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WEEKLY RELEASE 05 | 29 OCT 2014 | @ MOUNTAIN WEST CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS
AIR FORCE ACADEMY
CROSS COUNTRY
CROSS COUNTRY CONTACT: VALERIE PERKIN | 719-333-8286 | [email protected] | GOAIRFORCEFALCONS.COM
WEEK 5
MOUNTAIN WEST CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 31 | 10:00 AM WOMEN’S 6K RACE | 10:45 AM MEN’S 8K RACE
WOODWARD PARK | FRESNO, CALIF. | CHAMPIONSHIP CENTRAL: THEMW.COM
SCHEDULE & RESULTS
DATE..................................................COMPETITION
Sept. 5 ............................... Fresno State InvitaƟonal
................................Men: 1st of 3 | Women: 2nd of 5
.............................. Top AF Male: Kyle Eller | 5th of 57
............... Top AF Female: Hannah Everson | 3rd of 66
Sept. 20 ......................... Woody Greeno InvitaƟonal
............................... Men: 3rd of 8 | Women: 2nd of 8
.................Top AF Male: Andrew Johnston | 4th of 76
...............Top AF Female: Hannah Everson | 2nd of 78
Oct. 3 .................................Notre Dame InvitaƟonal
........................ Men: 12th of 24 | Women: 19th of 20
..................... Top AF Male: Riley Coates | 36th of 200
........... Top AF Female: Hannah Everson | 54th of 165
Oct. 4 ............................. Rocky Mountain Shootout
.............................. Men: 2nd of 3 (DI) | Women: DNC
...............Top AF Male: Forrest Isenhour | 31st of 106
Oct. 18............................... Pre-NaƟonal InvitaƟonal
........................ Men: 18th of 46 | Women: 17th of 33
......................Top AF Male: Riley Coates | 51st of 310
................... Top AF Female: Lindy Long | 32nd of 214
Oct. 31.................... Mountain West Championships
................................................................ Fresno, Calif.
Nov. 14 .......NCAA Mountain Region Championships
......................................................Albuquerque, N.M.
Nov. 22 .................... NCAA NaƟonal Championships
..........................................................Terre Haute, Ind.
The Air Force cross country team opens the championship season this Friday (Oct. 31), when it returns to
Fresno, Calif., for the 2014 Mountain West Cross Country Championships. The meet, which will take place
throughout Woodward Park, is slated to begin at 10:00 a.m. (PT), with the women’s 6K championship race.
MEET INFORMATION
The 2014 Mountain West Cross Country Championships will take place at Woodward Park (7775 N. Friant Road)
in Fresno. The meet will feature a women’s 6K race (10:00 a.m.) and a men’s 8K race (10:45 a.m.). For fans unable to a end the conference meet, live streaming and results will be available via the Mountain West website
– links can be found at hƩp://www.themw.com/#!/page/championship_c-xc.
A LOOK AT THE LEAGUE
The MW meet will feature eight men’s teams and 11 women’s teams, including five that are listed in the USTFCCCA Coaches’ Poll. The men’s field features 18th-ranked New Mexico and 25th-ranked New Mexico, as well
as Air Force, Boise State (receiving votes), Fresno State, San Jose State, Utah State and Wyoming. The women’s
field, represen ng all 11 conference schools, includes 10th-ranked New Mexico, 23rd-ranked Boise State, Air
Force, Colorado State, Fresno State, Nevada, San Diego State, San Jose State, UNLV, Utah State and Wyoming.
WHO TO WATCH
The entry list for the men at the conference championships include Dan Caddigan, Riley Coates, Patrick Corona,
Ma Dorsey, Kyle Eller, Jason Engel, Forrest Isenhour, Andrew Johnston, Zach Perkins and Daniel Shellhouse,
while the women’s list of entries feature Ka e Burnham, Heather Connick, Taylor Drolshagen, Rebecca Esselstein, Hannah Everson, Carina Gillespie, Nicole Hahn, Lindy Long and Anna Olesinski.
HISTORY 101
The men have finished within the top three of the MW Championships during 14 of the last 15 seasons, including a conference tle in 2003 and seven runner-up finishes. The women have placed within the top half of
the field 10 mes within the last 15 years, including fourth-place finishes at the last five championship meets.
HISTORY 201
Since the MW was formed in 1999, Air Force has seen 28 men combine for 48 all-conference selec ons, including one conference champion and 14 with first-team dis nc on (17 occasions). The 48 all-league honors are
the most among current MW squads and second all- me to BYU (61, from 1999-2010). Isaiah Bragg became the
program’s first Mountain West champion with a victory in 2013, while Ben Payne is the Falcons’ most decorated
all-conference honoree by claiming all-MW accolades all four years. On the women’s side, eight Falcons have
earned all-conference awards, with Hannah Everson becoming the program’s first first-team honoree last year.
