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Track & Field

Track Starts Season At AFA

ABILENE – Seventeen members of the Abilene Christian men's and women's track and field teams are en route to the Air Force Academy for Friday's indoor season-opening Blue – Silver Open.
 
The one-day meet is open to any athlete with events starting at the Cadet Field House at 3 p.m. (MT)/ 4 p.m. (CT) with the men's weight throw. The running events, which will operate on a rolling schedule, will start at 4 p.m. (MT)/5 p.m. (CT), with the women's mile run.

Opponents for the Wildcats and Falcons include Adams State, UC-Colorado Springs, CSU-Pueblo, Colorado Mesa, Metro State, New Mexico Highlands, Western State, Wyoming in addition to several dozen unattached and open competitors.
 
Scheduled to compete for the ACU men are seniors Nick Jones (shot put), Paris Robertson (60, 300m), Levance Williams (60m, long jump, 4x400m), junior Jordan Geary (500m, 4x400m), and newcomers Osei Alleyne-Forte (500m, 4x400m), Dennis Bain (60m high hurdles, 300m) and Banjo Jaiyesimi (1000m, 4x400m).
 
Jones is the last remaining link to last year's indoor national championship team, which also featured then seniors Amos Sang, Desmond Jackson and Ramon Sparks. The ACU quartet finished with 49 points, while Ashland (Ohio) – which qualified 22 student-athletes for the meet – was second with 42 points.
 
Jones topped his previous career-best indoor mark (58-11.25) three times at nationals, including his mark of 59-10.50 on his third throw, which was good enough for fourth place.
 
Later in the year, Jones helped ACU to a national outdoor team championship with an NCAA individual title in the discus and runner-up showing in the shot put. In recognition of his stellar efforts, the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches' Association named Jones the NCAA Division II National Field Athlete of the Year.
 
Robertson's top times from last year include a 6.93 in the 60m and 22.08 in the 200m, while Williams' best in the 60m was clocked at 7.13.
 
Geary's top marks included a 49.36 in the 400m, and with Robertson (plus Desmond Brown and Sterling Garnett), he helped post a Wildcats' season best in the 4x400m at 3:24.92.
 
On the women's side the Wildcats will be represented by seniors Karla Hope (500m, 4x400m) and Chloe Susset (mile), juniors Cassie Brooks (60m high hurdles) and Ayesha Rumble, sophomores Lauren Hartwick (shot put, weight throw), Shalania Lakey (shot put, weight throw), Tara Riley (shot put), and newcomers Karolyn Palmer (60m, 300m), Shennae Steele (60m, 4x400m) and Lexus Williams (60m high hurdles, 4x400m).
 
Susset was the most decorated of all ACU's cross country runners this past fall, finishing first at NCAA South Central Regionals and second at the Lone Star Conference meet prior to making her debut at the national championship in Spokane.
 
Rumble, a newcomer from Iowa Central C.C., also competed throughout the 2011 XC campaign and was the Wildcats' No. 3 runner at conference with a time of 23:35.
 
Brooks was ACU's best hurdler a year ago with season bests of 8.44 in the 55m and 8.98 in the 60m, while Hope was the Wildcats' No. 1 runner in the 400m and 800m, posting top season marks of 56.76 and 2:22.47, respectively.
 
Riley recorded the Wildcats' three best shot put performances in 2011, including a season best measurement of 41-02.25 (12.55m) that was good for seventh at the Oklahoma-based Sooner Invitational.
 
Results will be posted online at GoAirForceFalcons.com after the meet's conclusion.
 
Field Schedule of Events (all times mountain)
3:00 p.m.: Men's Weight Throw, Women's Weight Throw, Men's Shot Put, Women's Shot Put; 4:00 p.m.: Men's Pole Vault, Women's Pole Vault; 4:00 p.m.: Men's Long Jump, Men's Triple Jump; 4:00 p.m.: Women's Long Jump, Women's Triple Jump; 4:00 p.m.: Women's High Jump, Men's High Jump.
 
Track Schedule of Events (all times mountain)
4:00 p.m.: Women's Mile Run, Men's Mile Run, Women's 60-Meter Hurdles, Men's 60-Meter Hurdles, Women's 500-Meter Dash, Men's 500-Meter Dash, Women's 60-Meter Dash, Men's 60-Meter Dash, Women's 1000-Meter Run, Men's 1000-Meter Run, Women's 300-Meter Dash, Men's 300-Meter Dash, Women's 3000-Meter Run, Men's 3000-Meter Run, Women's Two-Mile Relay, Men's Two-Mile Relay, Women's Mile Relay, Men's Mile Relay.
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