Air Force Advances Three to Texas for NCAA Championships

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Three members of the Air Force men's track and field team – junior Eli Bennett, senior Sam Gilman, senior Cameron Harris – advanced to the final site of the NCAA Outdoor Championships following strong performances at the West Preliminary this evening (May 26) in Sacramento.

The Falcons advanced two into the finals of the 5000-meter run, as Gilman and Bennett both earned automatic berths into the championship field after placing within the top-five of their 24-runner heat. Gilman, who will make his fourth-straight appearance at the NCAA Track and Field Championships, bided his time within the main pack before moving into the top three during the final laps to secure his return to the national final with a 13:36.31 finish. Bennett used his trademark kick to secure his first NCAA appearance, as he blazed a 58.1 final lap to break out of the pack and capture the last auto spot. Crossing the finish line in a career-best time of 13:39.50, Bennett improved his own No. 4 standing on the Academy's all-time Top 10. At the conclusion of the two qualifying heats, Gilman finished ninth in the full 48-runner field, while Bennett placed 11th – a finish 11 spots higher than his entry seed.

Earlier in the evening, Harris earned his first trip to the final NCAA site by qualifying on time in the regional final of the 110-meter hurdles. Picking up a finish of 13.65, Harris was the final time qualifier after finishing fourth in his heat and 10th in the overall field. Harris, who battled to the end to claim the final spot by just 0.01 seconds, will be the first Air Force hurdler to advance to the final NCAA site since 2017.

AIR FORCE TOP 10 MARKS
No. 4 – Eli Bennett, 5000-Meter Run (13:39.50)
No. 8 – Jason Renze, 3000-Meter Steeplechase (8:53.52)
No. 9 – Scott Maison, 5000-Meter Run (13:49.06)

Bennett wasn't the only Falcon to impact the Academy's all-time standings in the 5000-meter run on Friday, as senior Scott Maison posted a career-best time of 13:49.06 to debut in ninth on the program's Top 10. Taking more than five seconds off his previous personal best, Maison finished 22nd in the regional final – a placement that was 24 spots higher than his entry seed.

Sophomore Jason Renze capped his first season of the steeplechase by improving his own No. 8 mark on the Academy's all-time standings. Crossing the finish line in a career-best time of 8:53.52, Renze finished 33rd in the West final – 10 spots above his entry seed.

Elsewhere at Hornet Stadium, junior Sean Maison finished 19th in the regional final of the 1500-meter run with a time of 3:51.20, while senior Ethan Marshall had a 14:33.61 finish for 5000 meters (45th) and Darek Hackett's stellar sophomore season came to an untimely end when he suffered a hard fall on the last barrier of the 400-meter hurdles. From the field, senior Hayden Bullock finished 23rd in the discus with a throw of 181'5" and sophomore Jalan Rivers tied for 26th in the high jump with a height of 6'10¼".

Air Force closes out its run at the NCAA West Preliminary tomorrow (May 26) when junior Rachel Crytser competes in the 3000-meter steeplechase at 5:40 p.m. (PT).

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