LAST YEAR AT THE CONFERENCE MEET
In 2013, Isaiah Bragg became Air Force’s first MW cross country champion a er clocking a course-record
24:08.39, while Hannah Everson recorded the Academy’s highest DI conference finish (fi h in 21:41.07) to
become the program’s first first-team selec on. A total of four Falcons – Bragg, Everson, Patrick Corona and
Anne e Eichenberger – earned all-conference honors, as the men placed third and the women took fourth.
FALCONS RANKED FIFTH, SIXTH IN PRE-CHAMPIONSHIP COACHES’ POLL
The men were ranked fi h and the women sixth in the Mountain West Pre-Championship Coaches’ Poll, which
was released on Oct. 29. With 25 points, the men were just one point out of fourth, while the women finished
four points out of fourth with 54 points. Complete season rankings can be found on page 5 of this release.
ΝAF_TRACKFIELD
THE NEXT COURSE
The championship season con nues for Air Force on Friday, Nov. 14, when the squad travels to Albuquerque,
N.M., for the 2014 NCAA Mountain Region Cross Country Championships. The meet, held on the University
of New Mexico’s North Golf Course, will feature the men’s first 10K run of the season and a women’s 6K race.
AIR FORCE CROSS COUNTRY WEEKLY RELEASE
AIR FORCE CROSS COUNTRY WEEKLY RELEASE
ACADEMY QUICK FACTS
2014 MEN’S CROSS COUNTRY ROSTER
Loca on .....................................USAF Academy, Colo.
Founded ..............................................................1954
Enrollment ..........................................................4,000
Nickname ........................................................Falcons
Colors .................................................. Blue and Silver
Affilia on ............................................NCAA DIvision I
Conference .........................................Mountain West
Home Course ........................ Eisenhower Golf Course
Superintendent.....................Lt Gen Michelle Johnson
Director of Athle cs ............................ Dr. Hans Mueh
NAME
Sean Bapty
Dan Caddigan
Grant Caswell
Colin Chehanske
Riley Coates
Patrick Corona
Ma Dorsey
Kyle Eller
Jason Engel
Forrest Isenhour
Andrew Johnston
Sean Lyons
Kevin Mihalik
Andrew Milliron
Zach Perkins
Daniel Shellhouse
Jimmy Shipley
Joseph Taylor
Conner Wilburn
YR
Jr.
Jr.
Jr.
Fr.
Sr.
Jr.
So.
So.
So.
Fr.
Fr.
Fr.
Jr.
Fr.
Sr.
Jr.
Fr.
Fr.
Fr.
HT
5-11
5-9
6-0
6-0
5-8
5-10
5-11
6-2
5-10
5-6
5-8
5-9
6-2
6-2
6-4
6-0
5-10
5-7
5-11
HOMETOWN | HIGH SCHOOL
Albuquerque, N.M. | La Cueva
Chicago, Ill. | Brother Rice
Denver, Colo. | Cherry Creek
Howell, N.J. | Colts Neck
Rapid City, S.D. | Stevens
Fairfield, Conn. | Fairfield College Preparatory School
Indianapolis, Ind. | Lawrence Central
Lowell, Ind. | Lowell Senior
Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif. | Santa Margarita Catholic
Burke, Va. | Lake Braddock Secondary School
Powell, Ohio | Olentangy Liberty
Morristown, N.J. | Morristown
San Diego, Calif. | Rancho Bernardo
Charles Town, W.V. | Jefferson
Alameda, Calif. | Alameda | USAFA Prep School
Kingwood, Texas | Kingwood
Bal more, Md. | Severna Park
Noblesville, Ind. | Guerin Catholic
Colorado Springs, Colo. | The Classical Academy
2014 WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY ROSTER
CROSS COUNTRY HEAD COACH
Head Coach .................................................Ryan Cole
Alma Mater ...................................Wisconsin | 2006
Season at Air Force ............................................First
Email [email protected]
Office Phone ...................................... 719-333-3602
Volunteer Coach ................................. Mark Stanforth
MEDIA INFORMATION
Cross Country Contact ...........................Valerie Perkin
Email [email protected]
Office Phone ...................................... 719-333-8286
Website ................................. GoAirForceFalcons.com
Twi er ................................................. @af_trackfield
INTERVIEWS
Air Force athletes and coaches are available for a ernoon interviews during the week. All requests should
be made at least one day in advance and coordinated
through the athle c media rela ons office at 719333-8286 or at [email protected].
