Friday, February 11
Albuquerque, NM
2:00 pm MT
Air Force Academy
at
Don Kirby Invitational
Photo by: Trevor Cokley
Falcons Open Competition at New Mexico
2/11/2022 11:10:00 PM | Track and Field
Jaret Prete became the first Air Force thrower in five years to break 60 feet in the weight throw.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Senior Michelle Roca posted a pair of Air Force Top 5 times and junior Jaret Prete registered the farthest weight throw in five years as the track and field team opened competition at the Don Kirby Invitational in Albuquerque on Friday, Feb. 11. In all, the Falcons made five improvements to the program's Top 10 list at the ABQ Convention Center, while adding five more marks to the program's full all-time standings.
AIR FORCE TOP-10 MARKS
Women's 400-Meter Dash: Michelle Roca, 56.44 (No. 4 all-time)
Women's 200-Meter Dash: Michelle Roca, 25.13 (No. 5 all-time)
Men's Weight Throw: Jaret Prete, 62'3¼" (No. 5 all-time)
Men's 200-Meter Dash: Zac Larrier, 21.44 (No. 7 all-time)
Men's Long Jump: Travon Stevens-Long, 23'11½" (No. 10 all-time)
Clocking the fourth-fastest 400-meter time in Air Force history (56.44), Roca easily won her section and finished second in the full 57-runner event. That time came just over two hours after she posted the program's fifth-fastest 200-meter time (25.13) to win her section and capture a top-20 finish in the 102-sprinter field.
Roca paced the Falcons to three top-10 finishes in the 400-meter dash, as freshman Taylor Rioux and senior Grace Proesch finished fifth (57.21) and ninth (57.52), respectively. With her finish – a career-best by more than a half-second, Rioux moved into 12th on the program's all-time list. Sophomore Zoe Iwu also impacted the program's top-25 standings during the two races, as she equaled her personal-best 200-meter time of 26.17 (the 21st-best time in program history) and posted a career-best 400-meter time of 58.78 to improve her No. 24 standing on the Academy's all-time list.
Junior Zac Larrier debuted on the program's Top 10 of the 200-meter dash, after racing to a 21.44 finish – the seventh-fastest time in Air Force history – during the seeded section of competition. Senior Wyatt Murphy also posted a debut time on the program's all-time 200-meter standings, as he posted a career-best time of 21.83 – the 21st-fastest mark in Academy history – to win his section and finish 12th in the 65-sprinter open event. Murphy was one of two Falcons to finish within the top half of the open race, as freshman Darek Hackett clocked a time of 22.15 – just 0.01 off his PR – to finish 28th overall.
Senior Frank Rossi registered the 13th-fastest 800-meter run in Academy history (1:51.98 raw, 1:51.36a) to finish third in the race's Elite section, while classmate La'akea Aiu posted a career-best time of 48.68 to finish eighth out of 38 runners in the 400-meter dash.
From the field, Prete unleashed a career-best distance of 62'3¼" to finish seventh in the 35-competitor weight throw. Becoming the first Air Force thrower since 2017 to break the 60-foot plateau in that event, Prete vaulted into fifth on the Academy's all-time standings. Freshman Travon Stevens-Long posted a distance of 23'11½" – the 10th-best mark in program history – to earn a seventh-place finish in the long jump and lead a trio of Falcons to finishes within the top half of the 37-jumper field. Sophomore John Colizzi registered a jump of 22'7" to finish 15th, while classmate Braeden Holcombe finished just a half-inch back to finish 17th (22'6½").
The Falcons saw four high jumpers, as well as two pole vaulters, place within the top half of their fields during Friday's action at the Albuquerque Convention Center. Seniors Ari Martinez and Jake Hall both collected 11th-place finishes in their respective high jumps, as Martinez cleared 5'6" in the women's event and Hall posted a season-best height of 6'9½" in the men's competition. Hall led the Falcons to three top-14 finishes in the 28-jumper men's event, as freshmen Jalan Rivers and Collin Schulz finished 13th and 14th, respectively, with matching clearances of 6'7½". Fellow freshman Robert Postell paced a trio of Falcons to top-20 finishes in the 40-competitor pole vault, as he cleared 16'4" to finish 13th, while sophomore Caiden Macktinger matched that clearance to finish 17th in his return to action and senior Ethan Gardner tied for 19th with a height of 15'10".
The Falcons return to the convention center tomorrow (Feb. 12) morning for the final day of action at the Don Kirby Invitational.
