Freshman Cale Simmons (Rocklin HS; U.S. Air Force Academy) recorded a career-best clearance of 15'7"

Sara Neubauer Resets Two Academy Records
Ally Romanko broke the program's 28-year-old record in the 600-meter run.


Jan. 22, 2010
LINCOLN, Neb. - For the second straight week, Air Force senior Sara Neubauer upped her own program standards in the shot put and weight throw, as the track and field team wrapped up a successful day of competition at the Nebraska Wesleyan Invitational on Friday, Jan. 22. Neubauer was one of two Falcons to set Academy standards and one of five to claim event titles.

Neubauer threw a 59'7¾" to win the weight throw, before taking first in the shot put with a toss of 51'6½". Her distance in the weight throw is a personal improvement by nearly a foot, breaking the Academy record that she set last week at the season-opening All-Comers Meet.

The senior went on to toss a NCAA Provisional throw of 51'6¼" in the shot put, distancing herself from the competition by six feet to win that event. That mark is a career best by nearly a foot, surpassing the program record she set last week as well.

In addition to Neubauer's two Academy records, senior Ally Romanko set a program standard in the 600-meter run, clocking a winning time of 1:32.64. That time easily broke the previous record of 1:35.16 that Gail Conway first set in 1982. Romanko paced the Falcons to a one-two punch in the non-traditional event, as freshman Morgan Mosby placed second in 1:36.72.

With a winning time of 2:27.43, junior Justin Tyner paced a trio of Falcons to finishes within the top-10 of the 1000-meter run. Sophomore Matthew Cain placed third in 2:31.32, while freshman Donald Jackson clocked a time of 2:38.99 to place 10th. Air Force also earned three top-10 finishes in the pole vault. Freshman Cale Simmons (Rocklin HS) recorded a career-best clearance of 15'7" to win that event, while his twin brother Rob placed fourth with a matching height (placements based on clearance attempts). Sophomore Brandin Bear finished seventh with a clearance of 15'1".

Sophomore Robert Drye picked up a first-place finish in the throws, as he won the weight throw with a personal-best 59'2¾". That throw is a personal best by nearly a foot, edging the sophomore closer to the third-best distance in Academy history. Drye also placed sixth in the shot put with a toss of 49'1".

In addition to Neubauer, Air Force also earned a pair of top-10 finishes in the weight throw. Sophomore Paige Blackburn threw a 50'11½" to place fifth, while junior Christina Burke finished 10th with a throw of 48'11½".

Freshman Justin Manchester and junior Tyler Stanley were the runners up in their respective events. Manchester clocked a time of 50.46 in the 400-meter dash to place second, while Stanley earned the same placement in the 600-meter run with a time of 1:24.13. Sophomore Katie Carroll finished third in the 800-meter run with a time of 2:23.40, while senior Jessica Mapes finished fifth in the 400-meter dash with a time of 1:01.41.

Senior Danielle McCarty placed sixth in the 60-meter hurdles with a time of 9.33, while also picking up an eighth-place height of 5'1¼" in the high jump. Sophomore Manuel Smith finished sixth in the 60-meter dash (7.06), after posting a season-best time of 7.02 in the preliminary heat.

Freshman Jen Bremser ran the mile in 5:31.40 to place eighth in that event, while classmate Pia Goodman recorded a height of 10'2" to place ninth in the pole vault. Fellow freshman Molly Bush also recorded a top-10 finish, as she recorded a career-best distance of 15'11½".

Freshman Cameron Edwards placed eighth in the 800-meter run after crossing the finish line in 2:00.85, while junior Chris Severino recorded a time of 22.85 to finish ninth among 52 competitors in the 200-meter dash. Fellow senior Zach Nordahl earned a ninth-place finish in the mile with a time of 4:27.26. Freshman Andrew Quallio placed 10th in the 5000-meter run with a time of 15:55.63.

Air Force returns to action tomorrow (Jan. 23), when it faces Colorado State, Kansas State, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Wichita State at the adidas Classic in Lincoln, Neb.

Event 28 Men Pole Vault
=================================================================================
Devaney: S 5.70m 2/9/2002 Jeff Hartwig/Derek Miles, Nike International/B
Div I Auto: A 5.50m
Div I Prov: P 5.20m
Name Year School Finals Points
=================================================================================
Finals
1 Cale Simmons Air Force Academy 4.75m 15-07.00
4.00 4.15 4.30 4.45 4.60 4.75 4.90
PPP PPP PPP XXO O O XXX
2 Josh Tonniges Concordia J4.75m 15-07.00
4.00 4.15 4.30 4.45 4.60 4.75 4.90
PPP PPP PPP O XXO O XXX
3 Andrew Ellsworth Usf J4.75m 15-07.00
4.00 4.15 4.30 4.45 4.60 4.75 4.90
PPP PPP PPP PPP XO XO XXX
4 Rob Simmons Air Force Academy J4.75m 15-07.00
4.00 4.15 4.30 4.45 4.60 4.75 4.90
PPP PPP PPP O O XXO XXX

Courtesy USAFA