Saturday, May 11
Clovis, Calif.
3:00 p.m. MT
Air Force Academy
at
MW Championships
Photo by: Tomas Ovalle, NCAA Photos
Falcons Claim Six Titles at MW Championships
5/12/2019 2:22:00 AM | Track and Field
The men captured both relay titles, as well as the additional running events and one field event.
CLOVIS, Calif. – Six conference titles highlighted the final day of competition for Air Force, as it wrapped up action at the 2019 Mountain West Outdoor Track and Field Championships on Saturday, May 11, in Clovis. The men, who were responsible for all six of the Falcons' conference championships, finished second in the conference standings, while the women's finished 10th.
Senior Miguel Molas, junior Terrell Bradford, senior Sedacy Walden and senior Reece Pontious kicked off the day with a victory in the 4x100-meter relay. Clocking a time of 40.47 – the third-fastest time in program history – the quartet claimed the program's fourth 4x1 title in five years. Walden, who also anchored the 4x400-meter relay of sophomore Zachary Dicken, sophomore Luke Zuluaga and junior Michael Rhoads to a conference title behind a time of 3:11.48, was one of two relay athletes to finish win an individual conference title. Walden claimed his second outdoor title in the 400-meter dash, as he crossed the finish line in a time of 47.23, and Rhoads completed the indoor/outdoor sweep of 800-meter titles behind a winning time of 1:49.08.
A victory by senior Micah Fontaine in the 110-meter hurdles (14.13) marked the fourth time in five years that a Falcon has claimed the conference title, while sophomore Greg Skage claimed the Falcons' 10th Mountain West title in the pole vault after winning the 16'6" jump off (16'1¼" at the end of regulation) and leading the Falcons to a 1-2-3 sweep of the medal positions in that event.
The titles by Walden, Skage and Rhoads paced the men to at least three scoring finishes in those events. Senior Sam Hinegardner, the other Falcon involved in the pole vault jump-off, and sophomore Mitch Lipe completed Air Force's sweep of the pole vault medals after finishing second and third, respectively, behind matching clearances of 16'1¼". Junior Logan Grizzle also scored for the Falcons in that event, as he finished sixth with a height of 15'7¼". Dicken and Zuluaga finished third (48.29) and seventh (48.78), respectively, behind Walden in the 400-meter dash, while seniors Gordon Kowalkowski (seventh, 1:50.92) and Preston Roche (eighth, 48.78) joined Rhoads among the top-eight of the overall 800-meter field.
In addition to running on the victorious 4x100-meter relay, the trio of Bradford, Pontious and Molas combined for six scoring finishes in the 100- and 200-meter sprints. Bradford finish fifth in the 100-meter dash with a time of 10.58, while Pontious and Molas finished sixth (10.64) and eighth (10.65), respectively. Bradford and Pontious switched up those placements in the 200-meter dash, as Pontious earned a fifth-place time of 21.42 and Bradford finished sixth in 21.53. Molas added a seventh-place finish in the 200-meter dash after clocking a time of 21.73, while Walden added an eighth-place time of 21.76 to help the Falcons claim half of the scoring finishes in that event.
Unleashing the second-best throw in Academy history, junior Parker Spearman finished second in the javelin throw and paced the Falcons to three of the top-seven distances. Spearman improved his personal distance in his signature event by more than four feet to break the program's 20-year-old Junior Class Record as he posted a distance of 228'4". Classmate Bailey Ishler surpassed the 200-foot mark for the first time to finish fourth with a throw of 208'5", while senior Logan Feasline tallied a throw of 188'5" to finish seventh.
Senior Jacob Bilvado accounted for runner-up honors in the 5000-meter run, as he posted a time of 14:04.63 to claim second and lead Air Force to two of the top-four times in the 30-runner event. Senior Nathan Thomas joined Bilvado among the top half of the scoring finishers, as he clocked a career-best time of 14:05.12 to finish fourth.
In addition to his finish in the javelin, Feasline also scored for the Falcons in the discus throw, as he finished fifth with a throw of 168'4". Senior Noah Riley and freshman Lashawn Taylor captured seventh-place marks in the 1500-meter run (3:49.19) and triple jump (45'10¾"), respectively, while freshman La'akea Aiu recorded an eighth-place finish in the 400-meter hurdles (55.08) to round out the Falcons' scoring finishes.
The men tallied 171 points to finish second in the eight-team championship field. Colorado State won the 2019 title with 224 points, while Air Force and Utah State (137 points) rounded out the top-three. New Mexico finished fourth with 92 points, while just three point separated Boise State (81) and Wyoming (78). Conference newcomer San Jose State finished seventh with 20 points and Fresno State rounded out the team standings with 13 points.
