Thursday, April 25
Des Moines, IA
3:30 pm MT
Air Force Academy
at
Drake Relays
Photo by: Chris Floyd
Falcons Split for Drake Relays, Doug Max Invitational
4/23/2024 12:37:00 PM | Track and Field
The Air Force track and field team is back in action this week, as it splits for a pair of meets. A portion of the team will head to Des Moines, Iowa, for the 114th running of the prestigious Drake Relays on April 25-27, while the rest will stay in Colorado for the Doug Max Invitational in Fort Collins on April 27.
DRAKE RELAYS INFORMATION
The Drake Relays, presented by Xtream and powered by Mediacom, will take place at Drake Stadium in Des Moines, Iowa. The meet, which is in its 114th year, will officially kick off for Air Force at the Distance Carnival on Thursday, April 25, and continue through Saturday, April 27. Live results and a complete schedule of events are located on the Drake Relays' website, while the meet will be broadcast live on Runnerspace.com and USATF.tv (links are available on the Falcons' schedule).
HISTORY 101
Since 1963, Air Force has captured 19 championships at the Drake Relays, highlighted by a program-record three titles last spring (men's 4x1600-meter relay, men's distance medley relay, men's high jump). Backed by an Academy-best runner-up finish in the Relay Cup standings last spring, the men have placed within the top four during four of the last seven meets. Air Force coaching legend Ralph Lindeman was inducted into the Drake Relays' Coaches Hall of Fame in 2024, while former Falcon Dana (Pounds) Lyon was also selected to the Relays' Athlete Hall of Fame that year.
DRAKE RELAYS CHAMPIONS
Men's 4x110-Meter Shuttle Hurdles Relay – 1963, 1975, 1976
Bob Lamber, Men's High Jump -- 1964
David Dick, Men's 110-Meter Hurdles -- 1965
Gail Conway, Women's 800-Meter Run – 1984
Dana Pounds, Women's Javelin Throw – 2004, 2005, 2006
Men's Distance Medley Relay – 2016, 2023
Dylan Bell, Men's Pole Vault – 2016
Men's 4x200-Meter Relay – 2016, 2017
Jaci Smith, Women's 5000-Meter Run – 2017
Men's 4x1600-Meter Relay – 2018, 2023
Men's Sprint Medley Relay -- 2019
Jalan Rivers, Men's High Jump -- 2023
CONGRATULATIONS, MR MURPHY!
Air Force alumni Jim Murphy (Class of 1966) – the 1964 NCAA Outdoor champion in the 5000-meter run and a longtime track and field official – will be recognized this weekend during this weekend's competition for Five Years of Service to the Drake Relays.
DOUG MAX INVITATIONAL INFORMATION
The Doug Max Invitational will be held at Jack Christiansen Track in Fort Collins on April 27. Admission is free, while live results are scheduled to be provided (a link will be posted to the Falcons' schedule page).
AIR FORCE IN THE NATIONAL RANKINGS
Headlined by a Top 10 rankings from Texas Tanner (No. 9 in the hammer throw, 237'5"), three Falcons are listed among the NCAA's top 25 in the latest TFRRS rankings (April 22). Darek Hackett is ranked No. 14 in the 400-meter hurdles with a time of 50.26, while Luke Combs is listed 25th in the 10,000-meter run following a 28:24.84 finish.
#SQUADGOALS
Two event groups are ranked among the nation's Top 10 in the April 23 edition of the USTFCCCA #EventSquad rankings – a list which is determined by the cumulative season-best marks from a team's top-four athletes in the national descending order list. With the addition of its fourth thrower, the men's hammer squad lineup of Texas Tanner, Gerrit Tamminga, Cooper Stroka and Massimo Grisotto debuted at No. 6 with a combined distance of 246 meters, while the men's 400-meter hurdles quartet of Darek Hackett, Cameron Breier, Ryan Hajek and Ben Sklodowski moved up to No. 8 with a combined time of 3:32.15.
WINNER, WINNER
04-19-24 | Air Force swept the 400-meter titles at the Kit Mayer Classic on April 19, as James Warmbrod IV won the men's race in 47.65 and Taylor Rioux dominated the women's race by more than one second. Clocking a time of 55.42, Rioux led the women to a 1-2 sweep of the race, as Kori Leverenz added a runner-up time of 56.64 – a time that bettered the third-place finisher by another one-second margin (57.87).
GOING INSIDE DURING OUTDOOR SEASON
04-19-24 | Due to the cold and snowy conditions at the Kit Mayer Classic, the pole vault was moved indoors to Steinhauer Fieldhouse – but that didn't faze Kasarah Hernandez. The senior recorded a lifetime-best clearance of 12'6¼" to match the 11th-best height ever cleared indoors by a Falcon vaulter.
COMING UP
The Falcons return to the Academy next Friday (May 3) to host the Air Force Twilight Open at the Cadet Outdoor Track Complex.
