Thursday, April 13
Long Beach, CA
9:00 am MT
Air Force Academy
at
Pacific Coast Intercollegiate
Photo by: Brandon Lindner
Katie Thompson Breaks 21-Year-Old Long Jump Record
4/13/2023 8:47:00 PM | Track and Field
LONG BEACH, Calif. – Air Force junior Katie Thompson broke the Academy's 21-year-old long jump record this afternoon (April 13) as members of the track and field team opened a busy weekend in Southern California at the Pacific Coast Intercollegiate in Long Beach. Thompson's record was one of four Air Force Top 10 marks recorded at Jack Rose Stadium during today's meet.
ACADEMY RECORDS
Katie Thompson, Long Jump (19'1½")
Thompson recorded her record-setting jump on her opening attempt, as she leapt to an outdoor-best distance of 19'1½" to become the first 19-foot outdoor jumper in Academy history. The junior, who finished seventh in a field of that included 62 athletes, added nearly two inches to the previous standard that LaTravia Robinson had held since 2002. Her distance also improved the program's Junior Class Record by five inches, giving Thompson all three Air Force Class Records to date.
AIR FORCE TOP-10 MARKS
No. 3 – Hayden Bullock, Shot Put (59'5½")
No. 6 – Jalan Rivers, High Jump (6'11")
No. 7 – Taylor Rioux, 400-Meter Dash (55.87)
Senior Hayden Bullock had a huge day from the throwing circle, highlighted by the third-farthest shot put throw in Academy history. Recording a throw of 59'5½" on his second attempt, Bullock added more than three feet to his previous best to finish fifth out of 50 throwers. The senior also recorded a season-best distance of 179'4" – a mark just shy of his PR – to finish 11th out of 45 throwers in the discus throw.
A pair of sophomores debuted on the Academy's Top 10 on Thursday, as Jalan Rivers and Taylor Rioux had career outings in their respective events. Rivers recorded a personal-best clearance of 6'11" to finish second out of 34 athletes in the high jump, while Rioux clocked the fastest 400-meter time in six years – and the seventh-fastest time in program history – during a fourth-place finish in her 49-runner event.
Junior Jackson Connelly matched the 11th-fastest 200-meter time in program history, as he clocked a time of 21.31 to finish fifth in a race that featured more than 60 runners. Connelly paced the Falcons to a pair of top 10 finishes – and three top 15 marks, as senior Zac Larrier finished seventh with a wind-aided 21.32 and sophomore Javin Bostic added a wind-aided 21.56 to finish 13th.
Connelly, Larrier and Bostic also helped the men impact the program's 4x100-meter standings, while Thompson and Rioux did the same in the women's race. Senior Jacob Trach joined the men's trio to post a winning time of 40.78 – the 16th-fastest time in program history, while freshmen Ashley Johnson and Jacqui Spencer completed a women's relay that equaled the 17th-fastest time in program history – a 48.81 performance that Johnson and Rioux initially set at the Dan Caprioglio Early Bird Invitational.
Senior Cameron Harris captured a first-place finish in the 110-meter hurdles, as he posted a wind-aided 13.72 to win the 37-hurdler event with the fastest all-condition time of his career. Harris was one of two Falcons to finish in the top 15 of that race, as junior Philip Hundl added a wind-aided 14.57 to place 15th.
Elsewhere, freshman Nathalia Veal earned the outright No. 23 spot on the program's all-time pole vault standings after recording a career-best clearance of 11'4¼", while classmate Texas Tanner debuted at No. 25 on the Academy's discus standings (165'0") after claiming a top-15 finish in the shot put (55'5", 13th). Jaret Prete set a new Air Force Senior Class Record in the hammer throw after unleashing a season-best 204'10" – a mark just two inches off his PR – to finish eighth out of 39 throwers.
Although the Pacific Coast Intercollegiate has concluded, the Falcons return to Jack Rose Stadium tomorrow (April 14) for the first day of the Beach Invitational. In addition, Air Force will also have athletes at the Bryan Clay Invitational, which started today at Azusa Pacific.