NAME
Ka e Burnham
Heather Connick
Taylor Drolshagen
Amanda Ellio
Rebecca Esselstein
Hannah Everson
Carina Gillespie
Nicole Hahn
Lindy Long
Anna Olesinski
Samantha Skold
Giulianna Vessa
YR
Fr.
Sr.
Sr.
Fr.
Sr.
Jr.
Fr.
Fr.
So.
Jr.
So.
Fr.
HT
5-9
5-6
5-1
5-5
5-7
5-9
5-7
5-4
5-5
5-9
5-3
5-4
HOMETOWN | HIGH SCHOOL
Southlake, Texas | Carroll Senior
Pembroke, Mass. | Pembroke
Muskego, Wis. | Muskego
Richmond Hill, Ga. | Richmond Hill
Dayton, Ohio | Archbishop Alter
Colorado Springs, Colo. | Liberty
San Diego, Calif. | Otay Ranch | USAFA Prep School
Arvada, Colo. | Ralston Valley
Newnan, Ga. | Landmark Chris an
Roswell, N.M. | Roswell
Evergreen, Colo. | Evergreen
Arvada, Colo. | Ralston Valley | USAFA Prep School
HEAD COACH: Ryan Cole | First Season
VOLUNTEER COACH: Mark Stanforth | Fi h Season
PRONUNCIATION GUIDE
Chehanske ..............................................cheh-han-ski
Drolshagen .......................................... drolls-haa-gen
Esselstein ................................................... essel-s ne
Everson ...................................................... ee-ver-son
Gillespie .................................................... gill-ess-pea
Mihalik...................................................... mih-hal-ick
Olesinski ................................................oh-luh-sin-ski
AIR FORCE CROSS COUNTRY WEEKLY RELEASE
AIR FORCE CROSS COUNTRY WEEKLY RELEASE
COATES PACES MEN AT PRE-NATS
In the first 8K race of the season for all but one member of the men’s lineup, Riley Coates led the Falcons to
an 18th-place e in the 46-team Blue Race at the Pre-Na onals Invita onal on Oct. 18. With a me of 25:05.3,
Coates finished 51st in the 310-runner race, while Patrick Corona (67th, 25:14.8), Zach Perkins (97th, 25:25.6),
Dan Caddigan (137th, 25:41.6) and Kyle Eller (168th, 25:55.5) rounded out the squad’s scoring runners.
HONORS & AWARDS
LONG LEADS WOMEN WITH 32ND-PLACE PRE-NATS FINISH
Clocking a season-best 6K me of 22:30.3, Lindy Long was the Falcons’ top finisher at the Pre-Na onals Invitaonal on Oct. 18, finishing 32nd in a field of 214 runners. Air Force finished 17th in the meet’s 33-team White
Race, as Nicole Hahn (53rd, 22:55.5) and Rebecca Esselstein (74th, 23:10.8) added top-75 finishes. The Falcons’
scoring squad was finalized by Carina Gillespie (126th, 23:45.9) and Anna Olesinski (150th, 24:08.0).
MEN IN THE USTFCCCA RANKINGS
DORSEY TAKES FIFTH IN OPEN RACE
Ma Dorsey finished fi h among 97 runners in the Pre-Nats’ Open Race, clocking a me of 25:51.2.
MEN THIRD, WOMEN FIFTH, IN MIDSEASON MW COACHES’ POLL
Collec ng a total of 35 points, the Air Force men were ranked third in the Mountain West Midseason Coaches’
Poll, which was released on Oct. 7. The Falcons, who were ed for the same placement in the preseason list,
separated themselves from Boise State by three points at the halfway point. On the women’s side, the Falcons
accumulated 61 points in the midseason poll to move from sixth to fi h in the 11-team standings.
Hannah Everson
Air Force Athlete of the Week | 22 Sept
Preseason ............................................................... RV
Week 1 | 16 Sept .................................................... RV
Week 2 | 23 Sept .................................................... RV
Week 3 | 30 Sept .................................................... RV
Week 4 | 7 Oct ......................................................... -Week 5 | 21 Oct ....................................................... --
TOP-10 FINISHES
Dan Caddigan
Fresno State Invita onal ............................... 6th of 57
ISENHOUR LEADS YOUNGSTERS AT ROCKY MOUNTAIN SHOOTOUT
Forrest Isenhour led a young Air Force squad to a runner-up finish among DI teams at the Rocky Mountain
Shootout on Oct. 4. With a career-best 8K of 26:46.1, Isenhour finished 31st in the full field of 106 runners. The
Falcons added three addi onal top-40 finishes from Sean Lyons (34th, 26:54.4), Jason Engel (38th, 26:58.4) and
Conner Wilburn (39th, 27:01.1), while Kevin Mihalik (53rd, 27:31.8) rounded out the squad’s scoring finishers.
