EUGENE, Ore. – Air Force senior Dylan Bell capped his final collegiate season with a sixth-place finish in the pole vault at the 2016 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships, which began today (June 8) in Eugene, Oregon. Bell was one of several Falcons to compete on the first day of men’s competition at Historic Hayward Field.
Bell cleared the opening height of 16’10¾” on his first attempt, before clearing the next two bars (17’4½”, 17’10½”) on his third attempt. One of just six vaulters to reach the 18-foot bar, he attempted two tries at 18’2½”, before passing his third to 18’4½”. Narrowly missing his attempt at a would-be career-best, Bell finished sixth in the 24-vaulter standings – earning NCAA All-America status and posting the Falcons’ highest outdoor pole vault finish since 2012.
Junior Kyle Pater joined Bell among the top half of the pole vault field, as he finished 11th with a clearance of 17’4½”. Pater cleared the opening height of 16’10¾” on his initial attempt, before clearing the 17’4½” bar on his final attempt.
Junior Matt Dorsey impacted the record book in the 1500-meter run, as he clocked the second-fastest time in Academy history during today’s national semifinals. With a time of 3:42.16, Dorsey finished 10th in his heat – and 10th in the overall 24-competitor event. Deleting more than one second from his previous best, which he posted at the NCAA West Preliminary, is also a new Junior Class Record.
Clocking a time of 13.75 – the second-fastest in program history behind his own Academy record – sophomore Jamiel Trimble finished third in his heat of the 110-meter hurdles and 10th in the overall field of national semifinalists.
The Falcons continue action at the NCAA Outdoor championships tomorrow (June 9), when Hannah Everson runs in the finals of the 10,000-meter run at 7:08 p.m. (PT).
From: www.goairforcefalcons.com/sports/c-track/recaps/060816aaa.html