ACADEMY RECORDS
Katie Thompson, Long Jump (19'1½")
Thompson recorded her record-setting jump on her opening attempt, as she leapt to an outdoor-best distance of 19'1½" to become the first 19-foot outdoor jumper in Academy history. The junior, who finished seventh in a field of that included 62 athletes, added nearly two inches to the previous standard that LaTravia Robinson had held since 2002. Her distance also improved the program's Junior Class Record by five inches, giving Thompson all three Air Force Class Records to date.
AIR FORCE TOP-10 MARKS
No. 3 – Hayden Bullock, Shot Put (59'5½")
No. 6 – Jalan Rivers, High Jump (6'11")
No. 7 – Taylor Rioux, 400-Meter Dash (55.87)
Senior Hayden Bullock had a huge day from the throwing circle, highlighted by the third-farthest shot put throw in Academy history. Recording a throw of 59'5½" on his second attempt, Bullock added more than three feet to his previous best to finish fifth out of 50 throwers. The senior also recorded a season-best distance of 179'4" – a mark just shy of his PR – to finish 11th out of 45 throwers in the discus throw.
A pair of sophomores debuted on the Academy's Top 10 on Thursday, as Jalan Rivers and Taylor Rioux had career outings in their respective events. Rivers recorded a personal-best clearance of 6'11" to finish second out of 34 athletes in the high jump, while Rioux clocked the fastest 400-meter time in six years – and the seventh-fastest time in program history – during a fourth-place finish in her 49-runner event.
Junior Jackson Connelly matched the 11th-fastest 200-meter time in program history, as he clocked a time of 21.31 to finish fifth in a race that featured more than 60 runners. Connelly paced the Falcons to a pair of top 10 finishes – and three top 15 marks, as senior Zac Larrier finished seventh with a wind-aided 21.32 and sophomore Javin Bostic added a wind-aided 21.56 to finish 13th.
Connelly, Larrier and Bostic also helped the men impact the program's 4x100-meter standings, while Thompson and Rioux did the same in the women's race. Senior Jacob Trach joined the men's trio to post a winning time of 40.78 – the 16th-fastest time in program history, while freshmen Ashley Johnson and Jacqui Spencer completed a women's relay that equaled the 17th-fastest time in program history – a 48.81 performance that Johnson and Rioux initially set at the Dan Caprioglio Early Bird Invitational.
Senior Cameron Harris captured a first-place finish in the 110-meter hurdles, as he posted a wind-aided 13.72 to win the 37-hurdler event with the fastest all-condition time of his career. Harris was one of two Falcons to finish in the top 15 of that race, as junior Philip Hundl added a wind-aided 14.57 to place 15th.
Elsewhere, freshman Nathalia Veal earned the outright No. 23 spot on the program's all-time pole vault standings after recording a career-best clearance of 11'4¼", while classmate Texas Tanner debuted at No. 25 on the Academy's discus standings (165'0") after claiming a top-15 finish in the shot put (55'5", 13th). Jaret Prete set a new Air Force Senior Class Record in the hammer throw after unleashing a season-best 204'10" – a mark just two inches off his PR – to finish eighth out of 39 throwers.
Although the Pacific Coast Intercollegiate has concluded, the Falcons return to Jack Rose Stadium tomorrow (April 14) for the first day of the Beach Invitational. In addition, Air Force will also have athletes at the Bryan Clay Invitational, which started today at Azusa Pacific.
Players Mentioned
Sprints
/ Track and Field
Throws
/ Track and Field
Sprints
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Hurdles
/ Track and Field
Hurdles, High Jump
/ Track and Field
Sprints
/ Track and Field
Sprints
/ Track and Field
Throws
/ Track and Field
Sprints
/ Track and Field
High Jump
/ Track and FieldHurdles
/ Track and FieldThrows
/ Track and Field
Long Jump, Hurdles
/ Track and Field
Sprints
/ Track and Field
Pole Vault
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