Photo by: Tim Nwachukwu, NCAA Photos
Falcons Earn 20 Bids to NCAA Championships
5/16/2019 11:42:00 AM | Track and Field
Air Force qualified 18 athletes in 14 events to the opening round of the NCAA Outdoor Championships.
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – The Air Force track and field team earned 20 bids into the West Preliminary of the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, the national office announced today (May 15) with the release of its declared athletes. The Falcons, who qualifying athletes in 14 different events, will travel to Sacramento, Calif., next week (May 23-25) for the opening round of the national meet.
Based on their placement as one of the top-48 accepted athletes in the region, a total of 13 men and five women earned a spot in 14 events at the NCAA West Prelim site. The Falcons will compete in nine running events, three jumping events and two throwing events at Sacramento State's Hornet Stadium.
The men qualified multiple athletes in four events, including the pole vault (sophomore Greg Skage, senior Sam Hinegardner, sophomore Mitch Lipe), 800-meter run (junior Michael Rhoads, senior Gordon Kowalkowski), 5000-meter run (senior Jacob Bilvado, senior Nathan Thomas) and javelin throw (junior Parker Spearman, junior Bailey Ishler), while the women advanced a pair of athletes in the 5000-meter run (senior Jaci Smith, sophomore Maria Mettler).
Hinegardner and Thomas will represent the Falcons in multiple events at the NCAA West Preliminary, as Hinegardner will compete in both the high jump and pole vault, while Thomas will run in the two longest races of the outdoor season (5000-meter run, 10000-meter run).
In addition to the 5000-meter run (Bilvado, Thomas, Smith, Mettler), Air Force will also be represented in both the men's and women's fields of the pole vault (Skage, Hinegardner, Lipe, senior Kathryn Tomczak), 10,000-meter run (Thomas, junior Teri Brady) and 3000-meter steeplechase (senior Trevor Siniscalchi, junior Lindsey Blanks). Seniors Sedacy Walden (400-meter dash), Micah Fontaine (110-meter hurdles) and Logan Feasline (discus throw) round out the Falcons' list of qualifiers to the NCAA West Preliminary.
Rhoads is Air Force's highest ranked qualifier, holding a No. 8 ranking in the 800-meter run.
Three three-day West Preliminary will run simultaneously with the East meet in Jacksonville. The top 12 athletes in each event from both sites will advance to the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, which will be held at Mike A. Myers Stadium in Austin, Texas, on June 5-8.
Men's NCAA Qualifiers
400-Meter Dash: Sedacy Walden (46.46a, 23rd)
800-Meter Run: Michael Rhoads (1:47.10, eighth), Gordon Kowalkowski (1:50.36a, 44th)
5000-Meter Run: Jacob Bilvado (13:47.65, 18th), Nathan Thomas (14:05.12, 47th)
10,000-Meter Run: Nathan Thomas (29:21.59, 41st)
110-Meter Hurdles: Micah Fontaine (14.09a, 32nd)
3000-Meter Steeplechase: Trevor Siniscalchi (8:50.92, 21st)
High Jump: Sam Hinegardner (6'11", 35th)
Pole Vault: Greg Skage (17'5½", 17th), Sam Hinegardner (17'1½", 27th), Mitch Lipe (16'9½", 40th)
Discus Throw: Logan Feasline (182'6", 27th)
Javelin Throw: Parker Spearman (228'4", 16th), Bailey Ishler (208'6", 36th)
Women's NCAA Qualifiers
5000-Meter Run: Jaci Smith (16:02.24, 23rd), Maria Mettler (16:17.17, 37th)
10,000-Meter Run: Teri Brady (34:16.60, 37th)
3000-Meter Steeplechase: Lindsey Blanks (10:14.77, 22nd)
Pole Vault: Kathryn Tomczak (13'9¾", 23rd)
Based on their placement as one of the top-48 accepted athletes in the region, a total of 13 men and five women earned a spot in 14 events at the NCAA West Prelim site. The Falcons will compete in nine running events, three jumping events and two throwing events at Sacramento State's Hornet Stadium.