Riley Coates
Fresno State Invita onal ............................... 7th of 57
AIR FORCE CONTINUES TO UPDATE RECORD BOOK
Compe ng in a five-mile race for the first me since 2011, the Falcons recorded seven of eight fastest mes in
Academy history. Riley Coates set a new Air Force record (23:55.70), while Zach Perkins clocked the program’s
second-fastest me at 24:15.40. In addi on, Kyle Eller (24:24.40), Daniel Shellhouse (24:26.60), Patrick Corona
(24:33.00), Andrew Johnston (24:43.00) and Dan Caddigan (24:46.70) debuted in fourth through eighth.
Patrick Corona
Fresno State Invita onal ............................... 9th of 57
5-MILE CROSS COUNTRY TIMES | 1995-PRESENT
23:55.70
Riley Coates, at Notre Dame Invita onal
24:15.40
Zach Perkins, at Notre Dame Invita onal
24:19.00
Jim Walmsley, at Notre Dame Invita onal
24:24.40
Kyle Eller, at Notre Dame Invita onal
24:26.60
Daniel Shellhouse, at Notre Dame Invita onal
24:33.00
Patrick Corona, at Notre Dame Invita onal
24:43.00
Andrew Johnston, at Notre Dame Invita onal
24:46.70
Dan Caddigan, at Notre Dame Invita onal
Taylor Drolshagen
Fresno State Invita onal ............................... 8th of 66
2014
2014
2011
2014
2014
2014
2014
2014
COATES PACES MEN TO 12TH-PLACE FINISH
With a 36th-place individual finish, Riley Coates paced the men’s team to a 12th-place team finish at the 24team Notre Dame Invita onal - a placement that was second amongst teams not ranked in the na on’s top30. In addi on to Coates’ top-50 finish, all five scoring runners – Zach Perkins (55th), Kyle Eller (75th), Daniel
Shellhouse (84th) and Patrick (101st) – placed within the top half of the overall field of runners.
EVERSON SETS ACADEMY 5K RECORD
Clocking a me of 17:10.0 at the Notre Dame Invita onal, Hannah Everson set a new Academy record in the
5K, easily breaking the previous me of 17:30.00 that Nicole Graham recorded at the Willame e Invita onal
in 2005. In fact, Air Force accounted for three of the five-fastest 5K mes in Academy history at Notre Dame, as
Lindy Long recorded the second-fastest me (17:29.30) and Rebecca Esselstein debuted in fourth (17:40.80).
5K CROSS COUNTRY TIMES | DIVISION I
17:10.00
Hannah Everson, at Notre Dame Invita onal
17:29.30
Lindy Long, at Notre Dame Invita onal
17:30.00
Nicole Graham, Willame e Invita onal
17:40.80
Rebecca Esselstein, at Notre Dame Invita onal
17:49.00
Melissa Fuerst, at Notre Dame Invita onal
Heather Connick
Fresno State Invita onal ............................... 6th of 66
MaƩ Dorsey
Pre-Na onals | Open ................................... 5th of 97
Kyle Eller
Fresno State Invita onal ............................... 5th of 57
Hannah Everson
Fresno State Invita onal ............................... 3rd of 66
Woody Greeno Invita onal ......................... 2nd of 78
Andrew Johnston
Woody Greeno Invita onal .......................... 4th of 76
Lindy Long
Fresno State Invita onal ............................. 10th of 66
Woody Greeno Invita onal ........................ 10th of 78
Zach Perkins
Fresno State Invita onal ............................... 8th of 57
Daniel Shellhouse
Fresno State Invita onal ............................. 10th of 57
2014
2014
2005
2014
2011
WOMEN WRAP UP ACTION AT NOTRE DAME
With a 54th-place finish at the Notre Dame Invita onal, Hannah Everson paced the women’s team to a 19thplace finish in the team standings. Lindy Long added a top-100 finish (95th), while Rebecca Esselstein (112th),
Nicole Hahn (135th, 18:01.7) and Carina Gillespie (147th, 18:18.0) rounded out the Falcons’ scoring finishers.
