Saturday, March 23
San Diego, Calif.
10:00 a.m. MT
Air Force Academy
at
Aztec Invitational
Photo by: Tomas Ovalle, NCAA Photos
Falcons Wrap up Competition at Aztec Invitational
3/23/2019 9:57:00 PM | Track and Field
Mitch Lipe (pole vault) and the men's 4x400-meter relay posted collegiate-best finishes in San Diego.
SAN DIEGO, Calif. – The Air Force track and field team collected a pair of collegiate-best finishes this afternoon (March 23), as it wrapped up competition at the 41st-annual Aztec Invitational in San Diego. Overall, the men accounted for 13 top-10 finishes in a meet that featured five of the nation's top-20 teams, while the women added a pair of top-10 marks in a lineup that included three nationally-ranked squads and a pair of conference teams.
The men's 4x400-meter relay squad of sophomore Zachary Dicken, senior Sedacy Walden, sophomore Luke Zuluaga and junior Michael Rhoads posted a time of 3:13.05 to finish as the top collegiate team and second overall behind members of the Chinese National Team.
Sophomore Mitch Lipe also earned a top-collegiate finish, as he recorded a career-best clearance of 16'9½" – a personal improvement of nearly nine inches – to finish second only to former Air Force standout and current WCAP member Kyle Pater. Lipe paced the Falcons' current lineup to three top-10 finishes in the overall 22-jumper event, as junior Connor Stevens finished fourth with a season-opening 16'3½" and classmate Logan Grizzle tied for eighth after recording a clearance of 15'9¾" in his first outdoor jump of the year.
Backed by a pair of top-10 marks, the Falcons placed three athletes within the top half of the field of the 400-meter dash and javelin throw. Walden and Dicken finished third (47.74) and sixth (career-best 48.20), respectively, in their first 400-meter events of the year, while Zuluaga recorded a personal-best 13th-place time of 49.35. Junior Parker Spearman recorded a season-best distance of 208'6" to finish third out of 23 throwers in the javelin, while sophomore Bailey Ishler finished seventh with a career-best 195'1" and senior Logan Feasline took 11th in a season-opening distance of 189'10".
In addition to his finish in the javelin, Feasline paced the Falcons in the discus throw, as he recorded a season-best mark of 169'10" to finish fifth out of 34 throwers. Classmate Garrett Coalson, who finished ninth in the discus with a season-best mark of 159'6", also picked up an additional top-10 mark on Saturday, as he finished 10th in the shot put behind a throw of 49'2¼".
Senior Sam Hinegardner, who finished within the top half of the overall pole vault field with a clearance of 15'3¾" (11th), tied for fourth on the high bar after posting a season-opening clearance of 6'5".
On the track, junior Terrell Bradford and senior Reece Pontious finished within the top-half of the field in a pair of events. Bradford finished fifth out of 36 runners in the 200-meter dash (21.48) and 13th out of 61 runners in the 100-meter dash (season-opening 10.73), while Pontious finished 17th in the 200-meter race (22.24) and 28th at 100 meters (10.99).
Seniors Preston Roche and Gordon Kowalkowski earned top-15 finishes in the 800-meter run, while placing within the top-five of the collegiate field. Roche clocked a season-opening time of 1:53.78 to finish 11th in the 35-runner field, while Kowalkowski finished 13th after clocking a time of 1:54.68 in his first outdoor race of the year. With seven of the top-eight overall finishes belonging to members of the Qatar National Team, Roche and Kowalkowski finished third and fifth, respectively, amongst collegiate runners.
Senior Kathryn Tomczak collected the best finish for the women, as she posted a season-best clearance of 13'6¼" to place fifth out of 34 competitors in the pole vault. Classmate Jerni Self also placed within the top half of the field on the pole vault, as she cleared a season-best 12'2½" to finish 17th.
The women also placed a pair of Falcons within the top-half of the javelin standings, as senior Liz Jarvis recorded a season-opening distance of 131'5" to finish 11th and junior Sierra Rodriguez recorded a mark of 128'9" to take 14th.
Sophomore Kathleen Medill recorded a career-best clearance of 5'5¾" – a mark just shy of the program's top 10 list – to finish seventh out of 20 athletes in the high jump, while sophomore Donna Borer finished within the top half of the field in the discus throw behind a 14th-place mark of 147'10".
This week's competitors will remain in San Diego to train this week during the Academy's spring break, the squad's distance runners will head to California next weekend (March 29-30) for the Mike Fanelli Track Classic and the Stanford Invitational.