On the women's side, senior Jaci Smith earned a spot on the podium in her final conference championship meet, as she registered a time of 16:02.24 – the second-fastest time in Academy history and a mark that only trails her program record by three seconds – to finish third and lead the Falcons to a pair of scoring finishes in the 30-runner event, as sophomore Maria Mettler added a fifth-place time of 16:25.62.
Senior Liz Jarvis finished fourth in the javelin throw with a toss of 134'4", while sophomore Mahala Norris claimed the same placement in the 1500-meter run (4:28.25).
Senior Aryn Maxwell and junior Megan Irvine combined to score for the Falcons in three different 400-meter events on Saturday night. Maxwell posted a time of 1:02.18 to finish fifth in the 400-meter hurdles, while Irvine used a mark of 55.47 to finish eighth in the 400-meter dash. In addition, Maxwell and Irvine ran the first two legs of the 4x400-meter relay that finished eighth. The pair, who were joined on the oval by junior Kelsey Owens and freshman Jenna Kill, moved into seventh on the Academy's all-time standings, as they recorded a time of 3:49.23.
The women accumulated 30 points to finish 10th in the team standings. Colorado State won the women's title with 159.50 points, while San Diego State (121) and UNLV (99.50) rounded out the top three. Just 8.50 points separated the next three teams – Nevada 78.50, No. 20 Boise State 75, Utah State 70 – while Fresno State and Wyoming tied for seventh with 64 points apiece. Ninth-ranked New Mexico finished ninth with 47.50 points, while Air Force and San Jose State (9) rounded out the team standings.
Sophomores Kathleen Medill and Donna Borer also impacted the Academy Record Book this afternoon during their respective events. Medill secured her No. 5 standing in the high jump after clearing a career-best clearance of 5'7¼", while Borer improved her distance in the discus throw by nearly two feet to move into seventh on the program's all-time list.
The Falcons return to action – and California – in two weeks, when they travel to Sacramento for the opening round of the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. A list of qualifiers to the NCAA West Preliminary will be announced next week.
Senior Miguel Molas, junior Terrell Bradford, senior Sedacy Walden and senior Reece Pontious kicked off the day with a victory in the 4x100-meter relay. Clocking a time of 40.47 – the third-fastest time in program history – the quartet claimed the program's fourth 4x1 title in five years. Walden, who also anchored the 4x400-meter relay of sophomore Zachary Dicken, sophomore Luke Zuluaga and junior Michael Rhoads to a conference title behind a time of 3:11.48, was one of two relay athletes to finish win an individual conference title. Walden claimed his second outdoor title in the 400-meter dash, as he crossed the finish line in a time of 47.23, and Rhoads completed the indoor/outdoor sweep of 800-meter titles behind a winning time of 1:49.08.
A victory by senior Micah Fontaine in the 110-meter hurdles (14.13) marked the fourth time in five years that a Falcon has claimed the conference title, while sophomore Greg Skage claimed the Falcons' 10th Mountain West title in the pole vault after winning the 16'6" jump off (16'1¼" at the end of regulation) and leading the Falcons to a 1-2-3 sweep of the medal positions in that event.
The titles by Walden, Skage and Rhoads paced the men to at least three scoring finishes in those events. Senior Sam Hinegardner, the other Falcon involved in the pole vault jump-off, and sophomore Mitch Lipe completed Air Force's sweep of the pole vault medals after finishing second and third, respectively, behind matching clearances of 16'1¼". Junior Logan Grizzle also scored for the Falcons in that event, as he finished sixth with a height of 15'7¼". Dicken and Zuluaga finished third (48.29) and seventh (48.78), respectively, behind Walden in the 400-meter dash, while seniors Gordon Kowalkowski (seventh, 1:50.92) and Preston Roche (eighth, 48.78) joined Rhoads among the top-eight of the overall 800-meter field.
In addition to running on the victorious 4x100-meter relay, the trio of Bradford, Pontious and Molas combined for six scoring finishes in the 100- and 200-meter sprints. Bradford finish fifth in the 100-meter dash with a time of 10.58, while Pontious and Molas finished sixth (10.64) and eighth (10.65), respectively. Bradford and Pontious switched up those placements in the 200-meter dash, as Pontious earned a fifth-place time of 21.42 and Bradford finished sixth in 21.53. Molas added a seventh-place finish in the 200-meter dash after clocking a time of 21.73, while Walden added an eighth-place time of 21.76 to help the Falcons claim half of the scoring finishes in that event.
