Wednesday, May 25
Fayetteville, AR
9:00 am MT
Air Force Academy
at
NCAA West Preliminary
Photo by: Isaiah Vasquez, NCAA Photos
Falcons Set to Open NCAA Action at West Prelim
5/23/2022 2:52:00 PM | Track and Field
Thirteen Falcons will compete in the opening round of the NCAA Championships on May 25-28.
Thirteen members of the Air Force track and field team will travel to Fayetteville, Ark., this week for the West Preliminary of the 2022 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. The four-day event, which will be held at John McDonnell Field on the Arkansas campus, will begin on Wednesday, May 25, and continue through Saturday, May 28.
MEET INFORMATION
The West Preliminary serves as the opening round of the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. The men will compete on Wednesday and Friday, while the women will compete on Thursday and Saturday (a complete breakdown of events can be found below). Single day tickets are $15, while children under two are free). Live results will be available for all four days of competition, courtesy of Flash Results and the NCAA, while the SEC Network+ will broadcast the meet. In-meet updates regarding Ari Force can be found on the team's official social media accounts (@af_tfxc).
MEET INFORMATION
The West Preliminary serves as the opening round of the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. The men will compete on Wednesday and Friday, while the women will compete on Thursday and Saturday (a complete breakdown of events can be found below). Single day tickets are $15, while children under two are free). Live results will be available for all four days of competition, courtesy of Flash Results and the NCAA, while the SEC Network+ will broadcast the meet. In-meet updates regarding Ari Force can be found on the team's official social media accounts (@af_tfxc).
| EVENT ATHLETE (REGIONAL RANKING) |
NCAA FIRST ROUND | QUARTERFINAL | SEMIFINAL ROUND |
| Men's Hammer Throw Jaret Prete (42) |
Wednesday, May 25 10:00 am |
||
| Men's Javelin Throw Joe Nizich (20) |
Wednesday, May 25 2:00 pm |
||
| Men's 110-Meter Hurdles Cameron Harris (47), Philip Hundl (48) |
Wednesday, May 25 6:00 pm |
Friday, May 27 6:15 pm |
|
| Men's Pole Vault Caiden Macktinger (44) |
Wednesday, May 25 6:30 pm |
||
| Men's 400-Meter Hurdles Darek Hackett (45) |
Wednesday, May 25 8:20 pm |
Friday, May 27 7:25 pm |
|
| Men's 10,000-Meter Run Ryan Ioanidis (28), Will Kitzhaber (41) |
Wednesday, May 25 9:10 pm |
||
| Men's High Jump Jake Hall (37) |
Friday, May 27 2:30 pm |
||
| Men's 3000-Meter Steeplechase Bryce Lentz (10) |
Friday, May 27 5:40 pm |
||
| Men's 5000-Meter Run Sam Gilman (18), Ryan Johnson (41) |
Friday, May 27 8:10 pm |
||
| Women's High Jump Ari Martinez (27) |
Saturday, May 28 2:30 pm |
HOW THIS WORKS
The 2022 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships begin this week at two preliminary sites (the West Preliminary in Fayetteville, Ark., the East Preliminary in Bloomington, Ind.). Each region features the top 48 accepted athletes in each event and the top 24 teams in each relay. The top 12 finishers from each event at the two preliminary sites will advance to the final site of the NCAA Outdoor Championships at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore., on June 8-11.
BY THE NUMBERS
The Falcons earned 14 bids into the NCAA West Preliminary, as 12 men and two women were accepted into the opening round of the national meet. Thirteen will compete in Arkansas, as one member of the women's lineup was forced to medically scratch. The Falcons will compete in nine different events.
WHAT & WHO TO WATCH
The men qualified multiple athletes in the 5000-meter run (Sam Gilman, Ryan Johnson), 10,000-meter Run (Ryan Ioanidis, Will Kitzhaber) and 110-meter hurdles (Cameron Harris, Philip Hundl), while Air Force will be represented in both the men's and women's high jump (Jake Hall, Ari Martinez). The Falcons will also be represented in the men's 400-meter hurdles (Darek Hackett), 3000-meter steeplechase (Bryce Lentz), pole vault (Caiden Macktinger), men's hammer throw (Jaret Prete) and javelin throw (Joe Nizich).
