Thursday, May 23
Sacramento, Calif.
5:30 p.m. MT
Air Force Academy
at
NCAA West Preliminary
Photo by: Tim Nwachukwu, NCAA Photos
Air Force Set to Open NCAA Action at West Prelim
5/21/2019 6:38:00 PM | Track and Field
Eighteen Falcons will compete at the NCAA West Prelim on May 23-25 in Sacramento.
Eighteen members of the Air Force track and field team will travel to Sacramento, Calif., this week for the West Preliminary of the 2019 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. The three-day event, which will be held at Hornet Stadium on the campus of Sacramento State University, will run from Thursday, May 23, through Saturday, May 25.
MEET INFORMATION
The NCAA West Preliminary, which serves as the opening round of the NCAA Outdoor Championships, will be held in Sacramento for the second consecutive year. A complete schedule of events for the Falcons can be found on Page 2 of this release. All-session tickets are available for $35, while single day admission is $15 and can be purchased at the gate. Live stats will be available for all three days of competition, courtesy of Flash Results and the NCAA, while FloTrack will broadcast the meet through its subscription service (direct links to both are available on the Falcons' schedule page at GoAirForceFalcons.com. In-meet updates regarding Air Force will be available on the team's official Twitter account (@af_trackfield).
HOW THIS WORKS
The 2019 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships begin this week at two preliminary sites (West Region in Sacramento, Calif., East Region in Jacksonville, Fla.). Each region features the top 48 accepted athletes in each event, with the exception of the relays (top 24 teams). The top 12 finishers from each event at the two preliminary sites will advance to the final site of the NCAA Outdoor Championships at Mike A. Myers Stadium in Austin, Texas, on June 5-8.
BY THE NUMBERS
The Falcons earned 20 total bids into the NCAA West Preliminary, as 13 men and five women combined for spots in 14 different events. Air Force will compete in nine running events, three jumping events and two throwing events at Sacramento State's Hornet Stadium.
DID YOU KNOW?
Air Force has earned at least 20 bids into the NCAA West Preliminary during each of the last three years. With 15 opening round bids – a total tied for 15th among all Division I programs in terms of total entries, the men lead the Mountain West and are tied for fourth among programs not in a Power 5 conference.
WHAT TO WATCH
The men qualified multiple athletes in the pole vault (Sam Hinegardner, Mitch Lipe, Greg Skage), 800-meter run (Gordon Kowalkowski, Michael Rhoads), 5000-meter run (Jacob Bilvado, Nathan Thomas) and javelin throw (Bailey Ishler, Parker Spearman), while the women advanced a pair of runners at 5000 meters (Maria Mettler, Jaci Smith). Air Force will be represented in both the men's and women's 10,000-meter run (Thomas, junior Teri Brady) and 3000-meter steeplechase (Trevor Siniscalchi, Lindsey Blanks), while also having athletes in the men's 400-meter dash (Sedacy Walden), 110-meter hurdles (Micah Fontaine), high jump (Hinegardner), discus throw (Logan Feasline) and women's pole vault (Kathryn Tomczak).
WHO TO WATCH
Highlighted by a No. 8 ranking in the 800-meter run from Michael Rhoads (1:47.10), four Falcons are listed among the West's top 20 in their respective events. Parker Spearman is ranked 16th in the javelin throw (228'4"), while Greg Skage (pole vault: 17'5½") and Jacob Bilvado (5000-meter run: 13:47.65) are ranked 17th and 18th, respectively, in their events.
THIS LOOKS FAMILIAR
Jacob Bilvado, Micah Fontaine, Jaci Smith, Kathryn Tomczak and Sedacy Walden are representing the Academy at the NCAA West Preliminary for the third-straight year, while Sam Hinegardner qualified to the NCAA West Prelim for the second consecutive season and Michael Rhoads is making his second appearance in three years.
