Friday, March 29
Austin, TX
8:00 am MT
Air Force Academy
at
Clyde LIttlefield Texas Relays
Photo by: Grace Bradley, NCAA Photos
Darek Hackett, Taylor Rioux Set Air Force Records in Texas
3/29/2024 9:40:00 PM | Track and Field
AUSTIN, Texas - Academy Record performances from juniors Darek Hackett and Taylor Rioux headlined the third day of action in the Lone Star State for the track and field team today (March 29), as they continued competition at the Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays and Bobcat Invitational.
Finishing the 400-meter hurdles in a career-best time of 50.26 at the Texas Relays, Hackett took 0.13 seconds off an Academy Record that Tom Clark had held since 2003 – and became the fastest intermediate hurdler in the history of the three service academies (a mark Clark had also held). Hackett, who finished second in today's final, also knocked more than a full second off the program's 11-year-old Junior Class Record and now holds the program's fastest times for a freshman, sophomore and junior.
Rioux reset the Academy's 200-meter standard for the second time in less than a week, as she raced to a career-best time of 24.04 to finish 18th out of 64 runners in the final of the Bobcat Invitational. Rioux, who broke the program's previous 19-year-old record during last week's opener, deleted another 0.09 seconds during today's race – a time that also bettered her own Junior Class Record.
CLYDE LITTLEFIELD TEXAS RELAYS
In addition to his record-setting run in the intermediate hurdles, Hackett also helped the Falcons to a 1-2 finish in the high hurdles earlier in the day. Running under some of the windiest conditions of the day (+4.2 m/s), senior Philip Hundl clocked an all-condition best time of 13.95 to win the 46-runner timed final, while Hackett was close behind and took second with his own all-condition best of 14.01.
Rioux put in work at both meets on Friday, as she opened the day in her hometown of Austin for a pair of relays. The junior led freshman Kori Leverenz, freshman Allison Fernstrom and senior Ava Gilliana for the fifth-fastest 4x100-meter relay in Air Force history during the prelim round, as they clocked in at 3:44.99. That finish came two hours after Rioux and Leverenz joined freshman Brooke Coleman and senior Katie Thompson for a 47.35 finish in the 4x100-meter relay – a time that is the second-fastest in program history, only trailing the Academy Record they hold from last week.
The men also impacted the program's all-time standings in a relay, as the quartet of sophomore Jettason Rose, senior Jackson Connelly, freshman Jace Martin, and junior Javin Bostic debuted at No. 19 in the Academy Record Book with a 40.93 finish in the 4x100-meter race.
In the only field event for Air Force at Mike A Myers Stadium on Friday, senior Gerrit Tamminga recorded a season-best distance of 52.02 meters (170'8") to finish within the top-half of the discus throw (sixth).
BOBCAT INVITATIONAL
In addition to Rioux's record-setting performance, the Falcons made two more impacts to the Academy's all-time standings at the Bobcat Invitational on Friday – including on more Top 10 mark, as senior Brandon Lindner recorded a career-best long jump of 7.28 meters (23'10¾") to tie Chris Banks (2003) for the seventh-best distance in program history.
Freshman Paige Birch used a career-best distance of 45.26 meters (148'6") in the hammer throw to debut at No. 21 on the program's all-time standings during the morning's first event, while sophomore Jettason Rose closed out the evening competition by finishing 13th in a 64-sprinter final – using a 21.06 finish that is just 0.04 off his PR and the eighth-fastest time in Academy history.
The day isn't over just yet for Air Force, as many of its distance runners are racing later this evening at the Mike Fanelli Track Classic and Stanford Invitational in California. The Texas contingent will close out the weekend tomorrow (March 30) with the final day of competition at both the Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays and Bobcat Invitational.
Finishing the 400-meter hurdles in a career-best time of 50.26 at the Texas Relays, Hackett took 0.13 seconds off an Academy Record that Tom Clark had held since 2003 – and became the fastest intermediate hurdler in the history of the three service academies (a mark Clark had also held). Hackett, who finished second in today's final, also knocked more than a full second off the program's 11-year-old Junior Class Record and now holds the program's fastest times for a freshman, sophomore and junior.
