Friday, April 12
Azusa, CA
8:00 am MT
Air Force Academy
at
Bryan Clay Invitational
Photo by: Ginnie Coleman
Halle Hamilton Headlines Day Two at Bryan Clay Invitational
4/13/2024 12:33:00 AM | Track and Field
AZUSA, Calif. -- Air Force junior Halle Hamilton became just the third Falcon to run sub-16 for 5000 meters on Friday (April 12) night, as she headlined the second day of action for the track and field team at the Bryan Clay Invitational in Azusa. Hamilton was one of four Falcons to impact the Air Force Top 10 at Cougar Stadium on Friday – and one of nine to account for a top-25 placement.
Hamilton, competing in the Invitational section of the 5000-meter run, crossed the finish line in a time of 15:54.47 to finish third in the field of 25 and join Jaci Smith and Mahala Norris as the only sub-16 runners in Academy history. With her time – a personal improvement of 16 seconds, Hamilton lowered her own No. 3 standing on the Academy's all-time list.
Earlier in the evening, during the Open sections of the 5000-meter run, junior Ally Peterson registered the ninth-fastest time in Academy history, while freshman Ella Johnson knocked 16 seconds off her PR to move up to No. 11 on the all-time list. Peterson registered a time of 16:25.70 – a personal improvement of six seconds – to finish 10th in her section, while Johnson claimed the same placement in her section following a 16:42.43 finish.
On the men's side, sophomore Zach Ayers debuted at No. 13 in the Academy Record after clocking a career-best time of 13:54.61 to win his section of the Open races, while senior Eli Bennett closed the night with a season-opening time of 13:52.73 to finish 14th in his Invitational section.
Freshman Liliane Aittama led a trio of Falcons in the 800-meter run, debuting at No. 5 on the program's all-time standings following a career-best time of 2:07.56 in the Invitational section. Aittama, who also reset the Freshman Class Record she set during the indoor season, was one of two first-year Falcons to impact the program's all-time standings, as Rachel Fereday moved up to No. 19 following a 2:14.54 finish in the open section. Back in the Invitational section, senior Ava Gilliana clocked in at 2:07.80 – a time just shy of her career best, which is the fourth-fastest time in program history.
A trio of Falcons concluded two days of competition in the multi-events at the Bryan Clay Invitational – with all three impacting the Academy's all-time standings in the process.
Senior Brian Hubbard improved his career total in the decathlon by nearly 200 points to finish the 10-event competition with 6845 points – a tally that places him No. 10 on the Academy's all-time standings. Hubbard tallied runner-up scores in the 110-meter hurdles (15.10, 837) and pole vault (career-best 4.40 meters, 14'5¼", 731), while recording a personal-best 34.09-meter (114'9", 563) throw in the discus, a 44.23-meter (145'1", 504) distance in the javelin and a 4:55.66 (585) finish in the 1500-meter run.
Recording 6419 points in his first collegiate decathlon, freshman Wyatt Curl debuted at No. 22 on the Academy's all-time standings. Curl recorded the second-highest pole vault clearance of his section (4.55m, 14'11") for 775 points, while also surpassing the 700-point total in the 110-meter hurdles (16.05, 727) and 1500-meter run (4:35.82, 707). Curl rounded out his decathlon with event debuts in the discus (28.29m, 79'8", 353) and javelin (40.12m, 131'7", 446) throws.
On the women's side, freshman Kayla Beach finished her first heptathlon with 4199 points – debuting at No. 11 on the Academy's all-time standings and becoming just the second Falcon in eight years to surpass 4000 points. Contributing to today's total was a 623-point, 5.23-meter (17'2") leap in the long jump, a career-best 28.51-meter (93'6", 448) distance in the javelin, and a 615-point debut of 2:36.540 in the 800-meter run.
The Falcons return to Azusa Pacific tomorrow (April 13) afternoon for the final day of competition at the Bryan Clay Invitational. Air Force will compete in the hurdles and triple jump, beginning at 1:00 p.m. (PT), before closing out the night with the 1500-meter showcase.