WHAT'S ON DECK
The 2019 collegiate season concludes in two weeks, as the top 12 finishers from each event at this week's preliminary round travel to Austin, Texas, for the final rounds of the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. The four-day meet, which begins on June 5, will be held at Mike A. Myers Stadium.
MEET INFORMATION
The NCAA West Preliminary, which serves as the opening round of the NCAA Outdoor Championships, will be held in Sacramento for the second consecutive year. A complete schedule of events for the Falcons can be found on Page 2 of this release. All-session tickets are available for $35, while single day admission is $15 and can be purchased at the gate. Live stats will be available for all three days of competition, courtesy of Flash Results and the NCAA, while FloTrack will broadcast the meet through its subscription service (direct links to both are available on the Falcons' schedule page at GoAirForceFalcons.com. In-meet updates regarding Air Force will be available on the team's official Twitter account (@af_trackfield).
HOW THIS WORKS
The 2019 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships begin this week at two preliminary sites (West Region in Sacramento, Calif., East Region in Jacksonville, Fla.). Each region features the top 48 accepted athletes in each event, with the exception of the relays (top 24 teams). The top 12 finishers from each event at the two preliminary sites will advance to the final site of the NCAA Outdoor Championships at Mike A. Myers Stadium in Austin, Texas, on June 5-8.
BY THE NUMBERS
The Falcons earned 20 total bids into the NCAA West Preliminary, as 13 men and five women combined for spots in 14 different events. Air Force will compete in nine running events, three jumping events and two throwing events at Sacramento State's Hornet Stadium.
DID YOU KNOW?
Air Force has earned at least 20 bids into the NCAA West Preliminary during each of the last three years. With 15 opening round bids – a total tied for 15th among all Division I programs in terms of total entries, the men lead the Mountain West and are tied for fourth among programs not in a Power 5 conference.
WHAT TO WATCH
The men qualified multiple athletes in the pole vault (Sam Hinegardner, Mitch Lipe, Greg Skage), 800-meter run (Gordon Kowalkowski, Michael Rhoads), 5000-meter run (Jacob Bilvado, Nathan Thomas) and javelin throw (Bailey Ishler, Parker Spearman), while the women advanced a pair of runners at 5000 meters (Maria Mettler, Jaci Smith). Air Force will be represented in both the men's and women's 10,000-meter run (Thomas, junior Teri Brady) and 3000-meter steeplechase (Trevor Siniscalchi, Lindsey Blanks), while also having athletes in the men's 400-meter dash (Sedacy Walden), 110-meter hurdles (Micah Fontaine), high jump (Hinegardner), discus throw (Logan Feasline) and women's pole vault (Kathryn Tomczak).
WHO TO WATCH
Highlighted by a No. 8 ranking in the 800-meter run from Michael Rhoads (1:47.10), four Falcons are listed among the West's top 20 in their respective events. Parker Spearman is ranked 16th in the javelin throw (228'4"), while Greg Skage (pole vault: 17'5½") and Jacob Bilvado (5000-meter run: 13:47.65) are ranked 17th and 18th, respectively, in their events.
THIS LOOKS FAMILIAR
Jacob Bilvado, Micah Fontaine, Jaci Smith, Kathryn Tomczak and Sedacy Walden are representing the Academy at the NCAA West Preliminary for the third-straight year, while Sam Hinegardner qualified to the NCAA West Prelim for the second consecutive season and Michael Rhoads is making his second appearance in three years.
WHAT'S ON DECK
The 2019 collegiate season concludes in two weeks, as the top 12 finishers from each event at this week's preliminary round travel to Austin, Texas, for the final rounds of the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. The four-day meet, which begins on June 5, will be held at Mike A. Myers Stadium.
Players Mentioned
5000m / 10,000m
/ Track and Field
1500m / 3000m Steeplechase
/ Track and Field
10,000m / 5000m
/ Track and Field
Discus / Javelin
/ Track and Field
110m Hurdles / 200m
/ Track and Field
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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