Distance Runners Impact Record Book at Iowa State

AMES, Iowa – The Academy's all-time standings at the 5000-meter distance received several major updates this afternoon (Feb. 12), as five members of the Air Force track and field team competed in that event at the Iowa State Classic in Ames.

Sophomore Sam Gilman recorded the second-fastest 5000-meter time in Academy history – and the fastest since 2011 – as he raced to a 13:48.36 finish in his first collegiate 5000-meter race. Gilman, who finished second in the 22-runner event, also took more than six seconds off the program's five-year-old Sophomore Class Record. Classmate Ryan Johnson also affected the top-10 at that distance, as he registered Air Force's eighth-fastest time (14:03.70 – a 41-second PR) to finish fifth in the race.

The top 10 of the women's 5000-meter standings also received an impressive update on Friday, as senior Mahala Norris clocked a time of 16:00.94 to finish third in the 16-runner event – and just 0.01 seconds out of the top collegiate spot after moving up three spots in the final 300 meters. Her time – a personal improvement of one minute and 42 seconds – is the fourth-fastest time in Academy history.

Junior Will Kitzhaber and senior Drew Lester also raced in the men's 5000-meter event at the Lied Recreation Center, clocking career-best times to finish seventh (14:16.57) and 12th (14:34.71), respectively, in the overall field. With his time, Kitzhaber debuted in 19th on the program's extended standings.

Several Falcons will close out the Iowa State Classic tomorrow (Feb. 13) in Ames, while the rest of the team wraps up action at the Colorado Running Company UCCS Open in Colorado Springs.

Footer

The appearance of hyperlinks does not constitute endorsement by the u.s air force of non-u.s. government sites or the information, products, or services contained therein. Although the u.s. air force may or may not use these sites as additional distribution channels for department of defense information, it does not exercise editorial control over all of the information that you may find at these locations. Such links are provided consistent with the stated purpose of this website.