DRAKE RELAYS INFORMATION
The Drake Relays, presented by Xtream and powered by Mediacom, will take place at Drake Stadium in Des Moines, Iowa. The meet, which is in its 114th year, will officially kick off for Air Force at the Distance Carnival on Thursday, April 25, and continue through Saturday, April 27. Live results and a complete schedule of events are located on the Drake Relays' website, while the meet will be broadcast live on Runnerspace.com and USATF.tv (links are available on the Falcons' schedule).
HISTORY 101
Since 1963, Air Force has captured 19 championships at the Drake Relays, highlighted by a program-record three titles last spring (men's 4x1600-meter relay, men's distance medley relay, men's high jump). Backed by an Academy-best runner-up finish in the Relay Cup standings last spring, the men have placed within the top four during four of the last seven meets. Air Force coaching legend Ralph Lindeman was inducted into the Drake Relays' Coaches Hall of Fame in 2024, while former Falcon Dana (Pounds) Lyon was also selected to the Relays' Athlete Hall of Fame that year.
DRAKE RELAYS CHAMPIONS
Men's 4x110-Meter Shuttle Hurdles Relay – 1963, 1975, 1976
Bob Lamber, Men's High Jump -- 1964
David Dick, Men's 110-Meter Hurdles -- 1965
Gail Conway, Women's 800-Meter Run – 1984
Dana Pounds, Women's Javelin Throw – 2004, 2005, 2006
Men's Distance Medley Relay – 2016, 2023
Dylan Bell, Men's Pole Vault – 2016
Men's 4x200-Meter Relay – 2016, 2017
Jaci Smith, Women's 5000-Meter Run – 2017
Men's 4x1600-Meter Relay – 2018, 2023
Men's Sprint Medley Relay -- 2019
Jalan Rivers, Men's High Jump -- 2023
CONGRATULATIONS, MR MURPHY!
Air Force alumni Jim Murphy (Class of 1966) – the 1964 NCAA Outdoor champion in the 5000-meter run and a longtime track and field official – will be recognized this weekend during this weekend's competition for Five Years of Service to the Drake Relays.
DOUG MAX INVITATIONAL INFORMATION
The Doug Max Invitational will be held at Jack Christiansen Track in Fort Collins on April 27. Admission is free, while live results are scheduled to be provided (a link will be posted to the Falcons' schedule page).
AIR FORCE IN THE NATIONAL RANKINGS
Headlined by a Top 10 rankings from Texas Tanner (No. 9 in the hammer throw, 237'5"), three Falcons are listed among the NCAA's top 25 in the latest TFRRS rankings (April 22). Darek Hackett is ranked No. 14 in the 400-meter hurdles with a time of 50.26, while Luke Combs is listed 25th in the 10,000-meter run following a 28:24.84 finish.
#SQUADGOALS
Two event groups are ranked among the nation's Top 10 in the April 23 edition of the USTFCCCA #EventSquad rankings – a list which is determined by the cumulative season-best marks from a team's top-four athletes in the national descending order list. With the addition of its fourth thrower, the men's hammer squad lineup of Texas Tanner, Gerrit Tamminga, Cooper Stroka and Massimo Grisotto debuted at No. 6 with a combined distance of 246 meters, while the men's 400-meter hurdles quartet of Darek Hackett, Cameron Breier, Ryan Hajek and Ben Sklodowski moved up to No. 8 with a combined time of 3:32.15.
WINNER, WINNER
04-19-24 | Air Force swept the 400-meter titles at the Kit Mayer Classic on April 19, as James Warmbrod IV won the men's race in 47.65 and Taylor Rioux dominated the women's race by more than one second. Clocking a time of 55.42, Rioux led the women to a 1-2 sweep of the race, as Kori Leverenz added a runner-up time of 56.64 – a time that bettered the third-place finisher by another one-second margin (57.87).
GOING INSIDE DURING OUTDOOR SEASON
04-19-24 | Due to the cold and snowy conditions at the Kit Mayer Classic, the pole vault was moved indoors to Steinhauer Fieldhouse – but that didn't faze Kasarah Hernandez. The senior recorded a lifetime-best clearance of 12'6¼" to match the 11th-best height ever cleared indoors by a Falcon vaulter.
COMING UP
The Falcons return to the Academy next Friday (May 3) to host the Air Force Twilight Open at the Cadet Outdoor Track Complex.
Players Mentioned
400m Hurdles
/ Track and Field
Distance
/ Track and Field
Throws
/ Track and Field
Hurdles
/ Track and Field
Sprints
/ Track and Field
Pole Vault
/ Track and Field
Sprints
/ Track and Field
Sprints
/ Track and Field
High Jump
/ Track and Field
Hurdles
/ Track and Field
Throws
/ Track and Field
Throws
/ Track and Field
Throws
/ Track and Field
Sprints
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