COLORADO SPRINGS, COLORADO – BYU women's track and field placed third overall at the Air Force Invitational out of nine teams. 

BYU associate head coach Mark Robinson said there were many improvements this week and he was pleased with the overall effort of the athletes who participated in the meet.

Alyssa Monteverde-Dalton tied her personal best in the 60-meter hurdles with a time of 8.42 which qualifies in the BYU top 10 of all time.

Marissa Appiah and Andrea Stapleton jumped their lifetime bests in the high jump with marks of 1.75 meters. Appiah placed fifth and Stapleton tied for third.

In the pole vault Anginae Monteverde tied for first with a mark of 4.05 meters and Sierra Hansen got a mark of 3.95 meters which placed her second.

In the women’s indoor pentathlon Halley Folsom placed third overall (3441) with a 150 point improvement from the previous meet.

“In combined events like the pentathlon or the heptathlon, it just takes a while especially when you’re a freshman to get used to those other events. Halley did a very good job,” said Robinson.

Kaylee Packham placed second in the 400 meters with a time 56.64, beating her personal best by three seconds.

“We just need to stay healthy. We didn’t have anyone get hurt this weekend which is awesome. We just have to get a little better each week and I think we will be good,” said Robinson.

Click here for the final meet results.

Next up for BYU track and field is a trip to Seattle for the Washington Invitational on Jan. 29-30.

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 Halley 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.