COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Head coach Ralph Lindeman and senior Ryan Ioanidis were honored by the Mountain West after leading Air Force to the men’s team title at last week’s MW Indoor Track and Field Championships in Albuquerque, while the conference office announced that 17 all-conference accolades were awarded to the Falcons.
 
After guiding Air Force to its fourth indoor title since 2012 – and its ninth overall during that same span – Lindeman was named the Mountain West Men’s Indoor Coach of the Year. It is the eighth time he has been selected by his peers as the top MW Indoor coach (2001, 2004, 2008, 2011, 2012, 2016) – and the 14th time overall, as Lindeman has also received the league’s coaching award following seven outdoor seasons (2001, 2003, 2012, 2013, 2016, 2017, 2018).
 
After capturing first-place honors in the 5000-meter run and 3000-meter run, Ioanidis was tabbed as the Performer of the Meet – marking the fourth time in five indoor meets that a member of the Air Force men’s track and field team has captured that award.  The senior was the first Mountain West runner since 2015 to sweep the two longest distances of an indoor championship. His 5000-meter time of 14:09.55 is the third-fastest time in Air Force history and shattered the MW Championship Meet Record by nearly four seconds, while his 3000-meter finish of 8:09.15 is the sixth-fastest time in program history and the second-fastest time ever in a MW Championship meet. His thrilling 3000-meter victory, which came during a furious Air Force push down the final stretch, secured the team title for the Falcons.
 
Ioanidis is the sixth Falcon to capture Mountain West Performer of the Meet honors, joining Dana Pounds (2005 outdoor), Jamiel Trimble (2016 outdoor, 2017 indoor, 2017 outdoor), John Reynolds (2018 indoor), Jacob Bilvado (2019 indoor) and Mahala Norris (2021 outdoor).
 
POSTSEASON AWARDS
MW Men’s Performer of the Meet: Ryan Ioanidis
MW Men’s Coach of the Year: Ralph Lindeman
 
In addition to the major postseason awards, the conference also recognized the individuals and relays that captured all-conference status at the championship meet after placing within the top three of their respective events at the MW Indoor Championships. Air Force combined for 17 all-conference awards (15 individuals, two relays), with the 16 honors by the men matching the best indoor total in Academy history.
 
Ioanidis was one of six individuals to capture all-MW medals after winning their respective events, as junior Zac Larrier (200-meter dash), classmate Sam Gilman (mile run), freshman Collin Schulz (high jump), senior Ethan Gardner (pole vault) and junior Jaret Prete (weight throw) also accounted for first-place finishes. In addition to his victory in the mile, Gilman also anchored sophomore Luke Combs, senior La’akea Aiu and senior Garrett Blenkush to a first-place finish in the distance medley relay.
 
Air Force accounted for multiple all-MW finishes in four events, including a 1-2-3 sweep of the podium positions in the 5000-meter run (Ioanidis, senior Ryan Johnson, senior Will Kitzhaber). Combs, who opened the meet on the all-conference DMR squad, capped his first indoor championship as part of a 1-2 finish with Ioanidis in the 3000-meter run, while senior Jake Hall and freshman Robert Postell joined Schulz and Gardner on the high jump and pole vault podiums following respective third-place finishes.
 
Like Ioanidis, senior Wyatt Murphy earned a pair of individual all-conference medals after claiming a second-place finish in the heptathlon and a third-place finish in the 60-meter dash, while sophomore John Colizzi rounded out the men’s all-conference selections with a third-place finish in the long jump.
 
The women claimed all-conference honors in the distance medley relay, as the quartet of sophomore Rayna Fruchey, senior Michelle Roca, senior Brid O’Connell and freshman Lindsey Peters claimed a third-place finish.
 
ALL-CONFERENCE HONOREES
Men’s 60-Meter Dash: Wyatt Murphy (third-place finish)
Men’s 200-Meter Dash: Zac Larrier (MW champion)
Men’s Mile Run: Sam Gilman (MW champion)
Men’s 3000-Meter Run: Ryan Ioanidis (MW champion)
Men’s 3000-Meter Run: Luke Combs (second-place finish)
Men’s 5000-Meter Run: Ryan Ioanidis (MW champion)
Men’s 5000-Meter Run: Ryan Johnson (second-place finish)
Men’s 5000-Meter Run: Will Kitzhaber (third-place finish)
Men’s High Jump: Collin Schulz (MW champion)
Men’s High Jump: Jake Hall (third-place finish)
Men’s Pole Vault: Ethan Gardner (MW champion)
Men’s Pole Vault: Robert Postell (third-place finish)
Men’s Long Jump: John Colizzi (third-place finish)
Men’s Weight Throw: Jaret Prete (MW champion)
Men’s Heptathlon: Wyatt Murphy (second-place finish)
Men’s DMR: Luke Combs, La’akea Aiu, Garrett Blenkush, Sam Gilman (MW champion)
Women’s DMR: Rayna Fruchey, Michelle Roca, Brid O’Connell, Lindsey Peters (third-place finish)