The men's 4x400-meter relay squad of sophomore Zachary Dicken, senior Sedacy Walden, sophomore Luke Zuluaga and junior Michael Rhoads posted a time of 3:13.05 to finish as the top collegiate team and second overall behind members of the Chinese National Team.
Sophomore Mitch Lipe also earned a top-collegiate finish, as he recorded a career-best clearance of 16'9½" – a personal improvement of nearly nine inches – to finish second only to former Air Force standout and current WCAP member Kyle Pater. Lipe paced the Falcons' current lineup to three top-10 finishes in the overall 22-jumper event, as junior Connor Stevens finished fourth with a season-opening 16'3½" and classmate Logan Grizzle tied for eighth after recording a clearance of 15'9¾" in his first outdoor jump of the year.
Backed by a pair of top-10 marks, the Falcons placed three athletes within the top half of the field of the 400-meter dash and javelin throw. Walden and Dicken finished third (47.74) and sixth (career-best 48.20), respectively, in their first 400-meter events of the year, while Zuluaga recorded a personal-best 13th-place time of 49.35. Junior Parker Spearman recorded a season-best distance of 208'6" to finish third out of 23 throwers in the javelin, while sophomore Bailey Ishler finished seventh with a career-best 195'1" and senior Logan Feasline took 11th in a season-opening distance of 189'10".
In addition to his finish in the javelin, Feasline paced the Falcons in the discus throw, as he recorded a season-best mark of 169'10" to finish fifth out of 34 throwers. Classmate Garrett Coalson, who finished ninth in the discus with a season-best mark of 159'6", also picked up an additional top-10 mark on Saturday, as he finished 10th in the shot put behind a throw of 49'2¼".
Senior Sam Hinegardner, who finished within the top half of the overall pole vault field with a clearance of 15'3¾" (11th), tied for fourth on the high bar after posting a season-opening clearance of 6'5".
On the track, junior Terrell Bradford and senior Reece Pontious finished within the top-half of the field in a pair of events. Bradford finished fifth out of 36 runners in the 200-meter dash (21.48) and 13th out of 61 runners in the 100-meter dash (season-opening 10.73), while Pontious finished 17th in the 200-meter race (22.24) and 28th at 100 meters (10.99).
Seniors Preston Roche and Gordon Kowalkowski earned top-15 finishes in the 800-meter run, while placing within the top-five of the collegiate field. Roche clocked a season-opening time of 1:53.78 to finish 11th in the 35-runner field, while Kowalkowski finished 13th after clocking a time of 1:54.68 in his first outdoor race of the year. With seven of the top-eight overall finishes belonging to members of the Qatar National Team, Roche and Kowalkowski finished third and fifth, respectively, amongst collegiate runners.
Senior Kathryn Tomczak collected the best finish for the women, as she posted a season-best clearance of 13'6¼" to place fifth out of 34 competitors in the pole vault. Classmate Jerni Self also placed within the top half of the field on the pole vault, as she cleared a season-best 12'2½" to finish 17th.
The women also placed a pair of Falcons within the top-half of the javelin standings, as senior Liz Jarvis recorded a season-opening distance of 131'5" to finish 11th and junior Sierra Rodriguez recorded a mark of 128'9" to take 14th.
Sophomore Kathleen Medill recorded a career-best clearance of 5'5¾" – a mark just shy of the program's top 10 list – to finish seventh out of 20 athletes in the high jump, while sophomore Donna Borer finished within the top half of the field in the discus throw behind a 14th-place mark of 147'10".
This week's competitors will remain in San Diego to train this week during the Academy's spring break, the squad's distance runners will head to California next weekend (March 29-30) for the Mike Fanelli Track Classic and the Stanford Invitational.
Players Mentioned
Discus / Shot Put / Hammer
/ Track and Field
100m / 200m
/ Track and Field
Shot Put / Discus
/ Track and Field
400m
/ Track and Field
Discus / Javelin
/ Track and Field
Pole Vault
/ Track and Field
High Jump / Pole Vault
/ Track and Field
Javelin
/ Track and Field
Javelin
/ Track and Field
800m
/ Track and Field
Pole Vault
/ Track and Field
High Jump
/ Track and Field
100m / 200m
/ Track and Field
800m
/ Track and Field
800m
/ Track and Field
Discus / Javelin
/ Track and Field
Pole Vault
/ Track and Field
Javelin
/ Track and Field
Decathlon / Pole Vault
/ Track and Field
Pole Vault
/ Track and Field
400m / 200m
/ 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
