The Air Force Academy’s field athletes began their participation at the Colorado Classic in Boulder on Friday, achieving 14 top-10 finishes and setting four new marks in the program’s record book. The event included competitors from across the Front Range.
Freshman Julie Segroves secured her third consecutive pole vault victory in Colorado this season, clearing 3.95 meters (12’11½”). This result matched her career best and ranks as the sixth-highest mark in Air Force history. Segroves led a strong showing for Air Force, with junior Karli Neff taking third place after a personal-best clearance of 3.80 meters (12’5½”), moving her to No. 20 on the academy’s all-time list. Sophomore Barrett Boyd finished fifth with a height of 3.50 meters (11’5¾”).
In the weight throw, senior Texas Tanner recorded a distance of 22.95 meters (75’3½”), earning second place overall and finishing as the top collegiate competitor by more than one meter over his peers in a field of 30 athletes. Senior Massimo Grisotto also made an impact with a career-best throw of 18.00 meters (59’0¾”), which placed him inside the academy’s top-20 all-time rankings at No. 17.
Freshman Mackenzie Fah set a personal record in the shot put with a throw of 12.27 meters (40’3¼”), finishing tenth and debuting at No. 23 on Air Force’s all-time standings.
Additional notable performances included freshmen Zoe Heizer and Chris Atunku each placing third in their respective high jump events; Heizer cleared 1.61 meters (5’3¼”) while Atunku achieved a career-best leap of 2.01 meters (6’7″). In men’s shot put, sophomores Mitchell Blakeslee, Trevin Jordan, and Evan Keefe took sixth, eighth, and tenth places respectively with throws ranging from just over 14 to more than 16 meters.
Sophomore Alese Banks finished fourth in the women’s long jump with a distance of 5.25 meters (17’2¾”), while junior Paige Birch claimed eighth place in the women’s weight throw at 16.15 meters (53’0″).
Air Force runners are scheduled to compete on Saturday for the final day of action at the Colorado Classic.
