In two weeks, the biggest and most competitive indoor meet of the Colorado indoor season takes the floor at the Cadet Field House track.
This year will feature one major difference from previous years' versions of the meet. This year's Air Force High School Open will span over two days, February 2 and 3. Friday evening will feature prelims of the 60, 60 hurdes, and 200, plus finals of the long jump, girls high jump, and two mile.
That will take a lot of the pressure off of Saturday, thus allowing for Saturday to be a shorter, and less hectic, day of competition that it was last year.
MileSplit will be featuring a live stream of both days of the meet. So, no matter where you are, you can fire up your computer and catch a view of the action as it happens.
That's perhaps particularly important for those coming from out of state, but it makes things nice and convenient for Colorado folks as well.
Last year's meet featured numerous outstanding marks. Capturing spotlights on the boys side were Devin Cadena with a 6.84 60, Nik Chappee with a 22.08 200, a wonderful 800 battle right to the wire between Hayelom Fitsum and Yanique Borne at just over 1:56, McCade Johnson coming down from Laramie to win the 60H in 8.26, 16 feet of pole vault for Corbin Mayes, a 21-9.5 long jump for Zaccre Kenward, and a 47-0.5 triple jump for Jequan Hogan.
Both Hogan and Cadena figure as likely candidates to be back this year.
Girls highlights included a 7.45/23.91 for Arria Minor, a 55.95 400 for Kyairra Reigh, a 5:19.31 mile for Maria Mettler, an astonishing 10:41.42 two mile for Brie Oakley, a 19-8.25 long jump for Maya Evans, and a 12-0 pole vault for Erika Willis.
More than half of those athletes figure to be back this year. Maria Mettler, though, has gone on to join the ranks of event winners at this meet who have turned the meet a springboard into a collegiate career as an Air Force Academy athlete.
Action begins at 5 PM on Friday, going until about 9 PM that evening, depending somewhat on the number of heats. Action resumes at 10 AM on Saturday, lasting until sometime around 5 PM, again depending somewhat on the total count of heats to be run.
Award watches go to the winners of each event, adding another extra layer of motivation--as if that were necessary.
Look for more meet details, heat sheets, and live streaming information to push out your way over the course of the next two weeks. In the meanwhile, get calendar cleared for February 2 and 3, and get yourself signed up for all the action!
AIR FORCE HIGH SCHOOL OPEN MEET PAGE