Saturday, January 26
USAFA
11:30 a.m. MT
Air Force Academy
vs
Air Force Invitational
Photo by: Justin Tafoya/NCAA Photos
Falcon Men Capture Team Title at Air Force Invitational
1/26/2019 6:49:00 PM | Track and Field
Sedacy Walden won the 400-meter dash and led off the winning mile relay squad.
USAF ACADEMY, Colo. – Backed by a strong final day of action, the men's track and field team claimed the team title of the Air Force Invitational, which concluded this evening (Jan. 26) at the Cadet Field House.
Overall, the Falcons combined for four first-place finishes, as well as the top collegiate finishes in three additional events, as the men took first and the women finished fourth.
The men's mile relay, which concluded the night with a winning time of 3:16.93 – a mark nearly five seconds faster than the second-place team – featured a quartet of athletes that also accounted for scoring finishes in individual events. Senior Sedacy Walden, who led off the relay, won the 400-meter dash in 48-seconds flat, while sophomores Luke Zuluaga and Terrell Davis finished third (49.30) and fourth (49.55), respectively, in the event final. Fellow sophomore Zachary Dicken, the final member of the winning relay, added a runner-up finish in the 200-meter dash after posting a career-best time of 21.76.
Senior Preston Roche accounted for a first-place finish in the 800-meter run (1:55.77), while classmate Josh Wojciechowski was the top collegiate finisher in the mile (4:26.40, second overall). Sophomore Hunter Boyer and junior Justin Weber joined Wojciechowski among the top-five of the overall field of mile runners, as the finished fourth (4:28.62) and fifth (4:28.83), respectively, in the 18-runner field. Air Force earned an additional top-five mark in the 800-meter run, as freshman Garrett Blenkush posted a fourth-place time of 2:00.91.
Air Force recorded two of the top-four times in the 60-meter final, as senior Miguel Molas clocked a runner-up time of 6.80 and junior Terrell Bradford finished fourth in 6.88. Junior Anthony Davis and freshman Lashawn Taylor added a pair of top-five marks in the triple jump, as the pair posted career-best marks to finish fourth (46'10") and fifth (46'5¼"), respectively.
Senior Reece Pontious joined Dicken among the top-five of the 200-meter dash (fourth, 21.91), while classmate David Collins posted a season-best time of 8.11 to finish fourth in the final of the 60-meter hurdles. Fellow senior Sam Hinegardner rounded out the men's list of top-five finishers, as he cleared 6'7¾" to finish fourth in the "A" flight of the high jump.
The men tallied 113 points to win the eight-team Invitational by 13.5 points. Long Beach State finished second with 99.5 points, while Wichita State (78), Colorado State (56) and MSU Billings (54) rounded out the top five and Northern Colorado (37), Colorado (30) and Western Colorado (24.5) rounded out the overall field.
On the women's side, Air Force senior Jerni Self became the fifth vaulter in program history to clear the 13-foot bar during indoor competition and helped the Falcons collected a trio of top-five marks in the "A" flight of the pole vault. Classmate Kathryn Tomczak won the event with a Senior Class Record height of 13'9¼", while Self finished second after recording a career-best jump of 13'1½" – a clearance that equaled the fourth-best mark in Academy history. Freshman Corey Friedenbach joined her senior teammates among the top-five of today's competition, as she cleared 11'11¾".
Juniors Swathi Samuel and Teri Brady were the top collegiate finishers in their respective races, as Samuel finished second overall in the mile (5:19.63) and Brady placed sixth in the 3000-meter run (10:28.75). Samuel was one of two Falcons to place within the top-five of the overall standings in the mile, as freshman Sydney Hansen placed fourth in her collegiate debut with a time of 5:27.53.
The quartet of junior Megan Irvine, senior Aryn Maxwell, freshman Brid O'Connell and junior Kelsey Owens also collected a top-five finish for Air Force, as they closed out the night with a third-placefinish in the mile relay (3:58.03).
The women collected 71 points to finish fourth in their nine-team event – and just six points out of third. Wichita State won the meet with 151 points, while Long Beach State tallied 100 points to finish second. Colorado State (77) edged the Falcons, while Colorado (57) earned a one-point advantage over Northern Colorado (56). The Boulder Track Club (26), MSU Billings (15) and Western Colorado (8) completed the overall team standings.
Several former Academy standouts also competed today, as members of the Air Force World Class Athlete Program. Kyle Pater and Shelley Spires won the "A" sections of the pole vault (18'2½") and high jump (5'10½"), respectively, while Dylan Bell finished third in the pole vault (17'0¾") and Carina Gillespie placed fourth in the 3000-meter run (10:05.35).
Air Force returns to action weekend, as it makes a return trip to Boulder for the Colorado Invitational. The two-day meet will begin on Friday, Feb. 1, at the CU Indoor Practice Facility.
Overall, the Falcons combined for four first-place finishes, as well as the top collegiate finishes in three additional events, as the men took first and the women finished fourth.
The men's mile relay, which concluded the night with a winning time of 3:16.93 – a mark nearly five seconds faster than the second-place team – featured a quartet of athletes that also accounted for scoring finishes in individual events. Senior Sedacy Walden, who led off the relay, won the 400-meter dash in 48-seconds flat, while sophomores Luke Zuluaga and Terrell Davis finished third (49.30) and fourth (49.55), respectively, in the event final. Fellow sophomore Zachary Dicken, the final member of the winning relay, added a runner-up finish in the 200-meter dash after posting a career-best time of 21.76.
