All four Big West Track and Field of the Week recipients own the No. 1 conference ranking in their respective events based off of their most recent performances.

UC Santa Barbara senior Sike Azu-Irondi (Los Angeles, Calif./College of the Canyons) showed off his sprinting skills at the 40th annual Aztec Invitational in San Diego en route to Big West Men’s Track Athlete of the Week accolades.  He blazed to a personal-best of 21.10 for second place in the 200-meter dash, lowering his previous top mark from 21.31.  Azu-Irondi improved his No. 2 time on the school’s all-time list.  He also finished the 100-meter dash in 10.60 seconds, a mere .05 off his own school record.

UC Santa Barbara senior Jenna Hinkle (Cottonwood, Calif./West Valley HS) picked up her fourth career Big West Women’s Track Athlete of the Week award thanks to an impressive showing at the Aztec Invitational.  A participant in the 2017 NCAA Championships in the 1,500 meters, Hinkle won two events at the Aztec Invitational.  She finished first in the 1,500 with a time of 4:19.11, churning out a 65 second final lap to cross the line by over two seconds against her closest competitor.  Hinkle also took home first place in the 800 meters, as her time of 2:08.01 was just a quarter of a second off her personal best.  Hinkle is No. 1 in the Big West in both events.  She’s No. 3 in the NCAA in the 1500 and No. 8 in the 800.

CSUN junior Erick Loomis (Hanford, Calif./Modesto JC) established a school record in the hammer throw to earn Big West Men’s Field Athlete of the Week plaudits.  At the Northridge Invitational, Loomis uncorked a throw of 211-04 to break the Matador record of 207-10 set in 2005 by Tim Selby.  Loomis won the event by more than 28 feet.  That distance not only represents the No. 1 mark in the Big West by a wide margin, but ranks him No. 17 nationally.

The first repeat winner of any of the awards this season, Cal Poly freshman Brooke Tjerrild (Fresno, Calif./Clovis North HS) garnered her second Big West Women’s Field Athlete of the Week honor with a stellar effort in the pole vault.  Tjerrild captured first place in the pole vault at the Cal Poly ShareSLO Invitational Saturday, clearing 13 feet, 7.25 inches to move to No. 2 all-time in school history.  She trails only 1999 NCAA champion Paula Serrano for the school record of 13 feet, 8 inches.  Tjerrild’s previous lifetime PR was 13-06.  She leads the Big West by a margin of 10 and one-half inches, is No. 2 in the West Region and No. 4 nationally.

Others nominated (Men’s Track): Peter Cotsirilos (Cal Poly); Asa Allen (UC Irvine); Michael Kojin (UC Riverside)

Others nominated (Women’s Track): Daijah Joe-Smith (Cal Poly); Persis William-Mensah (UC Irvine); Faith Makau (UC Riverside); Kristen LaCosse (Hawai‘i)

Others nominated (Men’s Field): Brad Beekman (Cal Poly); Alvin Sung (Cal State Fullerton); John Broadhead (Long Beach State); Seth Enochs (UC Irvine); Wes Braddock (UC Riverside); Kordell Hampton (UC Santa Barbara)

Others nominated (Women’s Field): Naiah Boardingham (Cal State Fullerton); Brandy Williams (CSUN); Crystal Rodriguez (Long Beach State); Barbara Coward (UC Irvine); Hana Johnson (UC Riverside); Kiely Gode (UC Santa Barbara); Lily Lowe (Hawai‘i)