Falcons Open Competition at UCCS Open

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The Air Force track and field team kicked off action at the Colorado Running Company UCCS Open this afternoon (Feb. 12) with a pair of first-place finishes and another set of marks as the top collegiate finishers.

Senior Addyson Smith registered a distance of 52'11½" to win the women's weight throw, while the distance medley relay of junior Garrett Blenkush, classmate Frank Rossi, senior Aric Kedge and sophomore Ben Leicht teamed up to post the fastest time of the day – 10:36.05 – in their first race together.

Senior Greg Skage and junior Frankie Porambo were the top collegiate finishers in their respective pole vault events. Skage cleared 16'7½" to finish second in the 12-vaulter men's competition, while Porambo recorded a personal-best height of 12'6¾" to earn the same placement in the women's event. The men accounted for an additional pair of top-five marks, as freshman Caiden Macktinger and junior Ethan Gardner tied for fifth with matching heights of 15'3¾", and freshman Lucy Prakel earned a fourth-place finish in the women's event after clearing 11'1".

Sophomore Jaret Prete added a runner-up finish to the Falcons' day, as he posted a distance of 57'0¼" in the weight throw.

Two qualifying events were held today and Wyatt Murphy advanced to the finals of both. In his first competition of the year, the junior posted the second-fastest preliminary time in the 60-meter dash (6.89) and added a third-place time of 8.51 in the opening round of the 60-meter hurdles. Senior Tyler Gurchiek will join Murphy in the hurdles finals after clocking a time of 8.77.

The opening events of the heptathlon were also contested today at Mountain Lion Fieldhouse, with a trio of freshmen sitting within the top six after four events. Braeden Holcombe used a career-best day to sit in second with 2893 points, while Philip Hundl and Brian Hubbard are fourth (2715) and sixth (2636), respectively, with three events remaining. Hundl shared the top clearance of the day in the heptathlon high jump (6'7"), while Holcombe posted the second-highest distance in the shot put (41'0½") and added top-three marks in the long jump (21'0¾") and high jump (6'4¾").

The Falcons conclude action at the UCCS Open tomorrow (Feb. 13), while several members of the Air Force distance squad wrap up action at the Iowa State Classic.

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Players Mentioned

Garrett Blenkush

Ethan Gardner

Tyler Gurchiek

Braeden Holcombe

Brian Hubbard

Philip Hundl

Aric Kedge

Ben Leicht

Caiden Macktinger

Wyatt Murphy

Frankie Porambo

Jaret Prete

Frank Rossi

Greg Skage

Addyson Smith

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