Hamilton, competing in the Invitational section of the 5000-meter run, crossed the finish line in a time of 15:54.47 to finish third in the field of 25 and join Jaci Smith and Mahala Norris as the only sub-16 runners in Academy history. With her time – a personal improvement of 16 seconds, Hamilton lowered her own No. 3 standing on the Academy's all-time list.
| AIR FORCE TOP 10 MARKS |
| No. 3 – Halle Hamilton, Women's 5000-Meter Run (15:54.47) |
| No. 5 – Liliane Aittama, Women's 800-Meter Run (2:07.56) |
| No. 9 – Ally Peterson, Women's 5000-Meter Run (16:25.70) |
| No. 10 – Brian Hubbard, Decathlon (6845 points) |
Earlier in the evening, during the Open sections of the 5000-meter run, junior Ally Peterson registered the ninth-fastest time in Academy history, while freshman Ella Johnson knocked 16 seconds off her PR to move up to No. 11 on the all-time list. Peterson registered a time of 16:25.70 – a personal improvement of six seconds – to finish 10th in her section, while Johnson claimed the same placement in her section following a 16:42.43 finish.
On the men's side, sophomore Zach Ayers debuted at No. 13 in the Academy Record after clocking a career-best time of 13:54.61 to win his section of the Open races, while senior Eli Bennett closed the night with a season-opening time of 13:52.73 to finish 14th in his Invitational section.
Freshman Liliane Aittama led a trio of Falcons in the 800-meter run, debuting at No. 5 on the program's all-time standings following a career-best time of 2:07.56 in the Invitational section. Aittama, who also reset the Freshman Class Record she set during the indoor season, was one of two first-year Falcons to impact the program's all-time standings, as Rachel Fereday moved up to No. 19 following a 2:14.54 finish in the open section. Back in the Invitational section, senior Ava Gilliana clocked in at 2:07.80 – a time just shy of her career best, which is the fourth-fastest time in program history.
A trio of Falcons concluded two days of competition in the multi-events at the Bryan Clay Invitational – with all three impacting the Academy's all-time standings in the process.
Senior Brian Hubbard improved his career total in the decathlon by nearly 200 points to finish the 10-event competition with 6845 points – a tally that places him No. 10 on the Academy's all-time standings. Hubbard tallied runner-up scores in the 110-meter hurdles (15.10, 837) and pole vault (career-best 4.40 meters, 14'5¼", 731), while recording a personal-best 34.09-meter (114'9", 563) throw in the discus, a 44.23-meter (145'1", 504) distance in the javelin and a 4:55.66 (585) finish in the 1500-meter run.
Recording 6419 points in his first collegiate decathlon, freshman Wyatt Curl debuted at No. 22 on the Academy's all-time standings. Curl recorded the second-highest pole vault clearance of his section (4.55m, 14'11") for 775 points, while also surpassing the 700-point total in the 110-meter hurdles (16.05, 727) and 1500-meter run (4:35.82, 707). Curl rounded out his decathlon with event debuts in the discus (28.29m, 79'8", 353) and javelin (40.12m, 131'7", 446) throws.
On the women's side, freshman Kayla Beach finished her first heptathlon with 4199 points – debuting at No. 11 on the Academy's all-time standings and becoming just the second Falcon in eight years to surpass 4000 points. Contributing to today's total was a 623-point, 5.23-meter (17'2") leap in the long jump, a career-best 28.51-meter (93'6", 448) distance in the javelin, and a 615-point debut of 2:36.540 in the 800-meter run.
The Falcons return to Azusa Pacific tomorrow (April 13) afternoon for the final day of competition at the Bryan Clay Invitational. Air Force will compete in the hurdles and triple jump, beginning at 1:00 p.m. (PT), before closing out the night with the 1500-meter showcase.
Players Mentioned
Distance
/ Track and Field
Distance
/ Track and Field
Heptathlon
/ Track and Field
Distance
/ Track and Field
Decathlon
/ Track and Field
Sprints
/ Track and Field
Distance
/ Track and Field
Distance
/ Track and Field
Decathlon
/ Track and Field
Distance
/ Track and Field
Distance
/ 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
