Feb. 4, 2008

Air Force Invitational Saturday Results
Air Force Invitational Friday Results

AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. - The University of Northern Colorado indoor track & field team added or improved upon seven Big Sky Conference Championship qualifying marks at the Air Force Invitational over the weekend and saw two more school records fall. The Bears finished in 10^th place in both the men's and women's competitions with 31 and 25 points, respectively. Colorado State won the women's meet with 113, while Adams State won the men's with 86.5 points.

On Friday evening, junior Patrick Berg threw the weight 54-8.25 to break the old record of 54-7.5 held by eventual NCAA runner-up Drew Loftin from 2001. He then missed his own school record in the shot put by just one centimeter, finishing second with a throw of 54-6 on Saturday morning.

Freshman Kelly Coomes clocked an 8.83 in the preliminaries of the 60 meter hurdles to break the school record of 9.00 held by Kim Schiemenz in 2000. In the finals, senior Tali Slafter and Coomes finished 12th and 13th with times of 8.88 and 8.98, respectively.

Senior Jeff Vaden finished fourth overall and posted the second-fastest time in the conference this season with an 8.25 in the 60 meter hurdles. Senior Richard Mattison finished seventh in the same race clocking an 8.43. The pair also finished 13^th and 14^th, respectively in the long jump.

In the women's 400 meters, sophomore Justine Sandersfeld finished sixth overall, fifth among collegians with her Big Sky qualifying time of 57.47 and senior Ashley Setc placed 11^th in 58.73.

Sophomore Katie McConnell improved her mark in the high jump, clearing 5-5 to finish sixth overall and fifth among collegians. Junior Meaghan Green also improved her mark, throwing 55-3 in the weight to finish fifth, which is also the fourth best mark in the league this year.

Freshman Terrence McGaughy improved upon his qualifying time, finishing fourth in the 60 meters with a time of 6.89 and also finished fifth in the 200 meters with a time of 21.91 to rank fourth in the Big Sky.

Slafter also finished fourth with her leap of 17-11.5 in the long jump, while sophomore Denise Kintzley ran a 20:09.10 in the 5000 meters to place sixth over all and fifth among collegians. The 4x440 yard relay team consisting of Jillian Hoblitt, Lauren Iseman, Stec and Sandersfeld finished fifth in 3:58.03.

Sophomore Tyler Hoerner scored two team points by finishing seventh in the 400 meters with a time of 49.26, while senior Collin Effler was 10^th at 49.75. The men's 4x440 of Hoerner, Travis Stanford, Marty Wittmer and Effler finished fourth overall and third among collegiate teams after crossing the tape in 3:21.33.

The teams return to the Air Force Academy on Saturday to compete in the Don Barrett Air Force Open. Events are scheduled to begin at 9:00 a.m. with the men's weight throw and men's pole vault. Track events begin at 10:00 a.m. with the women's 60 meter hurdles preliminaries.