Air Force Falcons' Texas Tanner Honored After Outstanding Outdoor Campaign

Texas Tanner is only a junior competing for the Air Force Academy Falcons track and field team and his list of accolades just keeps getting longer and longer.

The Falcons announced that the Mountain West Conference recently named Tanner the men’s outdoor track field athlete of the year. Tanner is now the first Falcons thrower to win the award.

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The NCAA Outdoor Championships concluded about two weeks ago in Eugene, Ore. Tanner finished fourth in the hammer throw, which earned him All-America honors and also made him the first Falcon in 60 years to earn that distinction in a throwing event.

He was one of nine athletes to compete in three different disciplines at the NCAA Championships and moved onto the finals in both the hammer and discus throws. 

During the Mountain West Conference Championship meet he defended both of his titles in the discus and hammer throw from 2024. As of now, he holds the best mark in the hammer throw since 2003 with a throw of 248 feet, 9 inches. 

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Not only did he qualify for three events in the outdoor championships he also earned field performer of the Mountain West meet for the second time. In addition to that he was named Mountain West Conference field athlete of the week on five separate occasions this season. 

Including Tanner, the Falcons have won Mountain West athlete of the year awards on nine separate occasions since 2015. He joins Sam Gilman (2022 indoor, 2022 outdoor, 2023 indoor), Mahala Norris (2021 outdoor), Michael Rhoads (2019 outdoor, 2019 indoor), Jamiel Trimble (2016 outdoor), and Joey Uhle (2015 outdoor). 

Tanner is going into his final season of collegiate track and field in 2026 and is seeking his first national championship.

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