AIR FORCE CROSS COUNTRY WEEKLY RELEASE
AIR FORCE CROSS COUNTRY WEEKLY RELEASE
M NATIONAL RANKINGS
W NATIONAL RANKINGS
Week 5 Rankings | 21 Oct
Week 5 Rankings | 21 Oct
Rk
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
Rk
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
InsƟtuƟon (FPV) ..............Points
Colorado (12) ........................360
Oregon ..................................340
Syracuse................................334
Oklahoma State ....................329
Iona.......................................314
Wisconsin .............................295
Villanova ...............................289
Portland ................................274
Stanford ................................261
Northern Arizona ..................238
UCLA .....................................236
Washington ..........................217
Virginia..................................209
Michigan ...............................208
Florida State .........................192
Georgetown ..........................172
Providence ............................170
New Mexico ..........................156
BYU .......................................147
Indiana ..................................122
Furman .................................113
Michigan State ......................101
Arkansas .................................88
Southern Utah ........................87
Colorado State ........................67
Oklahoma ...............................62
Tulsa........................................58
North Carolina ........................33
Texas .......................................31
Iowa State ...............................25
Also Receiving Votes: Mississippi 12,
Princeton 12, Virginia Tech 8, Eastern
Kentucky 7, Minnesota 5, NC State 4,
Penn State 2, Boise State 2
InsƟtuƟon (FPV) ..............Points
Michigan State (10) ..............357
Georgetown (1) ....................347
Oregon (1) ............................334
Michigan ...............................320
Arkansas ...............................311
Iowa State .............................299
Colorado ...............................291
Wisconsin .............................266
West Virginia ........................265
New Mexico ..........................252
Stanford ................................245
Florida State .........................230
Virginia..................................214
Vanderbilt .............................195
North Carolina ......................187
Syracuse................................180
Washington ..........................162
NC State ................................135
Ohio State .............................126
Minnesota ............................124
Oklahoma State ....................121
Arizona State ........................107
Boise State ..............................90
Villanova .................................76
Princeton ................................75
Dartmouth ..............................54
Toledo .....................................53
Baylor .....................................51
UCLA .......................................31
Boston College ........................28
Also Receiving Votes: Iona 23, Virginia
Tech 8, Penn State 6, Providence 4, William and Mary 4, Northern Arizona 4,
SMU 3, Portland 2
EVERSON NAMED AIR FORCE ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
Hannah Everson was named the Air Force Athlete of the Week on Sept. 22, a er
pacing the women’s team to a runner-up finish at the Woody Greeno Invita onal.
Comple ng her first 6K race of the season in 21:57.30, Everson finished second in
the University Division field (78 runners) and third in the full field of 216 runners.
WOMEN TAKE SECOND AT NEBRASKA
Backed by Hannah Everson’s runner-up finish (21:57.30), the women’s team finished second at the Woody Greeno Invita onal on Sept. 20. Lindy Long joined
Everson at the top of the University Division, as she finished 10th in 22:39.40. Taylor Drolshagen (11th, 22:51.00), Rebecca Esselstein (19th, 23:11.90) and Heather
Connick (27th, 23:42.20) rounded out the field take second in the eight-team race.
JOHNSTON LEADS THE MEN IN COLLEGIATE DEBUT
With an 8K debut of 26:18.40, Andrew Johnston paced the men to a third-place
finish at Nebraska. Johnston, who finished fourth in the University Division and
eighth in the full 257-runner event, led the Falcons to three top-12 finishes, as
Sean Lyons and Grant Caswell finished 11th (26:42.40) and 12th (26:44.60), respec vely. Conner Wilburn finished 16th with a me of 27:03.10 and Jason Engel
placed 26th in 27:24.10 to round of the squad’s scoring runners.
FALCONS IMPACT RECORD BOOK
The men made a major impact to the program’s 6K records at Fresno State. Backed
by Kyle Eller’s 18:41.40, five Falcons – Eller, Dan Caddigan, Riley Coates, Zach Perkins and Patrick Corona – recorded marks that be ered the previous #2 me.
MEN’S 6K CROSS COUNTRY TIMES | 1995-PRESENT
18:30.72
Jim Walmsley, at Rust Buster Invita onal
18:41.40
Kyle Eller, Fresno State Invita onal
18:41.90
Dan Caddigan, Fresno State Invita onal
18:41.90
Riley Coates, Fresno State Invita onal
18:42.00
Zach Perkins, Fresno State Invita onal
18:42.20
Patrick Corona, Fresno State Invita onal
2011
2014
2014
2014
2014
2014
BUT WAIT, THERE’S MORE
The Air Force women competed in a 4200-meter distance event for the first me
in Academy history on Sept. 5, so Hannah Everson now holds the Academy’s best
me at that distance a er crossing the finish line in 14:53.20. The remainder of
the Falcons’ Fresno State lineup are ranked second through ninth on the new list.
MEN WIN FRESNO STATE INVITATIONAL
With all five scoring runners finishing within the top eight, Air Force easily won
the men’s team tle at the season-opening Fresno State Invita onal on Sept. 5.
