Thursday, May 13
Clovis, Calif.
4:30 pm MT
Air Force Academy
at
MW Championships
Photo by: Tim Nwachukwu, NCAA Photos
Falcons Head to Mountain West Championships
5/11/2021 2:56:00 PM | Track and Field
Air Force will face its conference counterparts in Clovis, Calif., on May 13-15.
Championship season begins for the Air Force track and field team this week, as it travels to Clovis, Calif., for the 2021 Mountain West Outdoor Championships – the first conference championship event in two years. The three-day meet gets underway on Thursday, May 13, and runs through Saturday, May 15.
MEET INFORMATION
The 2021 Mountain West Track and Field Championships will be held May 13-15 at Veterans Memorial Stadium on the campus of Buchanan High School in Clovis. A complete schedule of events can be found on Page 2 of this release. Admission is free for Thursday, while tickets for Friday and Saturday ($10 for adults, $5 for children) must be purchased through GoBulldogs.com – there will be no walk-up ticket sales. For fans unable to attend, the meet will be streamed live on the Mountain West Network and real-time results will be available through Record Timing (direct links to both are available on the team's schedule page at GoAirForceFalcons.com). In addition, updates and highlights will be posted to Air Force's social media sites (@af_tfxc) throughout the week.
WHO'S WHO
The Mountain West Championships will feature 11 women's teams (Air Force, Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, Nevada, New Mexico, San Diego State, San Jose State, UNLV, Utah State, Wyoming) and the men's teams from Air Force, Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, New Mexico, San Jose State, Utah State and Wyoming.
A LITTLE HISTORY LESSON
The men have captured five of the last eight team titles at the outdoor championships (2012, 2013, 2016, 2017, 2018). Individually, the Falcons have been at the top of the MW Outdoor medal podium 88 times, highlighted by a program-best eight conference titles at the 2015 meet. Jamiel Trimble is the Falcons' most decorated MW Outdoor champion, having won five individual titles and ran on three winning 4x100-meter relay teams. Highlighted by a program-best 27 top-three finishes in 2017, the Falcons have accounted for 286 all-conference selections. Air Force currently holds five of the conference's Championship Meet Records, including the 200-meter dash (Trimble, 20.33 in 2017), 1500-meter run (Zach Perkins, 3:44.38 in 2013), 110-meter hurdles (Trimble, 13.66 in 2017), pole vault (Cale Simmons, 18'1¾" in 2012) and javelin throw (Dana Pounds, 195'8" in 2006).
AROUND THE CONFERENCE
Four individuals – Sam Gilman (1500-meter run, 3:40.39), Mahala Norris (1500-meter run, 4:15.98), Mitch Lipe (pole vault, 17'8½"), Wyatt Murphy (decathlon, 6810) – concluded the regular season with conference-leading marks in their respective events, while Air Force also holds MW-best times in the 4x100-meter (40.84) and 4x400-meter (3:09.66) relays. In addition, Maria Mettler's 10,000-meter time of 32:09.37 from December is a conference best.
AIR FORCE IN THE NATIONAL RANKINGS
Two Falcons are listed among the nation's Top 25, as Mitch Lipe is ranked 22nd in the pole vault (17'8½") and Mahala Norris is 25th in the 3000-meter steeplechase (10:03.85). Lipe is one of two Falcons listed in the Top 30, as Greg Skage is ranked 27th with a clearance of 17'6½". In addition to her ranking in the steeplechase, Norris is one of two Falcons to hold a Top 40 placement in the 1500-meter run – she is listed 37th in the women's event (4:15.98) and Sam Gilman is ranked 38th in the men's (3:40.39).
SQUAD GOALS
Two Air Force teams are ranked within the top 10 of this week's USTFCCCA #EventSquad rankings – which are determined by using the cumulative season-best marks from a team's top four athletes on the national descending order list. Wyatt Murphy, Braeden Holcombe, Tyler Gurchiek and Brian Hubbard have combined for 25,469 points – the fourth-highest total in the country, while the men's pole vault quartet of Mitch Lipe, Greg Skage, Ethan Gardner and Ryan Brown have amassed the nation's sixth-best clearance at 69'0¾".
SENIOR SALUTE
Air Force honored 23 seniors at the conclusion of the Air Force Twilight Open. Donna Borer, Hunter Boyer, Addison Brown, Meghan Carbiener, Terrell Davis, Zachary Dicken, Colin Dwyer, Tyler Gurchiek, Scott Johnson, Aric Kedge, Drew Lester, Mitch Lipe, Kathleen Medill, Maria Mettler, Landon Moore, Mahala Norris, Aubrey Ridgeway, Alec Schrank, Greg Skage, Addyson Smith, Cat Sobus, Konrad Steck and Luke Zuluaga will graduate from the Academy on May 26. A complete list of their first assignment for the Air Force or Space Force can be found on Page 4 of this release.
COMING UP
Air Force returns to action on May 26-29, when select members of the team head to Texas for the preliminary round of the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. The list of accepted entries for the meet, which will be held at E.B. Cushing Stadium in College Station, will be announced on May 20.
