Air Force Cross Country Splits for Weekend Meets
9/28/2016 12:00:00 AM | Cross Country
Sept. 28, 2016
The Air Force cross country team returns to action this weekend, as it splits for a pair of long-standing competitions. Part of the squad will travel to South Bend, Ind., for the 61st-annual Joe Piane Notre Dame Invitational on Friday, Sept. 30, while the rest of the squad will travel to Boulder, Colo., for the 31st-annual Rocky Mountain Shootout on Saturday, Oct. 1.
Meet Notes 03: at Notre Dame Invitational, at Rocky Mountain Shootout 
NOTRE DAME INVITATIONAL MEET INFORMATION
The Joe Piane Notre Dame Invitational will take place on Friday, Sept. 30, at the Burke Golf Course on the University of Notre Dame campus. The women's 5K race is slated to get underway at 2:00 p.m., while the men's five-mile race will follow at 2:45 p.m. Air Force is competing in the Blue Division, which features six nationally-ranked women's teams, eight nationally-ranked men's teams and 10 teams receiving votes in the national poll.
WHO TO WATCH...
Air Force will send nine men – Jacob Bilvado, Matt Dorsey, Kyle Eller, Andrew Johnston, Andrew Milliron, Nikolai Rhodes, Noah Riley, Andrew Tankersley, Nathan Thomas – and seven women – Lindsey Blanks, Katie Burnham, Shanna Burns, Carina Gillespie, Lindy Long, Samantha Skold, Jaci Smith – to the Notre Dame Invitational.
SCOUTING THE WOMEN'S FIELD
The women's Blue Race features three of the top-five programs in the country, including top-ranked Providence, second-ranked New Mexico and fifth-ranked NC State. The lineup also includes nationally-ranked teams from Notre Dame (16), Vanderbilt (24T) and Utah (28), six squads that are receiving votes in the national poll (California, Eastern Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Texas, Weber State) and teams from Air Force, Alabama, Baylor, Boston College, Clemson, Florida State, Nebraska, North Carolina, Oregon State, Purdue, Texas A&M and Wisconsin.
A QUICK LOOK AT THE MEN'S LINEUP
The field for the men's Blue Race includes nationally-ranked programs from Eastern Kentucky (9), Wisconsin (12), UTEP (18), Mississippi (20), NC State (23), Washington State (24) Florida State (30T) and Texas (30T), as well as four teams that are receiving votes in the national rankings (Illinois, Providence, Southern Utah, Texas A&M) and 14 additional squads from Air Force, Alabama, Baylor, Bradley, California, Eastern Michigan, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Purdue, UT Arlington, Weber State and Yale.
ROCKY MOUNTAIN SHOOTOUT MEET INFORMATION
The 31st-annual Rocky Mountain Shootout will take place on Saturday, Oct. 1, at the Buffalo Ranch Cross Country Course in Boulder. The men will kick off the day with an 8K race at 9:00 a.m., while the women will follow with a 5.8K race at 9:45 a.m. Colorado, ranked second in the women's rankings and fifth in the men's poll, will host Division I teams from Air Force, Colorado State (M: 29th) and Northern Colorado, as well as several local non-DI collegiate teams and club programs.
WHO TO WATCH...
The Falcons will send 11 men – Jordan Armstrong, Jack Bluth, Anthony Bucci, Nic Cheuvront, Jason Engel, Adam Haynes, Jimmy Shipley, Patrick Sullivan, Tim Ward, Conner Wilburn, Josh Wojciechowski – and four women – Julie Culbertson, Regan Hefner, Cassidy Osgood, Swathi Samuel – to the Rocky Mountain Shootout.
HISTORY 101
The men have finished second at the Rocky Mountain Shootout six times in their last dozen trips to Boulder (2003, 2005, 2009, 2013, 2014, 2015), while tying for the runner-up spot one other time (2002). The women, who do not usually send a full squad of runners to Boulder, have earned one second-place finish (2002).
AIR FORCE MEN WIN WOODY GREENO/DIRKSEN INVITATIONAL
Backed by a runner-up finish from Andrew Milliron and five of the top-seven Division I finishers, the men bettered the field by 30 points to win the University title at the Woody Greeno/Jay Dirksen Invitational on Sept. 17. Milliron completed the 8K course in 26:12.7, while Andrew Tankersley (26:18.2, fourth), Anthony Bucci (26:24.3, fifth), Tim Ward (26:25.1, sixth) and Conner Wilburn (26:25.1, seventh) rounded out the Falcons' five-man scoring roster.
FAST FACT
With the team title at this year's meet, the men have now won the Woody Greeno Invitational seven times (2000, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2011, 2012, 2016) and shared the team title once (1999).
THE NEXT COURSE
Air Force will send a contingent of runners to the Tiger Open in Hays, Kan., next Saturday (Oct. 8).
Players Mentioned
