BYU heads to Air Force Invitational

PROVO, Utah – BYU track and field travels to Colorado Springs, Colorado, for the Air Force Invitational this Thursday through Saturday.

The schools slated to compete include BYU, Air Force, Adams State, Colorado, Northern Colorado, Oral Roberts, Wyoming, Western State and Fort Lewis. BYU coach Ed Eyestone says the meet is great for his short distance and field athletes.

“The Air Force Invitational is always a big one especially for our multi-events athletes,” Eyestone said.

This weekend’s meet will feature BYU athletes in the long jump, triple jump, high jump, sprints, throws and multi-events. The Cougars’ distance runners will not make the trip to Air Force in preparation for next weekend’s Washington Invitational in Seattle.

“It’s a good place for our sprinters and jumpers and multi-events athletes to go, but it’s not a great venue for distance runners because the elevation is over 8,000 feet and it hurts to run up that high,” Eyestone said. “For everyone else it’s a good meet and it should be a good opportunity.”

BYU athletes hoping to have a big weekend on the men’s side include Kevin Nielsen and Jackson Walker, who will both be competing in the heptathlon.

“Kevin (Nielsen) came very close to getting a score that would get him into the national meet (at the BYU Cougar Collegiate Indoor Invitational), so he’ll be looking to improve on that. Provided everything goes well I think he’ll get a mark that will get him to the national meet,” Eyestone said.

For the women, Eyestone identified Erin Merkley (pentathlon) and Haley Folsom (pentathlon and 60m hurdles) as athletes to watch.

Click here for live results, or visit the BYU men’s track and field schedule page.