Sam Gilman Crushes Academy and MW Record at 5000 Meters

BOSTON, Mass. – Air Force junior Sam Gilman shattered the Air Force and Mountain West Record in the 5000-meter run this evening (Dec. 4) during a spectacular performance at the Sharon Colyear-Danville Season Opener. Gilman, just two weeks removed from earning All-America honors in cross country, was one of two Falcons to race – and impact the Academy's all-time standings – at the premier December distance event in Boston.

Improving his 5000-meter time by more than 23 seconds, Gilman recorded a career-best time of 13:25.17 to finish seventh out of 130 runners – and fourth among collegiate runners in the field. That time not only obliterated Justin Tyner's previous Air Force Record of 13:41.26 from 2010, but also deleted nearly 15 seconds from the Mountain West Record that was set at the Boston meet in 2019.

Senior Brid O'Connell kicked off the pair's afternoon at the BU Track and Tennis Center by recording the sixth-fastest 800-meter time in Academy history during a runner-up performance. Crossing the finish line in a career-best time of 2:12.07, O'Connell deleted nearly three seconds from her previous best indoor time and accounted for the top collegiate finish (second overall) in the 16-runner event.

The Falcons are off from competition until Jan. 14-15, when they travel to Boulder to begin the indoor season in earnest at the Potts Indoor Invitational.

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