AIR FORCE TOP-10 MARKS
Women's 400-Meter Dash: Michelle Roca, 56.44 (No. 4 all-time)
Women's 200-Meter Dash: Michelle Roca, 25.13 (No. 5 all-time)
Men's Weight Throw: Jaret Prete, 62'3¼" (No. 5 all-time)
Men's 200-Meter Dash: Zac Larrier, 21.44 (No. 7 all-time)
Men's Long Jump: Travon Stevens-Long, 23'11½" (No. 10 all-time)
Clocking the fourth-fastest 400-meter time in Air Force history (56.44), Roca easily won her section and finished second in the full 57-runner event. That time came just over two hours after she posted the program's fifth-fastest 200-meter time (25.13) to win her section and capture a top-20 finish in the 102-sprinter field.
Roca paced the Falcons to three top-10 finishes in the 400-meter dash, as freshman Taylor Rioux and senior Grace Proesch finished fifth (57.21) and ninth (57.52), respectively. With her finish – a career-best by more than a half-second, Rioux moved into 12th on the program's all-time list. Sophomore Zoe Iwu also impacted the program's top-25 standings during the two races, as she equaled her personal-best 200-meter time of 26.17 (the 21st-best time in program history) and posted a career-best 400-meter time of 58.78 to improve her No. 24 standing on the Academy's all-time list.
Junior Zac Larrier debuted on the program's Top 10 of the 200-meter dash, after racing to a 21.44 finish – the seventh-fastest time in Air Force history – during the seeded section of competition. Senior Wyatt Murphy also posted a debut time on the program's all-time 200-meter standings, as he posted a career-best time of 21.83 – the 21st-fastest mark in Academy history – to win his section and finish 12th in the 65-sprinter open event. Murphy was one of two Falcons to finish within the top half of the open race, as freshman Darek Hackett clocked a time of 22.15 – just 0.01 off his PR – to finish 28th overall.
Senior Frank Rossi registered the 13th-fastest 800-meter run in Academy history (1:51.98 raw, 1:51.36a) to finish third in the race's Elite section, while classmate La'akea Aiu posted a career-best time of 48.68 to finish eighth out of 38 runners in the 400-meter dash.
From the field, Prete unleashed a career-best distance of 62'3¼" to finish seventh in the 35-competitor weight throw. Becoming the first Air Force thrower since 2017 to break the 60-foot plateau in that event, Prete vaulted into fifth on the Academy's all-time standings. Freshman Travon Stevens-Long posted a distance of 23'11½" – the 10th-best mark in program history – to earn a seventh-place finish in the long jump and lead a trio of Falcons to finishes within the top half of the 37-jumper field. Sophomore John Colizzi registered a jump of 22'7" to finish 15th, while classmate Braeden Holcombe finished just a half-inch back to finish 17th (22'6½").
The Falcons saw four high jumpers, as well as two pole vaulters, place within the top half of their fields during Friday's action at the Albuquerque Convention Center. Seniors Ari Martinez and Jake Hall both collected 11th-place finishes in their respective high jumps, as Martinez cleared 5'6" in the women's event and Hall posted a season-best height of 6'9½" in the men's competition. Hall led the Falcons to three top-14 finishes in the 28-jumper men's event, as freshmen Jalan Rivers and Collin Schulz finished 13th and 14th, respectively, with matching clearances of 6'7½". Fellow freshman Robert Postell paced a trio of Falcons to top-20 finishes in the 40-competitor pole vault, as he cleared 16'4" to finish 13th, while sophomore Caiden Macktinger matched that clearance to finish 17th in his return to action and senior Ethan Gardner tied for 19th with a height of 15'10".
The Falcons return to the convention center tomorrow (Feb. 12) morning for the final day of action at the Don Kirby Invitational.
Players Mentioned
110m Hurdles / 400m Hurdles
/ Track and Field
Long Jump / Triple Jump
/ Track and Field
Pole Vault
/ Track and Field
110m Hurdles / 400m Hurdles
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High Jump
/ Track and Field
Decathlon / Long Jump
/ Track and Field
400m
/ Track and Field
200m / 400m
/ Track and Field
Pole Vault / High Jump
/ Track and Field
High Jump
/ Track and Field
Decathlon / 100m / Long Jump
/ Track and Field
Pole Vault
/ Track and Field
Hammer / Discus / Shot Put
/ Track and Field
200m / 400m
/ Track and Field
400m
/ Track and Field
High Jump
/ Track and Field
400m Hurdles
/ Track and Field
800m
/ Track and Field
High Jump
/ Track and Field
Decathlon / Long Jump
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