Texas Tanner Named Performer of the Meet, All-MW Athletes Honored
5/19/2026 2:11:00 PM | Track and Field
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Air Force senior Texas Tanner was named the Men's Field Performer of the Meet at the conclusion of the 2026 Credit Union 1 Mountain West Outdoor Track and Field Championships. Tanner was also one of 13 Falcons recognized by the conference office this afternoon (May 19), as they formally announced the award winners and all-conference honorees from last week's championship meet.
It is the fourth Performer of the Meet award for Tanner, who captured the honor at the last three outdoor championships (2024, 2025, 2026) and this past winter at the 2026 MW Indoor Championships.
Easily breaking his own Championship Meet and Facility Records, Tanner successfully defended his Mountain West titles in the hammer and discus – completing a dominating sweep of the two events in each of the last three MW Outdoor meets. The senior kicked off the weekend with a winning throw of 77.73 (255'0") – bettering his previous Championship mark by more than four meters – and bettering the field by more than 11 meters. Tanner, who would've won the meet on four of his five countable throws, improved the Championship Record four times, before landing on the 77.73-meter mark on his final attempt – a distance that only trails his PR of 78.87 meters in the Mountain West all-time standings. The Sheridan, Wyo., native returned to the outer throwing field two days later for another dominating performance in the discus throw. Tanner, who would've won the meet on his opening throw, improved his distance to 65.61 meters (215'3") on his next attempt – a mark that broke his previous Meet Record by more than two meters and secured the conference title by nearly seven meters.
Tanner, who also finished fifth in the shot put for 24 points – a total that would've finished eighth in the overall team standings, was the first Mountain West athlete to win three-straight titles in the discus throw since 2007 and the first to do that in the hammer since 2009.
In addition to the major championship awards, the Mountain West also recognized the individuals that captured all-conference status by placing within the top three of their respective events at the championship meet. Headlined by Tanner's two titles, the Falcons collected 15 all-conference accolades at the 2026 MW Outdoor Championships.
Sophomore Morgan Glaser joined Tanner on the top of the awards podium last weekend, winning her first conference title in the high jump with a clearance of 1.82 meters (5'11½"). She is the third member of the women's program to claim a Mountain West title in the high jump, joining Rachel Herald (2014) and Shelley Spires (2016), and marked the sixth all-MW honor in that event at the outdoor meet.
Glaser led the women to four medalist finishes at this year's championship – the most at an outdoor meet since 2017 and third-most in program history. Senior India Jones and junior Ella Johnson finished second and third, respectively, in the 10,000-meter run – tallying one-third of the program's total all-MW performances in a single race. Backed by an Air Force Record finish of 2:03.14, Liliane Aittama rounded out the quartet of all-conference runners with a runner-up finish in the 800-meter run – accounting for the first all-conference finish in that distance since 2013 – and the fourth outdoor award overall.
The men accounted for two of the three podium finishes in the discus throw and 200-meter dash. Sophomore Evan Keefe helped Air Force to a 1-2 finish in the discus, as he and Tanner marked the first time since 2013 that the Falcons have sent multiple athletes to the podium in that event. Senior Jettason Rose and sophomore Asher Jenkins placed second and third, respectively, in the 200-meter dash to mark the first multi-Falcon podium in that event during the outdoor season.
The 200-meter dash was one of three medalist finishes for Jenkins, who also placed third in the 100-meter dash and joined Rose and the freshmen duo of Zachary DeWalt and Colton Manock in the bronze medalist 4x100-meter relay – the eighth 4x1 podium finish for Air Force in the last decade. DeWalt captured his own individual medal in the 400-meter dash – the first outdoor honor for the Falcons in that event since 2019 – as he placed second in his first outdoor meet, while classmate Max McFarlane earned a third-place finish in the pole vault to earn the 41st all-conference honor by a member of the pole vault squad. Senior Zach Ayers placed second in the 5000-meter run for the 22nd podium finish by the men, while sophomore Junior Allen earned a bronze medal in the 3000-meter steeplechase and accounted for the fifth all-MW honor in six years – 13th overall – in that event.
The women captured their first top-five placement at the conference meet, with a fifth-place finish (68.5 points) in the 12-team meet, while the men earned runner-up honors with 149 points. The outdoor championship season continues next week (May 27-30), when several Falcons travel to Fayetteville, Ark., to represent the Academy in the opening round of the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships.
It is the fourth Performer of the Meet award for Tanner, who captured the honor at the last three outdoor championships (2024, 2025, 2026) and this past winter at the 2026 MW Indoor Championships.
