Women’s 4x4 Caps Successful Weekend at UNM

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – The quartet of senior Michelle Roca, classmate Grace Proesch, freshman Taylor Rioux and sophomore Zoe Iwu combined for the second-fastest 4x400-meter relay in Academy history this afternoon (Feb. 12), as the track and field team capped a successful weekend of competition at the Don Kirby Invitational in Albuquerque.

With a time of 3:47.77, the women captured a wire-to-wire victory in their section and placed fourth in the full 19-team event – the best overall finish by a non-PAC 12 team.

The women were one of three Air Force relays to win their sections on Saturday, as both men's relays also captured first-place marks in their respective sections. The squad of senior La'akea Aiu, junior Zac Larrier, senior CJ Dimnwaobi, and senior Sean Geither combined for the 13th-fastest time in Air Force history (3:13.60), as Geither swung out on the final curve to take the section win and guide the Falcons to a fourth-place finish in the full 16-team field. The Falcons' second squad of junior Cameron Harris, sophomore Braeden Holcombe, classmate Philip Hundl and freshman Darek Hackett combined for a time of 3:17.42 that was 10th in the overall field and the fastest in their section after Hundl took the lead on the third heat and Hackett cruised to the victory on the final leg.

Three other improvements were made to the program's all-time standings at the ABQ Convention Center, including a second Top 25 appearance by Geither, who clocked the Academy's 17th-fastest 400-meter time (48.29) to win his heat of the seeded race. Classmate Garrett Blenkush debuted at No. 25 on the 800-meter run after posting a time of 1:53.31 (1:52.68, with altitude), as he finished sixth in today' 19-runner competition. Senior Erika Willis impacted the program's Top 25 in the pole vault, as she cleared a career-best 12'6¼" to move into 13th on Air Force's all-time standings and tie for 24th in the full 47-vaulter field.

Fellow senior Frankie Porambo also posted that pole vault clearance to tie for 16th, while sophomore Alex Patton clocked a time of 1:54.20 (1:53.57a) to join Blenkush among the top 10 in the 800-meter run. Senior Brid O'Connell also nabbed a top-10 finish in the 800-meter run, as she raced to a 2:13.51 (2:12.77a) finish that placed ninth in the full 31-runner women's event.

In addition to running on the men's relay, Harris and Hundl also competed in the finals of the 60-meter hurdles, where they finished sixth (8.13) and seventh (8.14), respectively. Senior Will Broadus rounded out the list of Falcons who finished within the top half of their fields, as he registered a distance of 52'2" to finish 16th in the shot put (41 total throwers).

The Falcons return to action next Friday (Feb. 18), when they host the Air Force Collegiate Open at the Cadet Field House. The meet will serve as a final tune-up before the conference championship meet.

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Players Mentioned

La‘akea Aiu

Garrett Blenkush

Sean Geither

Darek Hackett

Cameron Harris

Braeden Holcombe

Philip Hundl

Zoe Iwu

Zac Larrier

Brid O'Connell

Alex Patton

Frankie Porambo

Grace Proesch

Taylor Rioux

Michelle Roca

Erika Willis

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