Friday, March 11
Birmingham, AL
3:00 pm MT
Air Force Academy
at
NCAA Championships
Photo by: Justin Tafoya, NCAA Photos
Sam Gilman Heads to NCAA Championships
3/9/2022 6:12:00 PM | Track and Field
The junior will compete in the 5000-meter run at 5:05 p.m. (CT) on Friday, March 11.
The indoor season comes to a close this weekend, as Sam Gilman travels to Birmingham, Ala., to represent the Academy at the 2022 NCAA Division I Indoor Track and Field Championships. Gilman, in the midst of a stellar junior campaign, will compete in the 5000-meter run on Friday, March 11.
MEET INFORMATION
The NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships will take place at the Birmingham CrossPlex in Birmingham, Ala., over the March 11-12 weekend. The 16-runner men's 5000-meter final will take place at 5:05 p.m. (CT) on Friday night. Single-day admission begins at $20 and can be purchased at ncaa.com/tickets or at the venue one hour prior to the start of competition. ESPN3 will broadcast the meet live on the ESPN App, while stats will be available through FlashResults.com.
GET TO KNOW SAM GILMAN
Sam Gilman, the only Mountain West athlete to earn a spot in the men's NCAA meet, is ranked 11th in the championship field of the 5000-meter race after recording an Academy Record time of 13:25.17 at the Sharon Colyear-Danville Season Opener in December. It was the first of three-straight program standards for the Hilton Head Island, S.C., native, as Gilman added Academy-best times in the mile (3:57.52a) and 3000-meter run (7:47.93) during his next two meets. An 2021 All-American in cross country, Gilman most recently won the Mountain West title in the mile.
DID YOU KNOW?
This will be the fourth-straight NCAA Indoor meet with an Air Force runner in the 5000-meter final, as Jaci Smith (2019), Maria Mettler (2020) and Mahala Norris (2021) earned a qualifying spot in each of the previous three years. However, Sam Gilman is the first member of the men's team to earn a spot on the starting line in that event since 2010 (Justin Tyner).
HISTORY 101
The Falcons have combined for 35 All-America accolades at the NCAA Division I Indoor Championships. With his third 800-meter award in 2020, Michael Rhoads became the program's most decorated individual at the indoor championships. Justin Tyner, the top American finisher in the 5000-meter run at the 2010 championship meet, also collected three indoor honors during his career – two individual awards and one as a member of the distance medley relay in 2011. The women also accounted for 23 All-America awards at the NCAA Division II Indoor Championships, with Callie Calhoun (3000-meter run) and Jill Wood (1500-meter run) claiming national titles.
SAYING GOODBYE TO A LEGEND
Legendary Air Force track and field head coach Ralph Lindeman passed away on Sunday, March 6. Details on his service and celebration of life can be found here.
COMING UP
With the indoor season coming to a close at the NCAA Championships, the Falcons turn their focus to the outdoor season, which begins at the Jerry Quiller Classic in Boulder on March 18-19.
MEET INFORMATION
The NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships will take place at the Birmingham CrossPlex in Birmingham, Ala., over the March 11-12 weekend. The 16-runner men's 5000-meter final will take place at 5:05 p.m. (CT) on Friday night. Single-day admission begins at $20 and can be purchased at ncaa.com/tickets or at the venue one hour prior to the start of competition. ESPN3 will broadcast the meet live on the ESPN App, while stats will be available through FlashResults.com.
GET TO KNOW SAM GILMAN
Sam Gilman, the only Mountain West athlete to earn a spot in the men's NCAA meet, is ranked 11th in the championship field of the 5000-meter race after recording an Academy Record time of 13:25.17 at the Sharon Colyear-Danville Season Opener in December. It was the first of three-straight program standards for the Hilton Head Island, S.C., native, as Gilman added Academy-best times in the mile (3:57.52a) and 3000-meter run (7:47.93) during his next two meets. An 2021 All-American in cross country, Gilman most recently won the Mountain West title in the mile.
DID YOU KNOW?
This will be the fourth-straight NCAA Indoor meet with an Air Force runner in the 5000-meter final, as Jaci Smith (2019), Maria Mettler (2020) and Mahala Norris (2021) earned a qualifying spot in each of the previous three years. However, Sam Gilman is the first member of the men's team to earn a spot on the starting line in that event since 2010 (Justin Tyner).
HISTORY 101
The Falcons have combined for 35 All-America accolades at the NCAA Division I Indoor Championships. With his third 800-meter award in 2020, Michael Rhoads became the program's most decorated individual at the indoor championships. Justin Tyner, the top American finisher in the 5000-meter run at the 2010 championship meet, also collected three indoor honors during his career – two individual awards and one as a member of the distance medley relay in 2011. The women also accounted for 23 All-America awards at the NCAA Division II Indoor Championships, with Callie Calhoun (3000-meter run) and Jill Wood (1500-meter run) claiming national titles.
SAYING GOODBYE TO A LEGEND
Legendary Air Force track and field head coach Ralph Lindeman passed away on Sunday, March 6. Details on his service and celebration of life can be found here.
COMING UP
With the indoor season coming to a close at the NCAA Championships, the Falcons turn their focus to the outdoor season, which begins at the Jerry Quiller Classic in Boulder on March 18-19.
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