Track and Field Welcomes Class of 2025
8/9/2021 11:56:00 AM | Track and Field
The Falcons added 12 men and 11 women to their roster for the upcoming season.
USAF ACADEMY, Colo. – The Air Force track and field team welcomed 23 freshmen to its roster for the upcoming season, head coach Ralph Lindeman announced, as the Class of 2025 began their academic careers at the Academy this morning (Aug 9). The 12 men and 11 women that make up the Falcons' newest class of athletes include multiple state champions and several that were listed among the national high school leaders in their respective events.
MEN'S TRACK AND FIELD CLASS OF 2025
Ben Charlebois | Coventry, Rhode Island | Coventry High School – Two-time Rhode Island state champion in the pole vault…recorded a personal-best clearance of 15'8" during the 2021 season.
Darek Hackett | Missouri City, Texas | Ridge Point High School | USAFA Prep School – Ranked among the nation's top 10 in the 110-meter (13.80, third) and 300-meter (37.35, ninth) hurdles during the pandemic-shortened 2020 outdoor season…spent the 2020-21 academic year at the Prep School.
Bryce Lentz | Manassas, Virginia | Colgan High School – Three-time Virginia 6A champion in the 3200-meter run…claimed the indoor title in back-to-back years (2020, 2021)…ran a 9:11.12 to win that event at the outdoor championships in 2021…also accounted for a personal-best mile time of 4:22.14.
Joe Nizich | Portland, Oregon | Central Catholic High School | USAFA Prep School – Oregon 5A-6A champion in the javelin as a junior…career-best throw of 213'6" was ranked No. 3 among high school juniors in 2019…spent the 2020-21 academic year at the Prep School…older brother, John, threw the javelin at the University of Oregon and medaled at the 2019 PAC-12 Championships.
Braxton Plisko | Newport, North Carolina | West Carteret High School – Recorded a personal-best high jump clearance of 6'6¾" as a sophomore in 2019.
Robert Postell | Cypress, Texas | Bridgeland High School – Finished third in the pole vault at the Texas UIL High School State Championships as a senior…recorded a career-best clearance of 16'6"…that height equaled the 13th-best vault in the U.S. by a high school senior.
Jason Renze | Madrid, Iowa | Madrid High School – Claimed three event titles at the Iowa 1A State Championships as a senior, winning the 800-meter, 1600-meter and 3200-meter events…recorded season-best times of 9:30.61 (3200 meters), 4:23.88 (1600 meters) and 1:56.57 (800 meters).
Jalan Rivers | Humble, Texas | Summer Creek High School – Won the high jump at the Texas UIL High School State Championships as a senior…recorded a season-best clearance of 7'1" – the fourth-best mark in the U.S. by a high school athlete.
Collin Schulz | Lake Mills, Wisconsin | Lakeside Lutheran High School | USAFA Prep School – Won the high jump at the Wisconsin D2 High School State Championships as a sophomore (2018)…finished second in that event as a junior…recorded a personal-best clearance of 6'9"…spent 2020-21 academic year at the Prep School.
Walter Sellers | Winston-Salem, North Carolina | Atkins Academic & Technology High School – Claimed the state title at the North Carolina 2A Cross Country Championships as a senior…recorded personal-best times of 9:32.08 at 3200 meters and 4:32.50 at 1600 meters.
Travon Stevens-Long | Brooklyn, New York | Benjamin Banneker Academy | USAFA Prep School – Recorded 5471 in the decathlon at the prestigious Arcadia Invitational as a junior…posted an indoor pentathlon-best score of 3243 to finish fourth at the Air Force High School Open as a senior…holds a personal-best distance of 22'5¾" in the long jump…spent the 2020-21 academic year at the Prep School.
Cooper Stroka | Goshen, New Jersey | Don Bosco Preparatory School – Ranked among the nation's top 15 high school throwers in two events as a senior…ranked 11th in the weight throw (67'7¼") and 13th in the hammer throw (199'8")…posted a career-best distance of 201'11" in the hammer as a junior.
WOMEN'S TRACK AND FIELD CLASS OF 2025
Halle Hamilton | Mansfield, Ohio | Lexington High School – Claimed a pair of top-10 finishes at Ohio state meets…finished fourth in the 1600-meter run (career-best 5:02.51) at the OATCCC Indoor State Championships…claimed a ninth-place finish in the 3200-meter run at the Ohio Division I State Championships…posted season-best times of 10:59.98 (3200 meters) and 5:10.33 (1600 meters) as a senior.
Hana Hill | Nine Mile Falls, Washington | Mount Spokane High School – Recorded a career-best pole vault clearance of 12'7" as a freshman…also threw the javelin in high school, recording a personal-best distance of 108'7"…father, Brian Hill, was a volunteer coach for the Falcons (javelin) in the mid-2000s, while serving on the academic faculty at the Academy.