MEET INFORMATION
The 2021 Mountain West Track and Field Championships will be held May 13-15 at Veterans Memorial Stadium on the campus of Buchanan High School in Clovis. A complete schedule of events can be found on Page 2 of this release. Admission is free for Thursday, while tickets for Friday and Saturday ($10 for adults, $5 for children) must be purchased through GoBulldogs.com – there will be no walk-up ticket sales. For fans unable to attend, the meet will be streamed live on the Mountain West Network and real-time results will be available through Record Timing (direct links to both are available on the team's schedule page at GoAirForceFalcons.com). In addition, updates and highlights will be posted to Air Force's social media sites (@af_tfxc) throughout the week.
WHO'S WHO
The Mountain West Championships will feature 11 women's teams (Air Force, Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, Nevada, New Mexico, San Diego State, San Jose State, UNLV, Utah State, Wyoming) and the men's teams from Air Force, Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, New Mexico, San Jose State, Utah State and Wyoming.
A LITTLE HISTORY LESSON
The men have captured five of the last eight team titles at the outdoor championships (2012, 2013, 2016, 2017, 2018). Individually, the Falcons have been at the top of the MW Outdoor medal podium 88 times, highlighted by a program-best eight conference titles at the 2015 meet. Jamiel Trimble is the Falcons' most decorated MW Outdoor champion, having won five individual titles and ran on three winning 4x100-meter relay teams. Highlighted by a program-best 27 top-three finishes in 2017, the Falcons have accounted for 286 all-conference selections. Air Force currently holds five of the conference's Championship Meet Records, including the 200-meter dash (Trimble, 20.33 in 2017), 1500-meter run (Zach Perkins, 3:44.38 in 2013), 110-meter hurdles (Trimble, 13.66 in 2017), pole vault (Cale Simmons, 18'1¾" in 2012) and javelin throw (Dana Pounds, 195'8" in 2006).
AROUND THE CONFERENCE
Four individuals – Sam Gilman (1500-meter run, 3:40.39), Mahala Norris (1500-meter run, 4:15.98), Mitch Lipe (pole vault, 17'8½"), Wyatt Murphy (decathlon, 6810) – concluded the regular season with conference-leading marks in their respective events, while Air Force also holds MW-best times in the 4x100-meter (40.84) and 4x400-meter (3:09.66) relays. In addition, Maria Mettler's 10,000-meter time of 32:09.37 from December is a conference best.
AIR FORCE IN THE NATIONAL RANKINGS
Two Falcons are listed among the nation's Top 25, as Mitch Lipe is ranked 22nd in the pole vault (17'8½") and Mahala Norris is 25th in the 3000-meter steeplechase (10:03.85). Lipe is one of two Falcons listed in the Top 30, as Greg Skage is ranked 27th with a clearance of 17'6½". In addition to her ranking in the steeplechase, Norris is one of two Falcons to hold a Top 40 placement in the 1500-meter run – she is listed 37th in the women's event (4:15.98) and Sam Gilman is ranked 38th in the men's (3:40.39).
SQUAD GOALS
Two Air Force teams are ranked within the top 10 of this week's USTFCCCA #EventSquad rankings – which are determined by using the cumulative season-best marks from a team's top four athletes on the national descending order list. Wyatt Murphy, Braeden Holcombe, Tyler Gurchiek and Brian Hubbard have combined for 25,469 points – the fourth-highest total in the country, while the men's pole vault quartet of Mitch Lipe, Greg Skage, Ethan Gardner and Ryan Brown have amassed the nation's sixth-best clearance at 69'0¾".
SENIOR SALUTE
Air Force honored 23 seniors at the conclusion of the Air Force Twilight Open. Donna Borer, Hunter Boyer, Addison Brown, Meghan Carbiener, Terrell Davis, Zachary Dicken, Colin Dwyer, Tyler Gurchiek, Scott Johnson, Aric Kedge, Drew Lester, Mitch Lipe, Kathleen Medill, Maria Mettler, Landon Moore, Mahala Norris, Aubrey Ridgeway, Alec Schrank, Greg Skage, Addyson Smith, Cat Sobus, Konrad Steck and Luke Zuluaga will graduate from the Academy on May 26. A complete list of their first assignment for the Air Force or Space Force can be found on Page 4 of this release.
COMING UP
Air Force returns to action on May 26-29, when select members of the team head to Texas for the preliminary round of the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. The list of accepted entries for the meet, which will be held at E.B. Cushing Stadium in College Station, will be announced on May 20.
Players Mentioned
Discus / Shot Put / Hammer
/ Track and Field
3000m Steeplechase
/ Track and Field
High Jump
/ Track and Field
Pole Vault
/ Track and Field
Hammer
/ Track and Field
400m / 200m
/ Track and Field
400m
/ Track and Field
800m
/ Track and Field
Pole Vault
/ Track and Field
800m / 1500m / 5000m
/ Track and Field
Decathlon
/ Track and Field
Long Jump / Decathlon
/ Track and Field
Decathlon
/ Track and Field
1500m
/ Track and Field
800m
/ Track and Field
1500m
/ Track and Field
Pole Vault
/ Track and Field
High Jump
/ Track and Field
1500m / 5000m
/ Track and Field
Javelin Throw
/ Track and Field
Decathlon
/ Track and Field
800m / 1500m
/ Track and Field
400m / 200m
/ Track and Field
5000m
/ Track and Field
Pole Vault
/ Track and Field
Discus / Shot Put / Hammer
/ Track and Field
Hammer
/ Track and Field
1500m
/ Track and Field
100m Hurdles | 200m
/ Track and Field
400m / 200m
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