Kyle Eller paced the Falcons with a fourth-place finish in the collegiate 6K field
(18:41.40), while all five scorers were separated by less than one second. Dan
Caddigan (fi h, 18:41.90), Riley Coaches (sixth, 18:41.90), Zach Perkins (seventh,
18:42.00) and Patrick Corona (eighth, 18:50.80) rounded out the scoring runners.
M REGIONAL RANKINGS
W REGIONAL RANKINGS
Week 5 Rankings | 20 Oct
Week 5 Rankings | 20 Oct
RK
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
RK
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
InsƟtuƟon ............................LW
Colorado ...................................1
Northern Arizona ......................2
New Mexico ..............................4
BYU ...........................................3
Southern Utah ..........................5
Colorado State ..........................6
Air Force .................................7
UTEP .........................................9
Wyoming ..................................8
Weber State ............................10
Montana State ........................11
Utah Valley .............................14
Utah State ...............................12
Texas Tech ...............................13
Idaho State .............................15
InsƟtuƟon ............................LW
Colorado ...................................1
New Mexico ..............................2
Northern Arizona ......................5
BYU ...........................................3
Utah ..........................................6
Wyoming ..................................4
Weber State ..............................9
Colorado State ..........................8
Montana State ..........................7
Texas Tech ...............................14
Southern Utah ........................12
Idaho State ............................ NR
Utah State ...............................10
Nevada....................................13
Montana .................................15
EVERSON PACES FALCONS TO RUNNER-UP FINISH
Backed by a third-place finish from Hannah Everson, the women finished second
among five DI teams at the Fresno State Invita onal (second among four MW
teams). With a 4200-meter me of 14:53.20, Everson finished third in the 66-runner event, while Heather Connick (sixth, 15:00.30), Taylor Drolshagen (eighth,
15:02.60) and Lindy Long (10th, 15:10.60) also finished within the top 10. Nicole
Hahn rounded out the group of scoring runners with a 12th-place me of 15:17.60.
OH CAPTAIN, MY CAPTAIN
Riley Coates and Zach Perkins will serve as the men’s team captains for the 2014
season, while Heather Connick and Taylor Drolshagen will lead the women’s team.
It is the third me in the last five years that both the men and women have had
mul ple captains (2010: Tyler Small/Jus n Tyner/Auriele Fain/Katherine Ward;
2012: Jeremy Drenckhahn/Andrew Quallio/Jen Bremser/Melissa Fuerst).
MEN THIRD, WOMEN SIXTH IN PRESEASON POLL
The men were picked to finish third in the MW Preseason Coaches’ Poll, as they
accounted for 35 points to e with Boise State in the eight-team league. On the
women’s side, the Falcons tallied 58 points to rank sixth among 11 league teams.
AIR FORCE CROSS COUNTRY WEEKLY RELEASE
AIR FORCE CROSS COUNTRY WEEKLY RELEASE
MW PRESEASON POLL | 21 AUG
MW MIDSEASON POLL | 07 OCT
MW PRE-CHAMPIONSHIP POLL | 29 OCT
Men’s Rankings
1. New Mexico (7) ........................................49 pts
2. Colorado State (1).....................................40 pts
3T. Air Force ................................................35 pts
3T. Boise State ................................................35 pts
5. Wyoming ..................................................23 pts
6. Utah State .................................................22 pts
7. Fresno State ..............................................13 pts
8. San Jose State .............................................7 pts
Men’s Rankings
1T. Colorado State (4).....................................45 pts
1T. New Mexico (4) ........................................45 pts
3. Air Force ................................................35 pts
4. Boise State ................................................32 pts
5. Wyoming ..................................................27 pts
6. Utah State .................................................19 pts
7. Fresno State ..............................................12 pts
8. San Jose State .............................................9 pts
Men’s Rankings
1. New Mexico (7) ..............................................49
2. Colorado State (1)...........................................43
3. Boise State ......................................................37
4. Wyoming ........................................................26
5. Air Force ..................................................... 25
6. Utah State .......................................................20
7. San Jose State .................................................11
8. Fresno State ....................................................10
Women’s Rankings
1. New Mexico (7) ........................................97 pts
2. Boise State (4)...........................................92 pts
3. Colorado State ..........................................82 pts
4. Wyoming ..................................................63 pts
5. Utah State .................................................61 pts
6. Air Force ................................................58 pts
