Friday, February 11
Ames, IA
11:00 am MT
Air Force Academy
at
Iowa State Classic
Photo by: Chris Floyd
Sam Gilman’s Academy Record Leads Falcons at Iowa State
2/11/2022 9:25:00 PM | Track and Field
Gilman led the Falcons to a major rewrite of the 3000- and 5000-meter standings on Friday.
AMES, Iowa – An Academy Record and an Air Force sweep of the 3000-meter titles highlighted a stellar day of competition for members of the distance squad at the Iowa State Classic in Ames on Friday, Feb. 11. Sam Gilman continued his stellar junior campaign, as he clocked his third Academy Record in as many races with a winning 3000-meter time of 7:47.93 at the Lied Recreation Center.
Gilman, who set program standards in the 5000-meter run and mile during his previous two races this year, added his name to the top of the Academy's 3000-meter standings with a winning performance of 7:47.93. Knocking nearly three seconds from the previous standard Patrick Corona set in 2016, Gilman used a 42.86 last lap to take the lead and better a field of 52 runners by more than a second.
Gilman, who set program standards in the 5000-meter run and mile during his previous two races this year, added his name to the top of the Academy's 3000-meter standings with a winning performance of 7:47.93. Knocking nearly three seconds from the previous standard Patrick Corona set in 2016, Gilman used a 42.86 last lap to take the lead and better a field of 52 runners by more than a second.
AIR FORCE TOP-10 MARKS
Men's 3000-Meter Run: Sam Gilman, 7:47.93 (Academy Record)
Women's 3000-Meter Run: Lindsey Peters, 9:21.55 (No. 4 all-time)
Men's 3000-Meter Run: Luke Combs, 7:56.71 (No. 5 all-time)
Men's 3000-Meter Run: Eli Bennett, 8:02.65 (No. 9 all-time)
Men's 3000-Meter Run: Sam Gilman, 7:47.93 (Academy Record)
Women's 3000-Meter Run: Lindsey Peters, 9:21.55 (No. 4 all-time)
Men's 3000-Meter Run: Luke Combs, 7:56.71 (No. 5 all-time)
Men's 3000-Meter Run: Eli Bennett, 8:02.65 (No. 9 all-time)
Gilman led Air Force to three finishes within the top 10 of the full 52-man field, while four Falcons joined the junior on the program's all-time standings. Sophomore Luke Combs accounted for the fifth-fastest time in program history (7:56.71) to finish eighth in the overall field, while senior Ryan Ioanidis clocked a time of 8:00.06 to place 10th. Sophomore Eli Bennett knocked six seconds off his previous best to win his section and finish 11th overall with the ninth-fastest time in program history (8:02.65), while freshman Bryce Lentz clocked the 15th-fastest time in Air Force history (8:03.72) and junior Scott Maison posted a time of 8:11.38 to finish 20th in the race and debut in 24th on the program's all-time standings.
The rewrites to the 3000-meter standings weren't limited to the men's side of the page, as freshman Lindsey Peters accounted for the fourth-fastest time in Air Force women's history – and a Freshman Class Record – as she easily captured her first collegiate victory. Racing in her first 3000-meter race – and just her second indoor event – Peters clocked a debut time of 9:21.55 to fly past the competition and win the 37-runner event by nearly six seconds. Sophomore Rayna Fruchey, who clocked a career-best time of 9:42.08 to place second in her section and finish within the top half of the overall field (13th), deleted nearly 18 seconds off her previous best time to vault into 12th on the program's all-time standings.
FIRST-PLACE FINISHES
Men's 3000-Meter Run: Sam Gilman, 7:47.93
Women's 3000-Meter Run: Lindsey Peters, 9:21.55
Men's 3000-Meter Run: Sam Gilman, 7:47.93
Women's 3000-Meter Run: Lindsey Peters, 9:21.55
The Falcons' 5000-meter standings also received a major upgrade on Friday, as all eight Air Force competitors in that event impacted the program's Top 25. Senior Will Kitzhaber led the way, as he posted the third-fastest time in Air Force history – 13:56.20 – to finish third in the 31-runner event. With the squad's second sub-14 performance of the day, junior Ryan Johnson clocked a 13:57.13 to finish fourth in the race and move up three places to No. 5 on the program's all-time standings. Junior Ethan Marshall clocked the program's 16th-fastest time (14:10.11) to join the pair in the race's top 10 (eighth), while seniors Joseph Wittig (14:16.76, 11th) and AJ Kedge (14:20.93, 13th) finished within the top half of the overall field and debuted on the Academy's all-time standings (No. 21 Wittig, No. 24 Kedge).
On the women's side, freshman Tiaree Towler paced a trio of Falcons to Top-25 times on the program's all-time standings during the first 5000-meter race of the year. Towler clocked the ninth-fastest time in program history (16:49.37) in her first 5000-meter race to finish seventh in her section – and 19th in the full 42-runner heat. Classmate Halle Hamilton ran an event debut of 17:06.22 to enter the program's all-time standings at No. 13, while senior Adrianna Wilder deleted more than 23 seconds from her previous time to move into 17th on the all-time standings.
The Falcons return to the Lied Recreation Center tomorrow (Feb. 12) for the mile events of the Iowa State Classic, which are slated to begin at 12:25 p.m. (CT).
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