men's High Jump; 5:00 p.m.: 60-Meter Hurdles (qualifying), 60-Meter Dash (qualifying), Mile Run, 60-Meter Hurdles, 400-Meter Dash, 60-Meter Dash, 800-Meter Run, 200-Meter Dash, 3000-Meter Run, Mile Relay (women will compete first in all running events)
LOOKING AT THE NATIONAL LANDSCAPE
Three Falcons are listed in the nation's top 10, including Dylan Bell, who is currently ranked second in the pole vault following a season-best clearance of 17'11¼" at the New Mexico Team Invitational. Taylor Smith is ranked sixth in the high jump after matching the Academy record of 7'1¾" at New Mexico and Patrick Corona's mile time of 3:59.77 (altitude) from the Air Force Invitational is ranked ninth. Air Force has two additional runners ranked in the top 25, with Jamiel Trimble and Matt Dorsey listed in the 200-meter dash (20th, 21.03) and mile (23rd, 4:02.20a), respectively.
SMITH EARNS FIRST MOUNTAIN WEST HONOR
After clearing an Academy record 7'1¾" to win the high jump at the New Mexico Team Invitational, Taylor Smith was named the Mountain West Men's Indoor Field Athlete of the Week on Feb. 2. In addition to the Academy record, Smith matched the second-best high jump mark in Mountain West history. That clearance was also ranked third for all jumps in the nation over the Jan. 29-30 weekend and is (to date) ranked sixth in the NCAA this season.
DID YOU KNOW?
Taylor Smith captured the program's seventh Mountain West award of the indoor season – a tally that bettered the previous record of six that the Falcons set last season. With his Men's Field Athlete of the Week award on Feb. 2, Smith joined Dylan Bell (Dec 15, Men's Field), Shelley Spires (Jan. 12, women's field), John Reynolds (Jan. 19, Men's Field), Jamiel Trimble (Jan. 19, Men's Track), Patrick Corona (Jan. 26, Men's Track) and Kathryn Tomczak (Jan. 26, Women's Field) as the Falcons' current award winners from the conference.
BELL WINS POLE VAULT TITLE AT NEW MEXICO
Dylan Bell posted a season-best clearance of 17'11¼" – a seasonal improvement of nearly five inches – to win the pole vault at the New Mexico Team Invitational. With that clearance, Bell bettered the 18-jumper field by more than 10 inches.
WHAT'S ON DECK
Air Force splits over the Feb. 12-13 weekend for a pair of competitions. Part of the squad will travel to the Tyson Invitational in Fayetteville, Ark., while others will compete at the Husky Invitational in Seattle, Wash.
