With each conference track and field team competing last week, competition was high as UC Irvine hosted the Spring Break Invite. With unbeatable marks at the Invite, UC Irvine took home two of the four athlete of the week honors, Jacob Yowell (Men’s Track) and Amber Middleton (Women’s Track), while also competing in the UC Irvine Invite, Long Beach State’s Jacob Weintraub collected this week’s Big West Men’s Field Athlete of the Week and UC Riverside’s Deja Watkins took women’s field honors.
This is Yowell’s third recognition for his record-breaking performances in the Big West, after grabbing back-to-back recognition at the start of the season. Yowell competed in the four events this last week at the UC Irvine Spring Break Invite, placing top five in each event. In the 110-meter hurdles Yowell set a meet record of 13.91 followed by another meet record in the 400-meter hurdles with a 51.81 finish. His contribution in the 4x400 relay gave the Anteaters a new season-best time (3:12.50) and a second place finish.
Senior Middleton got her second award this season for Big West Women’s Track Player of the Week. Her second place finish in the 100-meter hurdles (13.80) was an improved time to remain No. 2 in UCI history and her 400-meter mark (59.50) gained her a spot as third in all-time ranks at UC Irvine. Middleton also competed in the 4x400 running the second leg to cross the finish line second in a season-best 3:45.40 for the Anteaters.
Long Beach State’s Weintraub collected his first weekly recognition for his performance in the field events at Irvine last week. The 49er senior threw the distance for No. 1 in Big West ranks in discus (51.70 m) and No. 2 in the shot put (17.47 m) this season. From Riverside, Calif., Weintraub also ranks No.6 nationally for his shot put numbers and No. 40 for his discus throw.
Concluding the Highlanders weekly honors, Watkins was named Big West Women’s Field Athlete of the Week. The freshman grabbed her first Big West weekly honor with a lifetime best toss of 160” 5” in discus, collecting second place for UC Riverside in that event, less seven feet shy of the Highlanders benchmark. The hometown native also competed in the shot put event wit ha 40’ 6” mark and the hammer throw, 136’ 10” coming in twelveth place.
Others nominated: David Cardona (Cal Poly) (Men’s Track)
Emily Cooper (Long Beach State), Raquel Helfflin (UC Riverside) (Women’s Track)
Kyle Inks (Cal Poly), Travis Smith (UC Riverside) (Men’s Field)
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