Rioux reset the Academy's 200-meter standard for the second time in less than a week, as she raced to a career-best time of 24.04 to finish 18th out of 64 runners in the final of the Bobcat Invitational. Rioux, who broke the program's previous 19-year-old record during last week's opener, deleted another 0.09 seconds during today's race – a time that also bettered her own Junior Class Record.
| ACADEMY RECORDS |
| Darek Hackett, Men's 400-Meter Hurdles (50.26) |
| Taylor Rioux, Women's 200-Meter Dash (24.04) |
CLYDE LITTLEFIELD TEXAS RELAYS
In addition to his record-setting run in the intermediate hurdles, Hackett also helped the Falcons to a 1-2 finish in the high hurdles earlier in the day. Running under some of the windiest conditions of the day (+4.2 m/s), senior Philip Hundl clocked an all-condition best time of 13.95 to win the 46-runner timed final, while Hackett was close behind and took second with his own all-condition best of 14.01.
Rioux put in work at both meets on Friday, as she opened the day in her hometown of Austin for a pair of relays. The junior led freshman Kori Leverenz, freshman Allison Fernstrom and senior Ava Gilliana for the fifth-fastest 4x100-meter relay in Air Force history during the prelim round, as they clocked in at 3:44.99. That finish came two hours after Rioux and Leverenz joined freshman Brooke Coleman and senior Katie Thompson for a 47.35 finish in the 4x100-meter relay – a time that is the second-fastest in program history, only trailing the Academy Record they hold from last week.
The men also impacted the program's all-time standings in a relay, as the quartet of sophomore Jettason Rose, senior Jackson Connelly, freshman Jace Martin, and junior Javin Bostic debuted at No. 19 in the Academy Record Book with a 40.93 finish in the 4x100-meter race.
In the only field event for Air Force at Mike A Myers Stadium on Friday, senior Gerrit Tamminga recorded a season-best distance of 52.02 meters (170'8") to finish within the top-half of the discus throw (sixth).
| AIR FORCE TOP 10 MARKS |
| No. 5 – Women's 4x400-Meter Relay (3:44.99) |
| No. 7 – Brandon Lindner, Men's Long Jump (7.28m, 23'10¾") |
BOBCAT INVITATIONAL
In addition to Rioux's record-setting performance, the Falcons made two more impacts to the Academy's all-time standings at the Bobcat Invitational on Friday – including on more Top 10 mark, as senior Brandon Lindner recorded a career-best long jump of 7.28 meters (23'10¾") to tie Chris Banks (2003) for the seventh-best distance in program history.
Freshman Paige Birch used a career-best distance of 45.26 meters (148'6") in the hammer throw to debut at No. 21 on the program's all-time standings during the morning's first event, while sophomore Jettason Rose closed out the evening competition by finishing 13th in a 64-sprinter final – using a 21.06 finish that is just 0.04 off his PR and the eighth-fastest time in Academy history.
The day isn't over just yet for Air Force, as many of its distance runners are racing later this evening at the Mike Fanelli Track Classic and Stanford Invitational in California. The Texas contingent will close out the weekend tomorrow (March 30) with the final day of competition at both the Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays and Bobcat Invitational.
Players Mentioned
Throws
/ Track and Field
Sprints
/ Track and Field
Sprints
/ Track and Field
Sprints
/ Track and Field
Hurdles, Middle Distance
/ Track and Field
Distance
/ Track and Field
Hurdles
/ Track and Field
Hurdles, High Jump
/ Track and Field
Sprints
/ Track and Field
Long Jump, Triple Jump
/ Track and Field
Sprints
/ Track and Field
Sprints
/ Track and Field
Sprints
/ Track and Field
Throws
/ Track and Field
Long Jump, Hurdles
/ 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
