Friday, April 11
Azusa, CA
12:30 pm MT
Air Force Academy
at
Bryan Clay Multis
Photo by: Alysa Rubin/NCAA Photos
Kayla Beach, Brayden Richards Shine at Bryan Clay Multis
4/11/2025 11:52:00 PM | Track and Field
AZUSA Calif. – Standout performances from sophomore Kayla Beach and freshman Brayden Richards headlined the final day of competition for Air Force at the Bryan Clay Multis in Azusa. The pair combined for multiple updates to the Academy Record Book on Friday (April 11) night, highlighted by the second 19-foot long jump in program history and the best decathlon performance since 1996.
Richards shined in his first collegiate decathlon, amassing 7659 points to win the "A" section of the Bryan Clay Multis. The total, which added more than 500 points to the program's Freshman Class Record, is Air Force's best decathlon outing in 29 years – and the second-best in Academy history. Highlighting the final five events was an 812-point distance of 64.92 meters (213'0") in the javelin throw – a mark that bettered the field by nearly nine meters. With that throw, Richards not only crushed an Air Force Decathlon Sub-Event Record that Jeromy Williams (199'8") had held since 1992, but he debuted at No. 13 on the program's all-time standings. He also surpassed 800 points in the 110-meter hurdles (15.01, 848 points) and pole vault (4.70m, 15'5", 819 points), while adding 650 points in the discus throw (39.28m, 128'10") and closing the night with a 611-point debut of 4:51.26 for 1500 meters – a finish that secured him a four-point win in the overall decathlon.
The javelin was one of two Air Force Decathlon Sub-Event Records that Richards recorded this weekend, as the 13.54-meter (44'5¼") distance he posted in yesterday's shot put also reset a program standard – adding more than two feet to a mark Nick Herald had held since 2003.
Headlining another strong heptathlon outing from Beach was a 19-foot leap in the long jump. Recording a distance of 5.79 meters (19'0") on her first attempt, the sophomore moved up to No. 2 on the Academy's all-time standings, broke the Air Force Heptathlon Sub-Event Record she set two weeks ago, and added 786 points to her total. She added 398 points in the javelin throw (25.81 meters, 84'8") and 655 points in the 800-meter run (2:33.06) to finish the two-day event with 4712 points.
With today's finish, Beach – the current Air Force record holder at 4761 – has accounted for two of the three best heptathlon totals in Academy history – and two of the three that have surpassed 4700 points.
Freshman Sarah Reynolds tallied 4375 points to finish seventh in her section of the heptathlon. During the second day of action, the first-year Falcon recorded 592 points in the long jump (5.12 meters, 16'9¾"), 301 points in the javelin throw (20.63 meters, 67'8"), and 691 points in the 800-meter run (2:30.18).
The Falcons return to Azusa next week (April 17-19) for the Bryan Clay Invitational, but Air Force will wrap up this weekend tomorrow (April 12) at the Kit Mayer Classic in Golden, beginning at 10:00 a.m. (MT).
OKLAHOMA THROWS SERIES INVITATIONAL
Junior Texas Tanner competed in the hammer throw at the Oklahoma Throws Series Invitational on Friday, finishing with a toss of 73.11 meters (239'10") on his final attempt. Finishing third amongst collegiate competitors, and sixth overall, Tanner was less than a meter shy of his own 73.43 program record. Tanner will endt his time in Throws Town with the shot put tomorrow (April 13) at 9:00 a.m. (CT).
| AIR FORCE TOP 10 MARKS |
| No. 2 – Kayla Beach, Women's Long Jump (5.79m, 19'0") |
| No. 2 – Brayden Richards, Men's Decathlon (7659 points) |
Richards shined in his first collegiate decathlon, amassing 7659 points to win the "A" section of the Bryan Clay Multis. The total, which added more than 500 points to the program's Freshman Class Record, is Air Force's best decathlon outing in 29 years – and the second-best in Academy history. Highlighting the final five events was an 812-point distance of 64.92 meters (213'0") in the javelin throw – a mark that bettered the field by nearly nine meters. With that throw, Richards not only crushed an Air Force Decathlon Sub-Event Record that Jeromy Williams (199'8") had held since 1992, but he debuted at No. 13 on the program's all-time standings. He also surpassed 800 points in the 110-meter hurdles (15.01, 848 points) and pole vault (4.70m, 15'5", 819 points), while adding 650 points in the discus throw (39.28m, 128'10") and closing the night with a 611-point debut of 4:51.26 for 1500 meters – a finish that secured him a four-point win in the overall decathlon.
The javelin was one of two Air Force Decathlon Sub-Event Records that Richards recorded this weekend, as the 13.54-meter (44'5¼") distance he posted in yesterday's shot put also reset a program standard – adding more than two feet to a mark Nick Herald had held since 2003.
Headlining another strong heptathlon outing from Beach was a 19-foot leap in the long jump. Recording a distance of 5.79 meters (19'0") on her first attempt, the sophomore moved up to No. 2 on the Academy's all-time standings, broke the Air Force Heptathlon Sub-Event Record she set two weeks ago, and added 786 points to her total. She added 398 points in the javelin throw (25.81 meters, 84'8") and 655 points in the 800-meter run (2:33.06) to finish the two-day event with 4712 points.
With today's finish, Beach – the current Air Force record holder at 4761 – has accounted for two of the three best heptathlon totals in Academy history – and two of the three that have surpassed 4700 points.
Freshman Sarah Reynolds tallied 4375 points to finish seventh in her section of the heptathlon. During the second day of action, the first-year Falcon recorded 592 points in the long jump (5.12 meters, 16'9¾"), 301 points in the javelin throw (20.63 meters, 67'8"), and 691 points in the 800-meter run (2:30.18).
The Falcons return to Azusa next week (April 17-19) for the Bryan Clay Invitational, but Air Force will wrap up this weekend tomorrow (April 12) at the Kit Mayer Classic in Golden, beginning at 10:00 a.m. (MT).
OKLAHOMA THROWS SERIES INVITATIONAL
Junior Texas Tanner competed in the hammer throw at the Oklahoma Throws Series Invitational on Friday, finishing with a toss of 73.11 meters (239'10") on his final attempt. Finishing third amongst collegiate competitors, and sixth overall, Tanner was less than a meter shy of his own 73.43 program record. Tanner will endt his time in Throws Town with the shot put tomorrow (April 13) at 9:00 a.m. (CT).
Players Mentioned
Heptathlon
/ Track and Field
Heptathlon
/ Track and Field
Decathlon
/ Track and Field
Throws
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