7. Nevada......................................................54 pts
8. Fresno State ..............................................41 pts
9. San Diego State.........................................25 pts
10. San Jose State ...........................................18 pts
11. UNLV .........................................................17 pts
Women’s Rankings
1. New Mexico (9) ........................................99 pts
2. Boise State (1)...........................................87 pts
3. Colorado State (1).....................................77 pts
4. Wyoming ..................................................70 pts
5. Air Force ................................................61 pts
6. Utah State .................................................51 pts
7. Nevada......................................................50 pts
8. Fresno State ..............................................41 pts
9. San Diego State.........................................34 pts
10. San Jose State ...........................................18 pts
11. UNLV .........................................................17 pts
Women’s Rankings
1. New Mexico (10) ..........................................100
2. Boise State (1).................................................90
3. Wyoming ........................................................80
4. Colorado State ................................................73
5. Utah State .......................................................58
6. Air Force ..................................................... 54
7. Nevada............................................................44
8. Fresno State ....................................................43
9. San Diego State...............................................25
10. San Jose State .................................................23
11. UNLV ...............................................................15
LOOK WHO’S BACK
The Falcons return three all-MW runners, including first-team selec on Hannah
Everson (fi h, 2013) and second-team honorees Riley Coates (12th, 2012) and
Patrick Corona (13th, 2013). Everson, the first member of the women’s team to
garner top-eight status at a conference meet, and Corona also collected all-region
status in 2013. Zach Perkins was the runner-up in the 1500-meter run at the 2013
NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, while he, Corona and Ma Dorsey
all qualified to the na onal meet in that event during the outdoor track season.
FAMILY CONNECTIONS
Two members of the women’s team have family connec ons to other athletes at
the Air Force Academy. Anna Olesinski’s older brother Marek is a senior on the
men’s basketball team, while Lindy Long’s older sister Lainie is a senior member of
the diving team. In addi on, Zach Perkins is just one year removed from having a
sibling on the cross country team, as his twin brother Charlie graduated in 2014.
LET’S HEAR IT FOR THE LOCALS
Five Falcons hail from the state of Colorado, including a pair of Colorado Springs
na ves in Hannah Everson (Liberty High School) and Conner Wilburn (The Classical
Academy). In addi on, Samantha Skold hails from Evergreen (Evergreen HS), while
Nicole Hahn and Giulianna Vessa both a ended Ralston Valley HS in Arvada.
GOAIRFORCEFALCONS.COM
Bookmark the Falcons’ cross country page at GoAirForceFalcons.com for all of the
latest informa on on the Air Force cross country program, including schedules,
results, rosters, bios, previews, meet recaps and historical informa on.
QUICK LOOK BACK AT 2013
Isaiah Bragg became the program’s first Mountain West champion and paced the
men to a 20th-place finish at the NCAA Championships. Bragg and Patrick Corona
earned all-conference and all-region honors on the men’s side, while Hannah Everson captured both awards on the women’s side. Everson, who became the first Air
Force female to earn first-team all-MW accolades, was one of two all-conference
honorees for the women, as Anne e Eichenberger’s ninth-place finish marked the
first me in program history that two runners finished among the top 10.
FOLLOW THE FALCONS ON TWITTER
Fans of Air Force cross country can follow the team on Twi er via @af_trackfield –
the official account of the Falcons’ cross country and track and field teams.
WELCOME TO THE TEAM
The Falcons added eight men and five women to their cross country roster for the
2014 season. The men’s freshmen field included Colin Chehanske, Forrest Isenhour, Andrew Johnston, Sean Lyons, Andrew Milliron, Jimmy Shipley, Joseph Taylor
and Conner Wilburn, while the newest members of the women’s roster are Ka e
Burnham, Amanda Ellio , Carina Gillespie, Nicole Hahn and Giulianna Vessa.
LEADING THE WAY
Air Force is under the direc on of first-year head coach Ryan Cole, who assumed
control in August 2014. Cole came to the Academy a er spending seven seasons at
Arizona State, including three where he served as the head coach of the women’s
distance program and led Shelby Houlihan to the 2014 NCAA tle at 1500 meters.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
Rebecca Esselstein earned Capital One Academic All-America honors for cross
country and track/field for the second straight year. Esselstein, who was joined by
sprinter and 2014 graduate Josh Nielsen, earned second-team status to become
the program’s first athlete since cross country/track and field separated into its
own category in 2002 to earn mul ple Academic All-America awards in a career.
