Completed Event: Track and Field at Bryan Clay Invite on April 16, 2026 ,
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Track and Field
Bryan Clay Invite
Iowa State University Athletics
ISU Sends Thirteen Athletes to Regional Meet
05.26.2008 | Track and Field
AMES, Iowa- Iowa State will send thirteen track and field athletes to the NCAA Midwest Regionals in Lincoln, Neb. on Friday and Saturday, where the Cyclones will compete against some of the top athletes in the nation and try to extend their respective seasons.
“We are excited about this regional meet,” said head coach Corey Ihmels. “We have a lot of athletes in different areas.”
Several newcomers have made significant impacts this outdoor season, and each will try to strengthen their rookie campaign with a strong outing this weekend. Of the 15 athletes heading to regionals, 10 are freshman or sophomores, and two more are junior-college transfers.
Transfers James Galvan has made an immediate impact upon his arrival in Ames. In Galvan's first meet as a Cyclone, the Tempe, Ariz. native broke the school record in the indoor 800-meter run. Galvan placed fifth in the 800-meters at the conference outdoor meet.
Freshman Luke Pinkelman raised eyebrows with his regional-qualifying toss of 58-03 in the shot put at the Cal State L.A. Twilight Open. The former walk-on for the Cyclone football team followed up that performance at the Big 12 Championships' shot put and discus throw, finishing fourth and eighth respectively.
“[Pinkelman] has a shot to do some great things in Nebraska and wants to punch his ticket to nationals,” Ihmels said.
Two women's throwers earned a trip to compete in the shot put in Lincoln. Freshman Britta Christofferson launched a 47-09 3/4 shot in a first-place effort at the Mt. Sac Relays to qualify. Teammate Amy Waggoner threw 48-07 1/2 in her second attempt at the Big 12 Championships in Boulder, Colo.
Freshman Hillary Bor will run in the 3,000-meter steeplechase at the Midwest Regional, after coming off an impressive outing at the conference meet. Bor placed second in the 3,000-meter steeplechase in Boulder, and led with one lap to go before Colorado's Billy Nelson overtook him. Bor regionally qualified in the 1,500-meters and 5,000-meters as well, but will not run the events at the regional meet. The Kapsabet, Kenya native holds the 11th-fastest time in the nation in the steeplechase, and the fourth-fastest time in the region.
Council Bluffs native Tiffanie Synacek extended her season after a gritty performance at the Big 12 Championships. The Council Bluffs native missed on her first two tries, but fought through the pressure and easily topped the regional mark of 5-08 3/4 on her final attempt. Synacek, a two-time 4A Iowa state high jump champion at Thomas Jefferson, tied for third in the event at the conference meet, and racked up three victories in her first outdoor season.
“Synacek is really excited to compete at the high level of a regional meet,” Ihmels said. “I think she may surprise some people.”
A pair of Cyclones will be making their return trip to the NCAA Midwest Regional. Sophomore Jenna Caffrey ran 13.74 in the 100-meter hurdles at the Arkansas Twilight to ensure a second-consecutive trip to the regional meet. The Burlington native placed fifth in the event as a freshman, and earned a trip to the NCAA Championships. Senior Jayden Russ regionally-qualified for the 3,000-meter steeplechase for a second straight year. The Brisbane, Australia native ran a career-best time of 8:58.90 to earn another trip to the regional competition. Russ placed eighth in the event in the 2007 regional meet.
“Both Jenna and Jayden are great team leaders,” Ihmels said. “[Caffrey] made nationals last year and wants to do that again. This is Jayden's last time around. He has progressed from last year and wants to do some great things.”
Representing ISU's relays will be Lashawn Wright, Leia Jackson, Caffrey, and Monique Hawkins in the women's 4x100-meter relay. The quartet sprinted the fourth-fastest time in school history, 45.51, at the conference meet to earn a trip to Nebraska. The foursome placed seventh in the event at the Big 12 meet.
Sophomore Kiel Uhl will make his first trip to the NCAA Midwest Regional meet. Uhl regionally qualified in the 5,000-meter run at the Mt. Sac Relays. The Roosevelt alum ran a 14:08.65 clocking, en route to a first-place finish and a regional qualification. Uhl recently placed sixth in the 10,000-meter run at the Big 12 Championships.
Iowa State women's athlete of the year Lisa Koll and transfer Grace Kemmey are regionally-qualified in the 5,000-meter run, but will not make the trip to save their legs for the national meet. Koll, a Fort Dodge native is qualified for nationals in the 10,000-meter run, a distance at which she broke the American collegiate record earlier this season. Kemmey, a transfer from Vanguard (Calif.) University, earned All-America honors in cross country, placed second in the 5,000-meters at the Big 12 Indoor Championships and third in the 5,000-meters at the Big 12 Outdoor Championships.The Kapsabet, Kenya native holds the 16th fastest time in the nation in the 10,000-meters of 33:59.70. The 10k is not run at the regional meet.
Events kick off for the Cyclones with the women's 4x100-meter relay at 1:30 p.m. CDT on Friday. The meet will wrap up with the 3,000-meter steeplechase on Saturday at 6:40 p.m. CDT.
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