Tiaree Towler, Jayden Nats Have Career Nights in Azusa

AZUSA, Calif. -- Junior Tiaree Towler and sophomore Jayden Nats updated the Air Force Record Book in the 10,000-meter run during overnight action at the Bryan Clay Invitational on April 11-12. The pair capped a long day of competition in Azusa that included the opening events of the decathlon and heptathlon.

AIR FORCE TOP 10 MARKS

No. 9 – Tiaree Towler, Women's 10,000-Meter Run (34:44.84)

Towler continued to improve her program standing in the 10,000-meter run, as she knocked nearly a minute off her previous best. Crossing the finish line in a time of 34:44.84, Towler finished sixth in the race and moved into No. 9 on the Academy's all-time standings.

Nats had a memorable 10,000-meter debut – competing in a race that encompassed two days and finished in the dark, as the stadium lights automatically turned off at midnight – more than 10 minutes before the race ended. Nats, who had been leading the chase pack prior to the lights going off, picked off three of the four leaders during the final laps to finish second in the 39-runner field. Crossing the finish line in a time of 29:22.79, Nats debuted at No. 13 on the program's all-time standings and took more than eight seconds off a Sophomore Class Record that Jeremy Drenckhahn had held since 2011.

Earlier in the evening, senior Rachel Crytser claimed a near wire-to-wire victory in her section of the 3000-meter steeplechase, finishing second in the field of 78 after crossing the finish line in a time of 10:22.28.

Senior Brian Hubbard and freshman Wyatt Curl opened decathlon competition at the meet named after 2008 Olympic champion and Azusa Pacific graduate, Bryan Clay. Hubbard currently sits sixth in his section with 3625 points – the best Day 1 total of his career, while Curl registered 3413 points for 13th in his section after five events.

Hubbard's best score of the day came in the opening event, as he tallied a career-best 100-meter time of 10.84 to start the day as the top point-earner in the sprint (897). He added distances of 21'7½" and 39'2½" in the long jump (718) and shot put (603), respectively, while clearing a career-best 6'0½" in the high jump (661) and collecting 746 points from a 51.52 finish in the 400-meter dash. Curl, who recorded a 740-point clearance of 6'4" to tie for the event lead in his outdoor high jump debut, also made his outdoor debut in the long jump (21'8", 720) and shot put (31'9½", 557), while clocking a time of 11.58 (736) in the 100-meter dash and a career-best 51.43 (750) in the 400-meter dash.

Freshman Kayla Beach, the Falcons' first heptathlete in four years, tallied 2513 points on Thursday to sit in 11th after four events. Bookending the day with her first wind-legal races in the 100-meter hurdles (15.82, 736) and 200-meter dash (26.70, 737), Beach made her outdoor debut in the high jump (4'10½", 610) and shot put (27'9½", 430).

Hubbard, Curl and Beach return to Cougar Stadium tomorrow (April 12) morning for their final day of competition in the multi-events, while the Falcons' 5000-meter runners head to the track for competition, beginning at 7:40 p.m. (PT). The rest of the team will be in Long Beach to begin the Beach Invitational.

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