AIR FORCE CROSS COUNTRY WEEKLY RELEASE
AIR FORCE CROSS COUNTRY WEEKLY RELEASE
DATE
Sept. 5
Sept. 20
Oct. 3
Oct. 4
Oct. 18
Oct. 31
Nov. 14
Nov. 22
EVENT
Fresno State Invita onal | 6k
Woody Greeno Invita onal | 8K
Notre Dame Invita onal | 5Mile
Rocky Mountain Shootout | 8K
Pre-Na onal Invita onal | 8K
Mountain West Championships
NCAA Mountain Regional
NCAA Na onal Championships
NAME
Sean Bapty
Dan Caddigan
Grant Caswell
Colin Chehanske
Riley Coates
Patrick Corona
Ma Dorsey
Kyle Eller
Jason Engel
Grant Garst
Forrest Isenhour
Andrew Johnston
Sean Lyons
Kevin Mihalik
Andrew Milliron
Zach Perkins
Daniel Shellhouse
Jimmy Shipley
Joseph Taylor
Conner Wilburn
FRESNO ST
19:05.1 | 16
18:41.9 | 6
--18:41.9 | 7
18:42.4 | 9
18:58.3 | 13
18:41.4 | 5
18:59.1 | 14
------18:42.0 | 8
18:50.8 | 10
----
PLACE
1st
3rd
12th
2nd
18th
NEBRASKA
27:45.8 | 33
-26:44.6 | 12
-----27:24.1 | 26
-27:56.9 | 35
26:18.4 | 4
26:42.4 | 11
28:02.3 | 37
-----27:03.1 | 16
FIELD
3 Teams
8 Teams
24 Teams
3 DI Teams
46 Teams
POINTS
30
69
346
114
520
TOP FINISHER
Kyle Eller
Andrew Johnston
Riley Coates
Forrest Isenhour
Riley Coates
NOTRE DAME
-24:46.7 | 125
--23:55.7 | 36
24:33.0 | 101
24:53.2 | 138
24:24.4 | 75
---24:43.0 | 121
---24:15.4 | 55
14:26.6 | 84
----
COLORADO
--27:53.0 | 68
27:59.8 | 69
----26:58.4 | 38
28:13.9 | 73
26:46.1 | 31
-26:54.4 | 34
27:31.8 | 53
27:42.5 | 61
--27:33.0 | 54
28:57.8 | 84
27:01.1 | 39
PREͳNATS
-25:41.6 | 137
--25:05.3 | 51
25:14.8 | 67
25:51.2 | *5
25:55.5 | 168
26:11.1 | *13
--26:01.3 | 183
---25:25.6 | 97
26:12.6 | 209
----
FIELD
5 Teams
8 Teams
20 Teams
33 Teams
POINTS
39
67
503
428
TOP FINISHER
Hannah Everson
Hannah Everson
Hannah Everson
Lindy Long
NOTRE DAME
--19:10.5 | 164
-17:40.8 | 112
17:10.0 | 54
18:18.0 | 147
18:01.7 | 135
17:29.3 | 95
----
PREͳNATS
25:08.4 | 189
---23:10.8 | 74
-23:45.9 | 126
22:55.5 | 53
22:30.3 | 32
24:08.0 | 150
---
MTN WEST
PLACE
5th
4th
36th
31st
51st
MTN WEST
FIELD
57 Runners
76 Runners
200 Runners
106 Runners
310 Runners
REGIONALS
TIME
18:41.40
26:18.40
23:55.70
26:46.10
25:05.30
NATIONALS
* Open Race
DATE
Sept. 5
Sept. 20
Oct. 3
Oct. 18
Oct. 31
Nov. 14
Nov. 22
EVENT
Fresno State Invita onal | 4200m
Woody Greeno Invita onal | 6K
Notre Dame Invita onal | 5K
Pre-Na onal Invita onal | 6K
Mountain West Championships
NCAA Mountain Regional
NCAA Na onal Championships
NAME
Ka e Burnham
Heather Connick
Taylor Drolshagen
Amanda Ellio
Rebecca Esselstein
Hannah Everson
Carina Gillespie
Nicole Hahn
Lindy Long
Anna Olesinski
Samantha Skold
Giulianna Vessa
FRESNO ST
15:52.5 | 23
15:00.3 | 6
15:02.6 | 8
-15:20.4 | 13
14:53.2 | 3
15:22.0 | 14
15:17.6 | 12
15:10.6 | 10
--15:28.2 | 15
PLACE
2nd
2nd
19th
17th
NEBRASKA
25:02.5 | 54
23:42.2 | 26
22:51.0 | 11
-23:11.9 | 19
21:57.3 | 2
24:07.4 | 27
-22:39.4 | 10
----
PLACE
3rd
2nd
54th
32nd
REGIONALS
FIELD
66 Runners
78 Runners
165 Runners
214 Runners
TIME
14:53.20
21:57.30
17:10.00
22:30.30
NATIONALS
AIR FORCE CROSS COUNTRY WEEKLY RELEASE