Kaylee King | Willis Point, Texas | Willis Point High School – Finished second in the pole vault at the 2019 Texas UIL 4A State Championships…recorded a career-best distance of 12'0" that year.
Amalie Mills | Spring Branch, Texas | Smithson Valley High School – Claimed an eighth-place finish in the mile (4:52.01) at the Adidas Indoor Nationals as a senior...claimed three top-eight finishes at the Texas UIL 6A State Championships as a senior, finishing fifth in cross country, third in the 800-meter run, and seventh in the 1600-meter run…registered an 800-meter best time of 2:09.61 at the district championship.
Lindsey Peters | Alto, Michigan | Caledonia High School – Placed within the top three in the 800-meter (second) and 1600-meter (third) events at the 2021 Michigan LP-1 State Championships…clocked career-best times at 3200 meters (10:37.65), 1600 meters (4:53.25) and 800 meters (2:12.65) as a senior…the 1600- and 3200-meter marks were ranked among the top 100 high school athletes in the United States.
Ally Peterson | Battle Ground, Washington | Hockinson High School – Recorded career-best marks in the 1600-meter (5:10.98) and 3200-meter (11:04.93) events as a junior.
Taylor Rioux | Austin, Texas | Lake Travis High School – Recorded a career-best 400-meter time of 56.60 during pandemic-shortened junior season…dipped into the 56-second range five times that season…added a personal-best 200-meter time of 25.10.
Katie Schlather | The Woodlands, Texas | The Woodlands High School – Recorded a career-best pole vault clearance of 12'8" as a freshman…added clearances of 12'6" during both junior and senior seasons.
Tiaree Towler | Scottsdale, Arizona | Chaparrel High School | USAFA Prep School – Finished 11th at the Arizona D1 High School State Cross Country Championships as a senior…recorded personal-best distances in the 1600-meter (5:16.22) and 3200-meter (11:06.46) events during pandemic-shortened senior year…spent the 2020-21 academic year at the Prep School.
Sydney Weaber | Encinitas, California | La Costa Canyon High School – Recorded a career-best 1600-meter time of 5:00.50 during her sophomore year…also posted personal-best marks of 2:19.24 at 800 meters and 11:22.95 at 3200 meters.
Olivia Weiss | Naples, Florida | Community School of Naples – Accounted for a personal-best distance of 104'10" in the javelin throw…father, Bart Weiss, played football for the Falcons and is a member of the Air Force Academy Athletics Hall of Fame.
MEN'S TRACK AND FIELD CLASS OF 2025
Ben Charlebois | Coventry, Rhode Island | Coventry High School – Two-time Rhode Island state champion in the pole vault…recorded a personal-best clearance of 15'8" during the 2021 season.
Darek Hackett | Missouri City, Texas | Ridge Point High School | USAFA Prep School – Ranked among the nation's top 10 in the 110-meter (13.80, third) and 300-meter (37.35, ninth) hurdles during the pandemic-shortened 2020 outdoor season…spent the 2020-21 academic year at the Prep School.
Bryce Lentz | Manassas, Virginia | Colgan High School – Three-time Virginia 6A champion in the 3200-meter run…claimed the indoor title in back-to-back years (2020, 2021)…ran a 9:11.12 to win that event at the outdoor championships in 2021…also accounted for a personal-best mile time of 4:22.14.
Joe Nizich | Portland, Oregon | Central Catholic High School | USAFA Prep School – Oregon 5A-6A champion in the javelin as a junior…career-best throw of 213'6" was ranked No. 3 among high school juniors in 2019…spent the 2020-21 academic year at the Prep School…older brother, John, threw the javelin at the University of Oregon and medaled at the 2019 PAC-12 Championships.
Braxton Plisko | Newport, North Carolina | West Carteret High School – Recorded a personal-best high jump clearance of 6'6¾" as a sophomore in 2019.
Robert Postell | Cypress, Texas | Bridgeland High School – Finished third in the pole vault at the Texas UIL High School State Championships as a senior…recorded a career-best clearance of 16'6"…that height equaled the 13th-best vault in the U.S. by a high school senior.
Jason Renze | Madrid, Iowa | Madrid High School – Claimed three event titles at the Iowa 1A State Championships as a senior, winning the 800-meter, 1600-meter and 3200-meter events…recorded season-best times of 9:30.61 (3200 meters), 4:23.88 (1600 meters) and 1:56.57 (800 meters).
Jalan Rivers | Humble, Texas | Summer Creek High School – Won the high jump at the Texas UIL High School State Championships as a senior…recorded a season-best clearance of 7'1" – the fourth-best mark in the U.S. by a high school athlete.
