Photo by: Grace Bradley, NCAA Photos
Falcons Earn 20 Bids to NCAA Championships
5/18/2023 12:07:00 PM | Track and Field
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – The Air Force track and field team earned 20 bids into the West Preliminary of the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, the national office announced today (May 18) with the release of its official NCAA qualifiers. The Falcons, who qualified athletes in 16 different events, will travel to Sacramento, Calif., next week (May 24-27) for the opening round of the national meet.
Based on their ranking as one of the West's top 48 accepted athletes in each event, a total of 16 men and three women will compete in the NCAA West Prelim at Hornet Stadium on the Sacramento State campus.
Air Force's 20 bids are tied for the program's most since 2017 – and fourth-most in program history.
The men qualified multiple athletes in two events, including the 5000-meter run (senior Sam Gilman, junior Eli Bennett, senior Ethan Marshall, senior Scott Maison) and 400-meter hurdles (sophomore Darek Hackett, sophomore Cameron Breier), with Gilman holding the Falcons' highest West ranking at No. 7. Air Force will also be represented in both the men's and women's 3000-meter steeplechase (sophomore Jason Renze, junior Rachel Crytser) and the 5000-meter run, as sophomore Halle Hamilton earned a spot in the women's lineup to compliment the men's quartet of qualifiers.
The Falcons qualified athletes in all four throwing events, with senior Hayden Bullock earning West Prelim spots in both the shot put and discus throw (top 15 ranking). Senior Jaret Prete and sophomore Joe Nizich complete Air Force's list of athletes in the throwing events, as they qualified in the hammer and javelin, respectively. Sophomore Jalan Rivers (high jump – top 15) and junior Caiden Macktinger (pole vault) qualified in the vertical jumps, while sophomore Javin Bostic (100-meter dash), junior Ava Gilliana (800-meter run), junior Sean Maison (1500-meter run – top 15), senior Ryan Johnson (10,000-meter run – top 15) and senior Cameron Harris (110-meter hurdles – top 15) round out Air Force's list of West qualifiers.
The four-day West Preliminary will run simultaneously with the East Preliminary in Jacksonville, Florida. The top 12 athletes in each event from both sites, as well as the nation's top 24 declared athletes in the combined events (decathlon, heptathlon) will advance to the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, which will be held at Mike A Myers Stadium in Austin, Texas, on June 7-10.
Based on their ranking as one of the West's top 48 accepted athletes in each event, a total of 16 men and three women will compete in the NCAA West Prelim at Hornet Stadium on the Sacramento State campus.
Air Force's 20 bids are tied for the program's most since 2017 – and fourth-most in program history.
The men qualified multiple athletes in two events, including the 5000-meter run (senior Sam Gilman, junior Eli Bennett, senior Ethan Marshall, senior Scott Maison) and 400-meter hurdles (sophomore Darek Hackett, sophomore Cameron Breier), with Gilman holding the Falcons' highest West ranking at No. 7. Air Force will also be represented in both the men's and women's 3000-meter steeplechase (sophomore Jason Renze, junior Rachel Crytser) and the 5000-meter run, as sophomore Halle Hamilton earned a spot in the women's lineup to compliment the men's quartet of qualifiers.
The Falcons qualified athletes in all four throwing events, with senior Hayden Bullock earning West Prelim spots in both the shot put and discus throw (top 15 ranking). Senior Jaret Prete and sophomore Joe Nizich complete Air Force's list of athletes in the throwing events, as they qualified in the hammer and javelin, respectively. Sophomore Jalan Rivers (high jump – top 15) and junior Caiden Macktinger (pole vault) qualified in the vertical jumps, while sophomore Javin Bostic (100-meter dash), junior Ava Gilliana (800-meter run), junior Sean Maison (1500-meter run – top 15), senior Ryan Johnson (10,000-meter run – top 15) and senior Cameron Harris (110-meter hurdles – top 15) round out Air Force's list of West qualifiers.
The four-day West Preliminary will run simultaneously with the East Preliminary in Jacksonville, Florida. The top 12 athletes in each event from both sites, as well as the nation's top 24 declared athletes in the combined events (decathlon, heptathlon) will advance to the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, which will be held at Mike A Myers Stadium in Austin, Texas, on June 7-10.
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