Senior Preston Roche accounted for a first-place finish in the 800-meter run (1:55.77), while classmate Josh Wojciechowski was the top collegiate finisher in the mile (4:26.40, second overall). Sophomore Hunter Boyer and junior Justin Weber joined Wojciechowski among the top-five of the overall field of mile runners, as the finished fourth (4:28.62) and fifth (4:28.83), respectively, in the 18-runner field. Air Force earned an additional top-five mark in the 800-meter run, as freshman Garrett Blenkush posted a fourth-place time of 2:00.91.
Air Force recorded two of the top-four times in the 60-meter final, as senior Miguel Molas clocked a runner-up time of 6.80 and junior Terrell Bradford finished fourth in 6.88. Junior Anthony Davis and freshman Lashawn Taylor added a pair of top-five marks in the triple jump, as the pair posted career-best marks to finish fourth (46'10") and fifth (46'5¼"), respectively.
Senior Reece Pontious joined Dicken among the top-five of the 200-meter dash (fourth, 21.91), while classmate David Collins posted a season-best time of 8.11 to finish fourth in the final of the 60-meter hurdles. Fellow senior Sam Hinegardner rounded out the men's list of top-five finishers, as he cleared 6'7¾" to finish fourth in the "A" flight of the high jump.
The men tallied 113 points to win the eight-team Invitational by 13.5 points. Long Beach State finished second with 99.5 points, while Wichita State (78), Colorado State (56) and MSU Billings (54) rounded out the top five and Northern Colorado (37), Colorado (30) and Western Colorado (24.5) rounded out the overall field.
On the women's side, Air Force senior Jerni Self became the fifth vaulter in program history to clear the 13-foot bar during indoor competition and helped the Falcons collected a trio of top-five marks in the "A" flight of the pole vault. Classmate Kathryn Tomczak won the event with a Senior Class Record height of 13'9¼", while Self finished second after recording a career-best jump of 13'1½" – a clearance that equaled the fourth-best mark in Academy history. Freshman Corey Friedenbach joined her senior teammates among the top-five of today's competition, as she cleared 11'11¾".
Juniors Swathi Samuel and Teri Brady were the top collegiate finishers in their respective races, as Samuel finished second overall in the mile (5:19.63) and Brady placed sixth in the 3000-meter run (10:28.75). Samuel was one of two Falcons to place within the top-five of the overall standings in the mile, as freshman Sydney Hansen placed fourth in her collegiate debut with a time of 5:27.53.
The quartet of junior Megan Irvine, senior Aryn Maxwell, freshman Brid O'Connell and junior Kelsey Owens also collected a top-five finish for Air Force, as they closed out the night with a third-placefinish in the mile relay (3:58.03).
The women collected 71 points to finish fourth in their nine-team event – and just six points out of third. Wichita State won the meet with 151 points, while Long Beach State tallied 100 points to finish second. Colorado State (77) edged the Falcons, while Colorado (57) earned a one-point advantage over Northern Colorado (56). The Boulder Track Club (26), MSU Billings (15) and Western Colorado (8) completed the overall team standings.
Several former Academy standouts also competed today, as members of the Air Force World Class Athlete Program. Kyle Pater and Shelley Spires won the "A" sections of the pole vault (18'2½") and high jump (5'10½"), respectively, while Dylan Bell finished third in the pole vault (17'0¾") and Carina Gillespie placed fourth in the 3000-meter run (10:05.35).
Air Force returns to action weekend, as it makes a return trip to Boulder for the Colorado Invitational. The two-day meet will begin on Friday, Feb. 1, at the CU Indoor Practice Facility.
Players Mentioned
800m
/ Track and Field
3000m Steeplechase
/ Track and Field
100m / 200m
/ Track and Field
10,000m / 5000m
/ Track and Field
400m Hurdles / 110m Hurdles
/ Track and Field
Triple Jump
/ Track and Field
400m / 200m
/ Track and Field
400m
/ Track and Field
Pole Vault
/ Track and Field
1500m | 800m
/ Track and Field
1500m / 800m
/ Track and Field
High Jump / Pole Vault
/ Track and Field
400m
/ Track and Field
400m Hurdles / 400m
/ Track and Field
100m / 200m
/ Track and Field
400m
/ Track and Field
400m
/ Track and Field
100m / 200m
/ Track and Field
800m
/ Track and Field
1500m / 5000m
/ Track and Field
Pole Vault
/ Track and Field
High Jump
/ Track and Field
Triple Jump
/ Track and Field
Pole Vault
/ Track and Field
400m / 200m
/ Track and Field
3000m Steeplechase / 5000m
/ Track and Field
1500m
/ Track and Field
400m / 200m
/ Track and FieldRyan Cole Interview - August 26th, 2025
Tuesday, August 26
Ryan Cole Interview March 11, 2025
Tuesday, March 11
Ryan Cole Interview May 20, 2024
Monday, May 20
Ryan Cole Interview - May 20, 2024
Monday, May 20
