Photo by: Isaiah Vasquez, NCAA Photos
Track and Field Honors Underclassmen
5/18/2022 7:49:00 PM | Track and Field
Sam Gilman, in the midst of a record-breaking junior season, was named the men's MVP.
USAF ACADEMY, Colo. - Highlighted by junior Sam Gilman receiving the Men's Most Valuable Athlete award, five members of the Air Force track and field team were honored this evening (May 18) during the program's Underclassman Awards Banquet at the Academy's Cadet Lodge. The coaching staff recognized two juniors, one sophomore and two freshmen for their impressive accomplishments during the current 2022 season.
Gilman, an indoor All-American and 2022 Mountain West Indoor Track and Field Athlete of the Year, is in the midst of a stellar junior campaign, claiming two MW titles, four all-conference accolades, four Academy Records, and one MW Record since the start of the school year. The only Mountain West athlete to qualify to the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships on the men's side, Gilman captured All-America honors in the 5000-meter run at the national meet to cap an indoor campaign that began with an Academy and Conference Record performance in that event at the Sharon Colyear-Danville Opener. Just two weeks removed from an All-American outing at the NCAA Cross Country Championships, Gilman opened the indoor season with a 13:25.17 finish in the 5000-meter run, placing seventh out of 133 runners, crushing the Academy's 11-year-old record by more than 16 seconds, resetting the Mountain West's two-year-old standard by more nearly 15 seconds, and posting a time that remained among the nation's Top 12 all season. His success on the track was not limited to the 5000-meter event, as Gilman accounted for Academy Records in every indoor distance he raced this season, including the mile (3:57.52a) and 3000-meter run (7:47.93), before anchoring the distance medley relay to a program-best mark of 9:31.62a and a winning finish at the MW Indoor Championships. Gilman, the conference champion in the mile, also accounted for first-place finishes at the Air Force Invitational, where his mile time set a new Cadet Field House Facility Record, and at the Iowa State Classic, where his record-setting 3000-meter performance bettered an elite field of 52 by more than a second. Gilman, who claimed silver medals in the 1500-meter and 5000-meter events at last weekend's MW Outdoor Championships, won both of his regular-season races taking first in the 1500-meter run against an all-Power 5 field at the Jim Click Shootout and running down an elite field of predominately professional runners in the 5000-meter run at the Mt. SAC Relays with a conference-leading time of 13:33.26.
In addition, for his 13:25.17 showing in the 5000-meter run at the indoor opener, Gilman was honored with the Alonzo Babers Outstanding Performance Award, which recognizes the season's best individual performance.
Freshmen Bryce Lentz and Katie Schlather captured the Newcomer of the Year honors for their respective squads. Lentz became the men's first Mountain West champion in the 3000-meter steeplechase since 2012 last Friday, when he raced to a Championship Meet Record time of 8:40.45 – the third-fastest time in Academy history – to claim the conference title and reset his Air Force Freshman Class Record for the second time this year. Lentz returned to the track the next night and claimed a fourth-place finish in his first collegiate 5000-meter race – a 13:57.89 performance, which is the 13th-fastest time in program history and a new Freshman Class Record. Lentz, a two-time MW Freshman of the Week and the cross country team's Newcomer of the Year, also impacted the Air Force Record Book during the indoor season, accounting for Top-20 times in both the mile (4:04.33a, No. 12 all-time) and 3000-meter run (8:03.72, No. 16 all-time). Schlather had a stellar debut season on the pole vault runway, breaking into the Air Force Top 10 during both the indoor and outdoor seasons. The freshman cleared a team-leading 12'11½" during the indoor season to match the sixth-best height in program history during a winning performance at the Air Force Collegiate Open, while posting the Academy's 10th-best outdoor clearance (12'6¼") to score for the Falcons at the MW Outdoor Championships (eighth). Schlather, who also scored for the Falcons at the MW Indoor Championships after finishing fifth with a height of 12'8½", claimed four weekly honors from the conference office during the regular season. A three-time MW Freshman of the Week, Schlather also earned the MW Field Athlete of the Week award once during the indoor season.
Junior Jaret Prete received the Bret Hyde Award for Drive and Determination, while sophomore Alexxis Brown was honored as the Most Improved female athlete. Prete, the Mountain West champion – and Academy record-holder – in the weight throw, had an impressive year in the throwing circle. Launching a career-best 65'8" at the conference meet to better the program's previous weight throw standard by nearly two feet, Prete became just the second member of the men's program to ever win a Mountain West title in that event. His success continued into the outdoor season, as he recorded the second-best hammer throw in Academy history (205'0") at the Air Force Twilight Meet. Prete, who collected five top-three finishes in his signature outdoor event, surpassed the 200-foot mark for the second time during a silver medal performance at the MW Outdoor Championships. Brown added 27 feet to her overall distance in the javelin throw during the course of the outdoor season, moving into sixth on the program's all-time standings after unleashing a career-best 152'1" at the Fresno State Invitational. Brown, who won two event titles and placed within the top four during six of eight events this year, captured a fourth-place finish at the MW Outdoor Championships (143'5").
Air Force will honor the Class of 2022 on Sunday, May 22, during the track and field team's annual Senior Awards Social. During the celebration, the Falcons will hand out the awards to the senior members of the squad. The season itself continues next week, when select athletes travel to Fayetteville, Ark., for the opening rounds of the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships.