Easily breaking his own Championship Meet and Facility Records, Tanner successfully defended his Mountain West titles in the hammer and discus – completing a dominating sweep of the two events in each of the last three MW Outdoor meets. The senior kicked off the weekend with a winning throw of 77.73 (255'0") – bettering his previous Championship mark by more than four meters – and bettering the field by more than 11 meters. Tanner, who would've won the meet on four of his five countable throws, improved the Championship Record four times, before landing on the 77.73-meter mark on his final attempt – a distance that only trails his PR of 78.87 meters in the Mountain West all-time standings. The Sheridan, Wyo., native returned to the outer throwing field two days later for another dominating performance in the discus throw. Tanner, who would've won the meet on his opening throw, improved his distance to 65.61 meters (215'3") on his next attempt – a mark that broke his previous Meet Record by more than two meters and secured the conference title by nearly seven meters.
Tanner, who also finished fifth in the shot put for 24 points – a total that would've finished eighth in the overall team standings, was the first Mountain West athlete to win three-straight titles in the discus throw since 2007 and the first to do that in the hammer since 2009.
| MW CHAMPIONSHIP AWARDS |
| Texas Tanner, Men's Field Performer of the Meet |
In addition to the major championship awards, the Mountain West also recognized the individuals that captured all-conference status by placing within the top three of their respective events at the championship meet. Headlined by Tanner's two titles, the Falcons collected 15 all-conference accolades at the 2026 MW Outdoor Championships.
Sophomore Morgan Glaser joined Tanner on the top of the awards podium last weekend, winning her first conference title in the high jump with a clearance of 1.82 meters (5'11½"). She is the third member of the women's program to claim a Mountain West title in the high jump, joining Rachel Herald (2014) and Shelley Spires (2016), and marked the sixth all-MW honor in that event at the outdoor meet.
Glaser led the women to four medalist finishes at this year's championship – the most at an outdoor meet since 2017 and third-most in program history. Senior India Jones and junior Ella Johnson finished second and third, respectively, in the 10,000-meter run – tallying one-third of the program's total all-MW performances in a single race. Backed by an Air Force Record finish of 2:03.14, Liliane Aittama rounded out the quartet of all-conference runners with a runner-up finish in the 800-meter run – accounting for the first all-conference finish in that distance since 2013 – and the fourth outdoor award overall.
The men accounted for two of the three podium finishes in the discus throw and 200-meter dash. Sophomore Evan Keefe helped Air Force to a 1-2 finish in the discus, as he and Tanner marked the first time since 2013 that the Falcons have sent multiple athletes to the podium in that event. Senior Jettason Rose and sophomore Asher Jenkins placed second and third, respectively, in the 200-meter dash to mark the first multi-Falcon podium in that event during the outdoor season.
The 200-meter dash was one of three medalist finishes for Jenkins, who also placed third in the 100-meter dash and joined Rose and the freshmen duo of Zachary DeWalt and Colton Manock in the bronze medalist 4x100-meter relay – the eighth 4x1 podium finish for Air Force in the last decade. DeWalt captured his own individual medal in the 400-meter dash – the first outdoor honor for the Falcons in that event since 2019 – as he placed second in his first outdoor meet, while classmate Max McFarlane earned a third-place finish in the pole vault to earn the 41st all-conference honor by a member of the pole vault squad. Senior Zach Ayers placed second in the 5000-meter run for the 22nd podium finish by the men, while sophomore Junior Allen earned a bronze medal in the 3000-meter steeplechase and accounted for the fifth all-MW honor in six years – 13th overall – in that event.
| MW OUTDOOR ALL-CONFERENCE HONOREES |
| Men's 100-Meter Dash: Asher Jenkins (third place) |
| Men's 200-Meter Dash: Jettason Rose (second place) |
| Men's 200-Meter Dash: Asher Jenkins (third place) |
| Men's 400-Meter Dash: Zachary DeWalt (second place) |
| Women's 800-Metr Run: Liliane Aittama (second place) |
| Men's 3000-Meter Steeplechase: Junior Allen (third place) |
| Men's 5000-Meter Run: Zach Ayers (second place) |
| Women's 10,000-Meter Run: India Jones (second place) |
| Women's 10,000-Meter Run: Ella Johnson (third place) |
| Men's 4x100-Meter Relay* (third place) |
| Women's High Jump: Morgan Glaser (MW champion) |
| Men's Pole Vault: Max McFarlane (third place) |
| Men's Discus Throw: Texas Tanner (MW champion) |
| Men's Discus Throw: Evan Keefe (second place) |
| Men's Hammer Throw: Texas Tanner (MW champion) |
| * Zachary DeWalt, Asher Jenkins, Colton Manock, Jettason Rose |
The women captured their first top-five placement at the conference meet, with a fifth-place finish (68.5 points) in the 12-team meet, while the men earned runner-up honors with 149 points. The outdoor championship season continues next week (May 27-30), when several Falcons travel to Fayetteville, Ark., to represent the Academy in the opening round of the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships.
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