One of the bigger meets in Southern California is in the cards this week as the Mt. SAC Relays are the focus for several Big West track & field programs.
All but UC Davis will take part in the main section of the meet which is scheduled for Thursday-Saturday. Prior to that, Cal State Fullerton, Long Beach State, UC Davis, UC Irvine and UC Santa Barbara will be in nearby Azusa for the California Invite Heptathlon/Decathlon, a multi-event championship meet.
The busy weekend will also have several meets on tap as the Azusa Pacific Invitational, L.A. Twilight Open, Beach Invitational, Soka Invitational and Woody Wilson Classic will all have Big West teams present. The Beach Invitational and Woody Wilson Classic are being hosted by league members Long Beach State and UC Davis, respectively.
UCI's Jock Continues Early Season Tear: After recording the second-best and best 800 times in UC Irvine history in consecutive weeks, Charles Jock added his name to another event’s top performers in program lore last week. Jock tied the fifth-fastest 400 time in Anteater history at the Big West Challenge, crossing the finish line with an event-winning time of 46.94.
LBSU Men, UCSB Women Claim Big West Challenge Titles: The 18th annual Big West Challenge titles went to the Long Beach State men and UC Santa Barbara women last weekend. The meet, which involves league members Cal State Fullerton, Long Beach State, UC Irvine and UC Santa Barbara was held at Anteater Stadium and is a closed meet featuring just those league schools. The 49er men won their third consecutive title and 13th overall, while the Gauchos claimed the crown after amassing 236 points.
CSF's Hunt Triple Winner at Big West Challenge: Jameena Hunt had quite the meet for Cal State Fullerton at the Big West challenge, posting a trio of victories in field events. She won the hammer with an effort of 174-08, the shot put at 46-2.75 and the discus at 168-6.
O'Boyle to Enter Mt. SAC Relays Hall of Fame: UC Irvine head track and field/cross country coach Vince O’Boyle has been selected for induction into the Mt. SAC Relays Hall of Fame. O'Boyle will be inducted along with two-time Olympic medalist John Godina (throws) and Toby Stevenson, the 2004 Olympic silver medalist in the pole vault. The induction ceremony will take place at the 52nd annual Mt. SAC Relays Banquet at the Pacific Palms Conference Resort in the City of Industry April 14 at 6:00 p.m. O’Boyle has been involved with the Mt. SAC Relays for the past 47 years, first as a runner for Monrovia High School in 1963 and later for Citrus College and Cal Poly Pomona, and as a coach at Citrus College and UCI.
UCR's Martinez Lands on Bowerman List: UC Riverside's Brenda Martinez landed on the watch list for The Bowerman, the award handed out by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association recognizing the track athlete of the year on both the men's and women's side. Martinez finds herself on the also receiving mention portion of the preseason list, meaning she can move up to the primary watch list at any point in the season. Martinez is the Big West record holder in the 800 and 1500 and completed a whirlwind summer circuit which saw her compete in six races across Europe. She also ran the fastest 800 in the NCAA in her first race of the 2010 outdoor season.