Five Falcons Head to NCAA Championships
3/9/2016 12:00:00 AM | Track and Field
March 9, 2016
FalconVision Interview with Coach Lindeman
The indoor season comes to a close this weekend, as a program-best five members of the Air Force track and Field team travel to Birmingham, Ala., for the 2016 NCAA Division I Indoor Championships, which will be held at the Birmingham CrossPlex. Senior Dylan Bell (pole vault) will be making his second trip to the NCAA Indoor Championships, while classmates Patrick Corona (3000-meter run) and Hannah Everson (5000-meter run), junior Taylor Smith (high jump) and sophomore Jamiel Trimble (200-meter dash) will be making their first appearance at the national meet.
Meet Notes 10: at NCAA Indoor Championships (updated bios for NCAA participants) 
MEET INFORMATION
The 2016 NCAA Division I Indoor Track and Field Championships will take place in Birmingham, Ala., on Friday-Saturday (March 11-12) at the Birmingham CrossPlex. Overall action gets underway at noon both days – a list of competition times for Air Force events are listed in the Meet Information box to the right.
IF YOU CAN'T MAKE IT THE MEET
ESPN3 will stream the meet both days, beginning at 6:30 p.m., on Friday and 5:00 p.m., on Saturday. A composite show will air on ESPN2 at 7:00 p.m., on Sunday, March 13, with a replay scheduled for Wednesday, March 23, at 10:00 p.m., on ESPNU. All broadcast times are Eastern. In addition, live stats will be available through FlashResults.com.
LOOKING AT THE NATIONAL LANDSCAPE
Heading into the NCAA Championships, three Falcons are currently listed in the nation's top 10. Dylan Bell is ranked third in the pole vault (18'2¾"), while Taylor Smith is sixth in the high jump (7'2½") and Patrick Corona is eighth in the 3000-meter run (7:50.60).
HISTORY 101
The men have claimed 19 All-America accolades at the NCAA Indoor Championships, including eight in the men's pole vault. Paul Gensic, Cale Simmons, Justin Tyner, Joey Uhle and Doug Withers are the program's most decorated indoor All-Americans, with two individual honors apiece. Tyner added a third selected as a member of the distance medley relay that competed in 2011. The women accounted for 23 All-America nods at the NCAA Division II level, with Callie Calhoun and Jill Wood earning national titles.
FALCONS IMPROVE TO #19 IN NATIONAL RANKINGS
Air Force continued to climb up the national rankings, as it earned a No. 19 placement in the pre-championship edition of the USTFCCCA Computer Rankings, which were released on March 7. Those rankings, which only recognize entries into the NCAA Championships, give Air Force the highest ranking of teams outside of the "Power 5" conferences.
LINDEMAN, EVERSON EARN USTFCCCA REGIONAL AWARDS
Ralph Lindeman and Hannah Everson received regional accolades from the USTFCCCA on March 4, as Lindeman was named the Mountain Region's Head Coach of the Year and Everson was voted as the Women's Track Athlete of the Year for the Mountain Region. It is the fourth regional honor for Lindeman (2012 indoor, 2012 outdoor, 2013 outdoor), while Everson is the first track athlete in Academy history to receive regional recognition.
FALCONS SET PROGRAM-RECORD FOR NCAA QUALIFIERS
The Falcons set a new Academy record for athletes invited to the NCAA Championships, as Dylan Bell (pole vault), Patrick Corona (3000-meter run), Taylor Smith (high jump), Jamiel Trimble (200-meter dash) and Hannah Everson (5000-meter run) all qualified to the "Sweet 16" of indoor track and field. The five qualifiers are the most in program history, easily surpassing the previous record of three that Air Force sent to the 2010 championships.
WHAT'S ON DECK
With the indoor season complete, Air Force turns its attention outdoors. The Falcons open the second half of the season on March 18-19, when they travel to Boulder, Colo., for the annual Jerry Quiller Classic.
