All four recipients of the Big West Track and Field Athlete of the Week awards posted No. 1 conference-wide marks in last week’s competitions.
UC Santa Barbara junior Shyan Vaziri (San Diego, Calif./Scripps Ranch HS) claimed his third Big West Men’s Track Athlete of the Week Award of the 2014 season. Vaziri broke the school record in the 1,500 meters with a blazing 3:42.44 at the Bryan Clay Invitational. He eclipsed the previous record of 3:43.80 set by Mike Chavez in 2007. Vaziri’s mark registered as the 10th-fastest time in the nation.
UC Davis junior Raquel Lambdin (Camarillo, Calif./Adolfo Camarillo HS) beat 103 competitors to capture the university/open 800-meter run at the Mt. SAC Relays, securing Big West Women’s Track Athlete of the Week honors. Her career-best time of 2:06.47 bested her previous top mark by more than a second with her first-place showing. Lambdin also scooted from No. 3 to No. 2 on the UC Davis career leaders list, and now only trails Lauren Wallace, who ran a 2:02.91 at the NCAA Finals last year. Lambdin’s time ranks her (per TFRRS) No. 1 in the Big West, No. 12 in the West Region and No. 27 nationally. Lambdin’s previous PR was 2:07.54.
Long Beach State sophomore Willie Alexander (Fresno, Calif./Central HS) earned Big West Men’s Field Athlete of the Week honors with back-to-back impressive showings in the long jump. Alexander began the week at the Mt. SAC Relays, jumping a personal-best 25-05.25 to place fourth overall. The performance put him at seventh in the school’s record book and ranked him eighth currently on the nation’s leaderboard. It also ranks No. 1 in the Big West. Alexander returned to action the next day at the 20th annual Beach Invitational, and recorded his second straight 25-foot effort. This time Alexander finished first with a mark of 25-0 on the button, besting the field of 58 jumpers. Alexander also posted a 15th-place finish in the triple jump (46-08.00) at the Mt. SAC Relays.
UC Irvine senior Lacey Surak (Santa Clarita, Calif./West Ranch HS) garnered Big West Women’s Field Athlete of the Week recognition for her exploits at the Beach Invitational on Saturday. She won the javelin throw with a career-best mark of 166-0 (50.61m), which ranks No. 1 in the Big West and No. 19 nationally. Surak moved up to No. 2 in UCI history in the event and inched closer to breaking the 29-year-old school record of 167-2 held by Laura Mills (1985). Surak also competed at the Mt. SAC Relays a day earlier in the javelin, and hurled a then-career best 158-6 at that meet. For the week, Surak improved upon her previous PR in the javelin by 17 feet.
Others nominated (Men’s Track): Chris Frias (Cal Poly); Davon Wilson-Angel (Long Beach State)
Others nominated (Women’s Track): Kayla Goosby (Long Beach State); Kaleigh Morrison (Hawai‘i)
Others nominated (Men’s Field): Caleb Stuart (UC Riverside)
Others nominated (Women’s Field): Fatima Vergara (Long Beach State); Tori Usgaard (UC Santa Barbara); Alex Porlier Langlois (Hawai‘i)