Texas Tanner Resets Mountain West Hammer Throw Record

PUEBLO, Colo. -- The first day of Air Force's outdoor track and field season boasted the same result as so many indoor meets this year – an Air Force Record from Texas Tanner – as the junior, part of a small contingent to travel to Pueblo for the opening day of the Dr. Dan Caprioglio Early Bird Invitational, crushed his own program and conference record in the hammer throw on Friday, March 21.

Tanner unleashed a throw of 240'10¾" (73.43m) to win the 42-thrower event by nearly 39 feet – and add more than three feet to the Air Force, Mountain West and Service Academy records he set las spring. In addition to rewriting the record book at a localized level, Tanner's throw is the second-best distance in the NCAA this year.

AIR FORCE RECORD

Texas Tanner, Men's Hammer Throw (73.43, 240'10¾")

Tanner paced Air Force to a 1-2 finish in the 42-thrower field, as he and senior Cooper Stroka were the only two throwers to surpass the 200-foot mark in the competition. Stroka opened his final outdoor season with a runner-up throw of 201'7 ½" (61.46 meters) – a throw that was nearly 20 feet ahead of the third-place finisher. Sophomore Arden Jenkins added a top-20 finish (16th) in his hammer throw debut (45.05m, 147'9½"), while junior Massimo Grisotto placed within the top half of the field (21st) behind a throw of 43.63 meters (143'1½").

The Air Force Record Book also received an update to the women's hammer throw standings on Friday, as sophomore Paige Birch debuted in the Top 10 following a career-best throw of 51.78 meters (169'10½"). Entering the season at No. 11, Birch added more than five feet to her previous best to move up to No. 8 all-time at Air Force and finish sixth in the 34-thrower event.

AIR FORCE TOP 10 MARKS

No. 8 – Paige Birch, Women's Hammer Throw (51.78m, 169'10½")

Elsewhere around the ThunderBowl, sophomore Jonah Meyer recorded a season-opening throw of 54.84 meters (179'11") to finish seventh out of 28 athletes in the javelin, while the freshmen duo of Zachary Hall and Ella Pears notched fifth-place finishes in their respective triple jump debuts. Hall opened his outdoor campaign with a 13.83-meter (45'4¼") leap in the men's event, while Pears debuted with a wind-aided distance of 11.15 meters (36'6¾") in the women's competition.

The rest of the Falcons head to Pueblo tomorrow (March 22) for a full day of action at the Dr. Dan Caprioglio Early Bird Invitational. Action begins with the women's 10K at 8:30 a.m., while field events get underway at 10:00 a.m. (MT).

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