2022 Track & Field Underclassmen Awards
Most Valuable Athlete | Men: Sam Gilman
Bret Hyde Award for Drive and Determination: Jaret Prete
Alonzo Babers Outstanding Performance Award: Sam Gilman
Newcomer of the Year | Men: Bryce Lentz
Newcomer of the Year | Women: Katie Schlather
Women's Most Improved: Alexxis Brown
Gilman, an indoor All-American and 2022 Mountain West Indoor Track and Field Athlete of the Year, is in the midst of a stellar junior campaign, claiming two MW titles, four all-conference accolades, four Academy Records, and one MW Record since the start of the school year. The only Mountain West athlete to qualify to the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships on the men's side, Gilman captured All-America honors in the 5000-meter run at the national meet to cap an indoor campaign that began with an Academy and Conference Record performance in that event at the Sharon Colyear-Danville Opener. Just two weeks removed from an All-American outing at the NCAA Cross Country Championships, Gilman opened the indoor season with a 13:25.17 finish in the 5000-meter run, placing seventh out of 133 runners, crushing the Academy's 11-year-old record by more than 16 seconds, resetting the Mountain West's two-year-old standard by more nearly 15 seconds, and posting a time that remained among the nation's Top 12 all season. His success on the track was not limited to the 5000-meter event, as Gilman accounted for Academy Records in every indoor distance he raced this season, including the mile (3:57.52a) and 3000-meter run (7:47.93), before anchoring the distance medley relay to a program-best mark of 9:31.62a and a winning finish at the MW Indoor Championships. Gilman, the conference champion in the mile, also accounted for first-place finishes at the Air Force Invitational, where his mile time set a new Cadet Field House Facility Record, and at the Iowa State Classic, where his record-setting 3000-meter performance bettered an elite field of 52 by more than a second. Gilman, who claimed silver medals in the 1500-meter and 5000-meter events at last weekend's MW Outdoor Championships, won both of his regular-season races taking first in the 1500-meter run against an all-Power 5 field at the Jim Click Shootout and running down an elite field of predominately professional runners in the 5000-meter run at the Mt. SAC Relays with a conference-leading time of 13:33.26.
In addition, for his 13:25.17 showing in the 5000-meter run at the indoor opener, Gilman was honored with the Alonzo Babers Outstanding Performance Award, which recognizes the season's best individual performance.
Freshmen Bryce Lentz and Katie Schlather captured the Newcomer of the Year honors for their respective squads. Lentz became the men's first Mountain West champion in the 3000-meter steeplechase since 2012 last Friday, when he raced to a Championship Meet Record time of 8:40.45 – the third-fastest time in Academy history – to claim the conference title and reset his Air Force Freshman Class Record for the second time this year. Lentz returned to the track the next night and claimed a fourth-place finish in his first collegiate 5000-meter race – a 13:57.89 performance, which is the 13th-fastest time in program history and a new Freshman Class Record. Lentz, a two-time MW Freshman of the Week and the cross country team's Newcomer of the Year, also impacted the Air Force Record Book during the indoor season, accounting for Top-20 times in both the mile (4:04.33a, No. 12 all-time) and 3000-meter run (8:03.72, No. 16 all-time). Schlather had a stellar debut season on the pole vault runway, breaking into the Air Force Top 10 during both the indoor and outdoor seasons. The freshman cleared a team-leading 12'11½" during the indoor season to match the sixth-best height in program history during a winning performance at the Air Force Collegiate Open, while posting the Academy's 10th-best outdoor clearance (12'6¼") to score for the Falcons at the MW Outdoor Championships (eighth). Schlather, who also scored for the Falcons at the MW Indoor Championships after finishing fifth with a height of 12'8½", claimed four weekly honors from the conference office during the regular season. A three-time MW Freshman of the Week, Schlather also earned the MW Field Athlete of the Week award once during the indoor season.
Junior Jaret Prete received the Bret Hyde Award for Drive and Determination, while sophomore Alexxis Brown was honored as the Most Improved female athlete. Prete, the Mountain West champion – and Academy record-holder – in the weight throw, had an impressive year in the throwing circle. Launching a career-best 65'8" at the conference meet to better the program's previous weight throw standard by nearly two feet, Prete became just the second member of the men's program to ever win a Mountain West title in that event. His success continued into the outdoor season, as he recorded the second-best hammer throw in Academy history (205'0") at the Air Force Twilight Meet. Prete, who collected five top-three finishes in his signature outdoor event, surpassed the 200-foot mark for the second time during a silver medal performance at the MW Outdoor Championships. Brown added 27 feet to her overall distance in the javelin throw during the course of the outdoor season, moving into sixth on the program's all-time standings after unleashing a career-best 152'1" at the Fresno State Invitational. Brown, who won two event titles and placed within the top four during six of eight events this year, captured a fourth-place finish at the MW Outdoor Championships (143'5").
Air Force will honor the Class of 2022 on Sunday, May 22, during the track and field team's annual Senior Awards Social. During the celebration, the Falcons will hand out the awards to the senior members of the squad. The season itself continues next week, when select athletes travel to Fayetteville, Ark., for the opening rounds of the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships.
2022 Track & Field Underclassmen Awards
Most Valuable Athlete | Men: Sam Gilman
Bret Hyde Award for Drive and Determination: Jaret Prete
Alonzo Babers Outstanding Performance Award: Sam Gilman
Newcomer of the Year | Men: Bryce Lentz
Newcomer of the Year | Women: Katie Schlather
Women's Most Improved: Alexxis Brown
Players Mentioned
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