Air Force Academy
MW Championships
Calvin Berstler Wins MW Decathlon
5/10/2018 12:00:00 AM | Track and Field
Photo Gallery (NCAA Photos) 
Results | Mountain West Championships, Thursday 
CLOVIS, Calif. -- Air Force senior Calvin Berstler captured the Mountain West title in the decathlon this evening (May 10), as the track and field team opened scoring at the MW Outdoor Championships in Clovis, California. The senior was one of five scoring athletes for the Falcons on Thursday.
Berstler became the program's first decathlon champion in nine years, as he registered 7203 points -- the fourth-highest total in Academy history -- to win the 10-event competition by more than 200 points. The senior, who capped the day with a career-best, first-place mark of 4:31.22 in the 1500-meter run, earned a runner-up time of 15.28 in the 110-meter hurdles and finished third in the discus throw (131'1" -- a personal-best of more than 14 feet), pole vault (14'3¼") and javelin throw (157'11").
The Falcons earned multiple all-conference accolades for the first time since 2009, as senior Tyler Berson tallied a career-best 6616 points to finish third in the overall standings. Berson, who finished second in the 1500-meter run with a season-best time of 4:42.53, tied for third in the pole vault (14'3¼") and earned fourth-place marks in the 110-meter hurdles (16.06), discus (career-best 114'11") and javelin (145'8").
Freshman Justin Harmon improved his decathlon total by more than 300 points, en route to a fourth-place total of 6447 -- marking the first time since 2008 that Air Force had three decathletes earn scoring finishes at the conference meet. The freshman captured a pair of first-place marks on Thursday, as he clocked the fastest time in the 110-meter hurdles (15.25) and tied for the top clearance in the pole vault (14'11"). Harmon completed his day with a fourth-place time in the 1500-meter run (4:52.29), a personal improvement of more than nine feet in the discus throw (103'2", fifth) and an overall improvement of more than 14 feet in the javelin throw (125'11", sixth).
In addition to the conclusion of the decathlon, the first two individual event finals were contested today and Air Force earned a pair of scoring finishes in the men's 10,000-meter run, as juniors Mickey Davey and Jacob Bilvado finished fifth (29:56.51) and seventh (30:18.62), respectively.
The men are in second after two events with 27 points. Colorado State leads the overall standings with 36 points, while New Mexico (third, 10), Utah State (fourth, 3) and Wyoming (fifth, 1) also recorded points in the opening events.
In the women's 10,000-meter event, senior Nicole Hahn and sophomore Teri Brady both impacted the program's all-time standings, as they finished 10th and 11th, respectively. With the ninth-fastest time in program (36:25.95), Hahn improved her placement on the Academy's top-10 list for the third time in as many meets, while Brady debuted in 10th on the all-time standings behind a career-best time of 36:50.89.
The conference championship continues tomorrow (May 11), as the individual events get underway in earnest at Veterans Memorial Stadium. Action begins with the men's hammer throw and women's shot put at 3:00 p.m. (PT).
Players Mentioned