The men qualified multiple athletes in four events, including the pole vault (sophomore Greg Skage, senior Sam Hinegardner, sophomore Mitch Lipe), 800-meter run (junior Michael Rhoads, senior Gordon Kowalkowski), 5000-meter run (senior Jacob Bilvado, senior Nathan Thomas) and javelin throw (junior Parker Spearman, junior Bailey Ishler), while the women advanced a pair of athletes in the 5000-meter run (senior Jaci Smith, sophomore Maria Mettler).
Hinegardner and Thomas will represent the Falcons in multiple events at the NCAA West Preliminary, as Hinegardner will compete in both the high jump and pole vault, while Thomas will run in the two longest races of the outdoor season (5000-meter run, 10000-meter run).
In addition to the 5000-meter run (Bilvado, Thomas, Smith, Mettler), Air Force will also be represented in both the men's and women's fields of the pole vault (Skage, Hinegardner, Lipe, senior Kathryn Tomczak), 10,000-meter run (Thomas, junior Teri Brady) and 3000-meter steeplechase (senior Trevor Siniscalchi, junior Lindsey Blanks). Seniors Sedacy Walden (400-meter dash), Micah Fontaine (110-meter hurdles) and Logan Feasline (discus throw) round out the Falcons' list of qualifiers to the NCAA West Preliminary.
Rhoads is Air Force's highest ranked qualifier, holding a No. 8 ranking in the 800-meter run.
Three three-day West Preliminary will run simultaneously with the East meet in Jacksonville. The top 12 athletes in each event from both sites will advance to the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, which will be held at Mike A. Myers Stadium in Austin, Texas, on June 5-8.
Men's NCAA Qualifiers
400-Meter Dash: Sedacy Walden (46.46a, 23rd)
800-Meter Run: Michael Rhoads (1:47.10, eighth), Gordon Kowalkowski (1:50.36a, 44th)
5000-Meter Run: Jacob Bilvado (13:47.65, 18th), Nathan Thomas (14:05.12, 47th)
10,000-Meter Run: Nathan Thomas (29:21.59, 41st)
110-Meter Hurdles: Micah Fontaine (14.09a, 32nd)
3000-Meter Steeplechase: Trevor Siniscalchi (8:50.92, 21st)
High Jump: Sam Hinegardner (6'11", 35th)
Pole Vault: Greg Skage (17'5½", 17th), Sam Hinegardner (17'1½", 27th), Mitch Lipe (16'9½", 40th)
Discus Throw: Logan Feasline (182'6", 27th)
Javelin Throw: Parker Spearman (228'4", 16th), Bailey Ishler (208'6", 36th)
Women's NCAA Qualifiers
5000-Meter Run: Jaci Smith (16:02.24, 23rd), Maria Mettler (16:17.17, 37th)
10,000-Meter Run: Teri Brady (34:16.60, 37th)
3000-Meter Steeplechase: Lindsey Blanks (10:14.77, 22nd)
Pole Vault: Kathryn Tomczak (13'9¾", 23rd)
Players Mentioned
5000m / 10,000m
/ Track and Field
1500m / 3000m Steeplechase
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10,000m / 5000m
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Discus / Javelin
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110m Hurdles / 200m
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High Jump / Pole Vault
/ Track and Field
Javelin
/ Track and Field
800m
/ Track and Field
Pole Vault
/ Track and Field
1500m / 5000m
/ Track and Field
800m
/ Track and Field
3000m Steeplechase
/ Track and Field
Pole Vault
/ Track and Field
5000m / 10,000m
/ Track and Field
Javelin
/ Track and Field
3000m Steeplechase / 5000m
/ Track and Field
Pole Vault
/ Track and Field
400m / 200m
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