Unleashing the second-best throw in Academy history, junior Parker Spearman finished second in the javelin throw and paced the Falcons to three of the top-seven distances. Spearman improved his personal distance in his signature event by more than four feet to break the program's 20-year-old Junior Class Record as he posted a distance of 228'4". Classmate Bailey Ishler surpassed the 200-foot mark for the first time to finish fourth with a throw of 208'5", while senior Logan Feasline tallied a throw of 188'5" to finish seventh.
Senior Jacob Bilvado accounted for runner-up honors in the 5000-meter run, as he posted a time of 14:04.63 to claim second and lead Air Force to two of the top-four times in the 30-runner event. Senior Nathan Thomas joined Bilvado among the top half of the scoring finishers, as he clocked a career-best time of 14:05.12 to finish fourth.
In addition to his finish in the javelin, Feasline also scored for the Falcons in the discus throw, as he finished fifth with a throw of 168'4". Senior Noah Riley and freshman Lashawn Taylor captured seventh-place marks in the 1500-meter run (3:49.19) and triple jump (45'10¾"), respectively, while freshman La'akea Aiu recorded an eighth-place finish in the 400-meter hurdles (55.08) to round out the Falcons' scoring finishes.
The men tallied 171 points to finish second in the eight-team championship field. Colorado State won the 2019 title with 224 points, while Air Force and Utah State (137 points) rounded out the top-three. New Mexico finished fourth with 92 points, while just three point separated Boise State (81) and Wyoming (78). Conference newcomer San Jose State finished seventh with 20 points and Fresno State rounded out the team standings with 13 points.
On the women's side, senior Jaci Smith earned a spot on the podium in her final conference championship meet, as she registered a time of 16:02.24 – the second-fastest time in Academy history and a mark that only trails her program record by three seconds – to finish third and lead the Falcons to a pair of scoring finishes in the 30-runner event, as sophomore Maria Mettler added a fifth-place time of 16:25.62.
Senior Liz Jarvis finished fourth in the javelin throw with a toss of 134'4", while sophomore Mahala Norris claimed the same placement in the 1500-meter run (4:28.25).
Senior Aryn Maxwell and junior Megan Irvine combined to score for the Falcons in three different 400-meter events on Saturday night. Maxwell posted a time of 1:02.18 to finish fifth in the 400-meter hurdles, while Irvine used a mark of 55.47 to finish eighth in the 400-meter dash. In addition, Maxwell and Irvine ran the first two legs of the 4x400-meter relay that finished eighth. The pair, who were joined on the oval by junior Kelsey Owens and freshman Jenna Kill, moved into seventh on the Academy's all-time standings, as they recorded a time of 3:49.23.
The women accumulated 30 points to finish 10th in the team standings. Colorado State won the women's title with 159.50 points, while San Diego State (121) and UNLV (99.50) rounded out the top three. Just 8.50 points separated the next three teams – Nevada 78.50, No. 20 Boise State 75, Utah State 70 – while Fresno State and Wyoming tied for seventh with 64 points apiece. Ninth-ranked New Mexico finished ninth with 47.50 points, while Air Force and San Jose State (9) rounded out the team standings.
Sophomores Kathleen Medill and Donna Borer also impacted the Academy Record Book this afternoon during their respective events. Medill secured her No. 5 standing in the high jump after clearing a career-best clearance of 5'7¼", while Borer improved her distance in the discus throw by nearly two feet to move into seventh on the program's all-time list.
The Falcons return to action – and California – in two weeks, when they travel to Sacramento for the opening round of the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. A list of qualifiers to the NCAA West Preliminary will be announced next week.
Players Mentioned
110m Hurdles / 400m Hurdles
/ Track and Field
5000m / 10,000m
/ Track and Field
Discus / Shot Put / Hammer
/ Track and Field
100m / 200m
/ Track and Field
400m
/ Track and Field
Discus / Javelin
/ Track and Field
110m Hurdles / 200m
/ Track and Field
Pole Vault
/ Track and Field
High Jump / Pole Vault
/ Track and Field
400m
/ Track and Field
Javelin
/ Track and Field
Javelin
/ Track and Field
800m / 1500m
/ Track and Field
800m
/ Track and Field
Pole Vault
/ Track and Field
400m Hurdles / 400m
/ Track and Field
High Jump
/ Track and Field
1500m / 5000m
/ Track and Field
100m / 200m
/ Track and Field
800m / 1500m
/ Track and Field
400m
/ Track and Field
100m / 200m
/ Track and Field
800m
/ Track and Field
1500m
/ Track and Field
800m
/ Track and Field
Pole Vault
/ Track and Field
5000m / 10,000m
/ Track and Field
Javelin
/ Track and Field
Triple Jump
/ Track and Field
3000m Steeplechase / 5000m
/ Track and Field
400m / 200m
/ Track and Field
400m / 200m
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