Air Force Field Event’ers Open Action at Colorado Classic

BOULDER, Colo. – Backed by four improvements to the Air Force Record Book, the 'field' portion of the Falcons' track and field team kicked off competition at the Colorado Classic on Friday (Feb. 6) afternoon in Boulder. Air Force accounted for 14 top-10 finishes against their counterparts from across the Front Range, including an event title in the pole vault from freshman Julie Segroves and the top collegiate finish in the weight throw from senior Texas Tanner.

For the third time in as many trips to Colorado this season, Segroves earned a first-place finish in the pole vault. The freshman matched her career high of 3.95 meters (12'11½") – the sixth-best height in Air Force history – to win the 16-vaulter event and lead Air Force to three of the top five finishes. Junior Karli Neff recorded a career-best clearance of 3.80 meters (12'5½") to finish third in the meet and move up to No. 20 on the program's all-time standings, while sophomore Barrett Boyd placed fifth in the meet behind a height of 3.50 meters (11'5¾").

AIR FORCE TOP 10 MARKS

No. 6 – Julie Segroves, Women's Pole Vault (3.95m, 12'11½")

Bettering the 29-man collegiate field by more than one meter, Tanner finished second in the full 30-athlete weight throw competition behind a distance of 22.95 meters (75'3½'). Classmate Massimo Grisotto joined Tanner in the top 10 with a career-best throw of 18.00 meters (59'0¾") – a distance that moved him up to No. 17 on the Academy's all-time standings. Grisotto was one of two Air Force throwers to impact the Air Force Record Book on Friday, as freshman Mackenzie Fah tallied a career-best throw of 12.27 meters (40'3¼") in the shot put to finish 10th in the meet and debut at No. 23 on the program's all-time standings.

Freshmen Zoe Heizer and Chris Atunku accounted for third-place finishes in their respective high jump competitions, as Heizer cleared 1.61 meters (5'3¼") in the women's 14-jumper event and Atunku recorded a career-best 2.01-meter (6'7") leap to earn the same finish in a men's field that included 13 jumpers.

Elsewhere inside the Ford Indoor Practice Facility, the men claimed three of the top 10 placements in the shot put, as the sophomore trio of Mitchell Blakeslee (16.04m, 52'7½'), Trevin Jordan (14.89m, 48'10¼") and Evan Keefe (14.59m, 47'10½") combined for a 6-8-10 finish. Fellow sophomore Alese Banks added a fourth-place distance of 5.25 meters (17'2¾") in the long jump, while junior Paige Birch rounded out the list of top-10 finishers with an eighth-place distance of 16.15 meters (53'0") in the weight throw.

Air Force's runners head to Boulder tomorrow (Feb. 7) for the final day of action at the Colorado Classic.

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