THE EXPERIENCED TRAVELERS
Sam Gilman and Jake Hall are the only members of the Falcons' travel squad that have competed at the NCAA West Preliminary, as Gilman qualified in the 1500-meter run and Hall made his first prelim appearance in the high jump.
HISTORY 101
Caiden Macktinger's selection marked the 15th-straight year that Air Force has qualified a pole vaulter to the NCAA West Preliminary.
SENIOR SALUTE
Thirty-three members of the Senior Class will graduate from the Academy on May 25 and be commissioned as second lieutenants in the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force. The Class of 2022 includes La'akea Aiu, Garrett Blenkush, William Broadus, Ryan Brown, Calvin Ciganik, Charles Dimnwaobi, Mikayla Gallagher, Ethan Gardner, Sean Geither, Jake Hall, Ryan Ioanidis, AJ Kedge, Kristin Kerrigan, Jenna Kill, Will Kitzhaber, Ari Martinez, Wyatt Murphy, Brid O'Connell, Nick Oesterling, Jarod Pankau, Frankie Porambo, Grace Proesch, Michelle Roca, Frank Rossi, LaShawn Taylor, Adrianna Wilder, Erika Willis, Joseph Wittig and Matt Zacharias, as well as managers Chris Floyd, Vanya McKinney, Jacob Pitman and Dan Walker.
REMEMBERING COACH LINDEMAN
Head coach Ralph Lindeman passed away unexpectedly on March 6, 2022, during his 33rd season with the Falcons. From the moment he stepped onto the Academy track in 1989, Air Force benefitted from his leadership and love of coaching. He coached 10 conference championship teams during his distinguished tenure, while Lindeman-coached athletes accounted for eight NCAA titles, more than 200 conference championships and nearly 700 academic all-conference honors.
ON DECK
The 2022 collegiate season concludes in two weeks, as the top 12 finishers from each event at the two preliminary sites travel to Eugene, Ore., for the final rounds of the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. The four-day meet, which begins on Wednesday, June 8, will be held at the newly-renovated Hayward Field.
Players Mentioned
110m Hurdles / 400m Hurdles
/ Track and Field
800m
/ Track and Field
Shot Put
/ Track and Field
Pole Vault
/ Track and Field
Pole Vault
/ Track and Field
100m / 200m
/ Track and Field
5000m / 10,000m
/ Track and Field
Pole Vault
/ Track and Field
400m / 200m
/ Track and Field
1500m / 800m
/ Track and Field
110m Hurdles / 400m Hurdles
/ Track and Field
High Jump
/ Track and Field
110m Hurdles / 400m Hurdles
/ Track and Field
110m Hurdles / High Jump
/ Track and Field
1500m / 5000m
/ Track and Field
3000m Steeplechase
/ Track and Field
3000m Steeplechase
/ Track and Field
Javelin
/ Track and Field
800m / 1500m
/ Track and Field
5000m / 10,000m
/ Track and Field
1500m / 5000m
/ Track and Field
Pole Vault / High Jump
/ Track and Field
High Jump
/ Track and Field
Decathlon / 100m / Long Jump
/ Track and Field
Javelin
/ Track and Field
800m / 400m
/ Track and Field
Javelin
/ Track and Field
Discus / Javelin
/ Track and Field
Pole Vault
/ Track and Field
Hammer / Discus / Shot Put
/ Track and Field
200m / 400m
/ Track and Field
400m Hurdles
/ Track and Field
800m
/ Track and Field
Triple Jump / Long Jump
/ Track and Field
5000m
/ Track and Field
Pole Vault
/ Track and Field
1500m / 5000m
/ Track and Field
3000m Steeplechase / 1500m
/ Track and FieldRyan Cole Interview - August 26th, 2025
Tuesday, August 26
Ryan Cole Interview March 11, 2025
Tuesday, March 11
Ryan Cole Interview May 20, 2024
Monday, May 20
Ryan Cole Interview - May 20, 2024
Monday, May 20
