April 10, 2008
For the second straight week, the Air Force track and field team splits
for a pair of competitions. The majority of the squad will remain
in-state for the Colorado Invitational in Boulder on April 12, but five
distance runners will travel to Tempe, Ariz., for the Sun Angel
Classic. Action for the meet in Boulder begins at 10 a.m., with the
men's javelin and women's hammer throws.
SUN ANGEL CLASSIC
Senior Kevin Hawkins and sophomore Abby Romanko will compete in their respective sections of
the 800-meter run at the Sun Angel Classic, while junior Dan Castle and
senior Kelly Robinson will take part in the 1500-meter run. Senior Josh van Wyngaarden (3000-meter steeplechase) and classmate Kenny Grosselin (5000-meter run) will also compete in the meet at Tempe.
MORE MORREALE
Brittany Morreale clocked a career-best time of 17:06.65 in the 5000-meter run at the
Stanford Invitational. That time is a 13-second improvement, bettering
her previous mark of 17:19.23. It is the fourth-best time in Academy
history and a new Sophomore Classic record, displacing the 19-year-old
mark of 17:07.42 that Callie Calhoun set in 1989.
WHAT A DEBUT
Finishing second in the 27-member 5000-meter race at the Stanford Invitational, senior Ian McFarland made his debut in the program record book with the seventh-best time in
program history. His time of 14:10.16 is a personal improvement by
nearly 22 seconds.
GETTING A VICTORY
Senior David Lissy and freshman Terry Robinson picked up first-place finishes at the Tom Benich Classic on April 5.
Lissy recorded a distance of 55'2¼" to win the shot put, while Robinson
took first in the 110-meter hurdles in a time of 15.19.
ONE YEAR AT A TIME
Dan Paladino set the Sophomore Class record in the hammer throw at the Tom Benich Classic, displacing current junior Kirk Devine's mark by an inch. His throw of 186'10" gives Paladino the Freshman and Sophomore Class marks.
MOVING IN FAST
Freshman Rachel Miller paced the women's squad at the Tom Benich Classic (April 5) with a
second-place finish in the pole vault. Her clearance of 11'1¾" is the
sixth-best mark in Academy history.
POLE VAULTERS EARN REGIONAL MARKS
Melissa Beerse and Rachel Simmons tied for second on the pole vault at the Arizona State Invitational
with matching regional qualifying heights of 12'7½". For the second
straight meet, Simmons moved up the all-time list. Her clearance of
12'7½" is the second-best vault in Academy history. Sophomore Nick Frawley also earned a regional qualifying mark in the pole vault, as he cleared 16'10¾" to finish fourth.
NOT TO BE OUTDONE
Sophomore Sara Neubauer accounted for a NCAA regional qualifying mark, as she posted a distance of 48'4¾" in the shot put. Classmate Katie Weber qualified for the regional meet, as she threw a distance of 157'1" to
take third in the javelin throw. That distance is the third-best throw
in program history. Senior David Lissy picked up a regional mark of 173'1" in the discus throw. That mark, a
career-best for Lissy, is also ninth on the Academy's all-time list.
WHAT'S ON DECK
For the third straight week, Air Force
will divide up for competition. Part of the team will travel to the Mt.
SAC Collegiate Distance Carnival on April 17, while the rest of the
team will travel to Kentucky for the Louisville Classic on April 19.
The Falcons' multi-event athletes will open the week at the Mt. SAC
Decathlon on April 16-17.
Photo courtesy of the Air Force Academy's Official Athletic Site.