Collin Schulz | Lake Mills, Wisconsin | Lakeside Lutheran High School | USAFA Prep School – Won the high jump at the Wisconsin D2 High School State Championships as a sophomore (2018)…finished second in that event as a junior…recorded a personal-best clearance of 6'9"…spent 2020-21 academic year at the Prep School.
Walter Sellers | Winston-Salem, North Carolina | Atkins Academic & Technology High School – Claimed the state title at the North Carolina 2A Cross Country Championships as a senior…recorded personal-best times of 9:32.08 at 3200 meters and 4:32.50 at 1600 meters.
Travon Stevens-Long | Brooklyn, New York | Benjamin Banneker Academy | USAFA Prep School – Recorded 5471 in the decathlon at the prestigious Arcadia Invitational as a junior…posted an indoor pentathlon-best score of 3243 to finish fourth at the Air Force High School Open as a senior…holds a personal-best distance of 22'5¾" in the long jump…spent the 2020-21 academic year at the Prep School.
Cooper Stroka | Goshen, New Jersey | Don Bosco Preparatory School – Ranked among the nation's top 15 high school throwers in two events as a senior…ranked 11th in the weight throw (67'7¼") and 13th in the hammer throw (199'8")…posted a career-best distance of 201'11" in the hammer as a junior.
WOMEN'S TRACK AND FIELD CLASS OF 2025
Halle Hamilton | Mansfield, Ohio | Lexington High School – Claimed a pair of top-10 finishes at Ohio state meets…finished fourth in the 1600-meter run (career-best 5:02.51) at the OATCCC Indoor State Championships…claimed a ninth-place finish in the 3200-meter run at the Ohio Division I State Championships…posted season-best times of 10:59.98 (3200 meters) and 5:10.33 (1600 meters) as a senior.
Hana Hill | Nine Mile Falls, Washington | Mount Spokane High School – Recorded a career-best pole vault clearance of 12'7" as a freshman…also threw the javelin in high school, recording a personal-best distance of 108'7"…father, Brian Hill, was a volunteer coach for the Falcons (javelin) in the mid-2000s, while serving on the academic faculty at the Academy.
Kaylee King | Willis Point, Texas | Willis Point High School – Finished second in the pole vault at the 2019 Texas UIL 4A State Championships…recorded a career-best distance of 12'0" that year.
Amalie Mills | Spring Branch, Texas | Smithson Valley High School – Claimed an eighth-place finish in the mile (4:52.01) at the Adidas Indoor Nationals as a senior...claimed three top-eight finishes at the Texas UIL 6A State Championships as a senior, finishing fifth in cross country, third in the 800-meter run, and seventh in the 1600-meter run…registered an 800-meter best time of 2:09.61 at the district championship.
Lindsey Peters | Alto, Michigan | Caledonia High School – Placed within the top three in the 800-meter (second) and 1600-meter (third) events at the 2021 Michigan LP-1 State Championships…clocked career-best times at 3200 meters (10:37.65), 1600 meters (4:53.25) and 800 meters (2:12.65) as a senior…the 1600- and 3200-meter marks were ranked among the top 100 high school athletes in the United States.
Ally Peterson | Battle Ground, Washington | Hockinson High School – Recorded career-best marks in the 1600-meter (5:10.98) and 3200-meter (11:04.93) events as a junior.
Taylor Rioux | Austin, Texas | Lake Travis High School – Recorded a career-best 400-meter time of 56.60 during pandemic-shortened junior season…dipped into the 56-second range five times that season…added a personal-best 200-meter time of 25.10.
Katie Schlather | The Woodlands, Texas | The Woodlands High School – Recorded a career-best pole vault clearance of 12'8" as a freshman…added clearances of 12'6" during both junior and senior seasons.
Tiaree Towler | Scottsdale, Arizona | Chaparrel High School | USAFA Prep School – Finished 11th at the Arizona D1 High School State Cross Country Championships as a senior…recorded personal-best distances in the 1600-meter (5:16.22) and 3200-meter (11:06.46) events during pandemic-shortened senior year…spent the 2020-21 academic year at the Prep School.
Sydney Weaber | Encinitas, California | La Costa Canyon High School – Recorded a career-best 1600-meter time of 5:00.50 during her sophomore year…also posted personal-best marks of 2:19.24 at 800 meters and 11:22.95 at 3200 meters.
Olivia Weiss | Naples, Florida | Community School of Naples – Accounted for a personal-best distance of 104'10" in the javelin throw…father, Bart Weiss, played football for the Falcons and is a member of the Air Force Academy Athletics Hall of Fame.
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