Falcons Win Two in Return to Action

BOULDER, Colo. – Two first-place finishes – and the top collegiate placement in another event – highlighted the opening day of the Potts Indoor Invitational for Air Force this afternoon (Jan. 13), as the "and field" members of the track and field team kicked off the 2023 calendar year with nine events at the Indoor Practice Facility in Boulder.

Sophomore Jalan Rivers opened the day with a winning, season-best height of 6'9" in the high jump, while junior Caiden Macktinger equaled the Facility Record of 16'10¾" to easily win the pole vault, as the pair paced the Falcons to multiple finishes within the top half of those events. Sophomore Gabe Grim and junior Philip Hundl posted matching clearances of 6'5" – a career high for Grim – to finish fourth and seventh, respectively, in the 17-competitor high jump, while the Falcons recorded four of the top-six finishes in the 13-jumper pole vault. Freshman Connor Munson picked up a third-place finish after clearing 15'11", while the sophomore duo of Ben Charlebois and Robert Postell accounted for matching heights of 14'11" to finish fifth and sixth, respectively, in the overall field.

Senior Jaret Prete closed the night with a distance of 61'4¼" in the weight throw – a mark that bettered the collegiate field by more than five feet and was second in the 16-thrower event. Sophomore Cooper Stroka and senior Jace Pittman both recorded distances of 50'6" on their fifth attempts to place sixth and seventh, respectively, in the weight throw, while senior Hayden Bullock and freshman Texas Tanner added respective fifth- (53'4¼") and sixth- (50'8") place distances in the 22-thrower shot put.

Backed by a runner-up finish from junior Brandon Lindner, the Falcons accounted for half of the top-six marks in the long jump on Friday. Lindner, who also earned a fourth-place finish in the triple jump (career-best 45'3½"), recorded a season-opening long jump distance of 22'11¼" to take second in the 12-jumper event. Sophomore Travon Stevens-Long added a distance of 22'0¼" to finish fifth, while junior John Colizzi rounded out the Falcons' top six with a distance of 21'11½".

On the women's side, a pair of Katies placed within the top half of their respective events during Field Day at the IPF. Sophomore Katie Schlather cleared a season-high bar of 11'5¾" to finish third in the pole vault, while junior Katie Van Havel posted a season-best distance of 16'10½" to take eighth in a field of nearly 20 athletes in the long jump.

The track portion of the Falcons' squad heads to Boulder tomorrow (Jan. 14) for the final day of competition at the Potts Indoor Invitational. Action is slated to begin at 11:00 a.m. (MT).

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Players Mentioned

Hayden Bullock

Ben Charlebois

John Colizzi

Gabe Grim

Philip Hundl

Brandon Lindner

Caiden Macktinger

Connor Munson

Jace Pittman

Robert Postell

Jaret Prete

Jalan Rivers

Katie Schlather

Travon Stevens-Long

Cooper Stroka

Texas Tanner

Katie Van Havel

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