2019 Track and Field Release No. 9  | Friday's Meet Program

TRACK AND FIELD CHAMPIONSHIP CENTRAL

Big West Championship Continues At UC Santa Barbara
UC Santa Barbara hosts the main portion of the 2019 Big West Track and Field Championships May 10-11 at Pauley Track Facility. Cal State Fullerton is the two-time reigning men’s champion. The Long Beach State women look to repeat after winning their first championship in program history last year. This is the first time since 1983 that UCSB has hosted the conference meet.

A Historical Perspective – Cal State Fullerton Men
Cal State Fullerton competed in 32 conference championship meets at various points starting in 1975 and recorded a top finish of third place in 2006. But the Titans have broken through the last two championships, winning with 133 points in 2017 and again in 2018 with 154 points. CSF seeks to win its third straight title on the heels of Long Beach State capturing four in a row from 2013-16.

A Historical Perspective – Long Beach State Women
Long Beach State became the ninth different Big West member – current or former – to win the women’s title as the Beach eked out a two-point victory over UC Santa Barbara in 2018. The Beach tallied 122 points to UCSB’s 120. It was the first women’s title in the 29-year tenure of head coach Andy Sythe, who also oversaw seven of the 10 titles from the LBSU men’s program. LBSU is the fourth current conference member, joining CSUN, UC Davis and UC Santa Barbara, to hoist the championship trophy.

Combined Events Review
UC Santa Barbara seniors Tyler Nelson and Hope Bender stood atop the medal stand for the second time in their collegiate careers to conclude the multi-events competition which kicked off the Big West Championship meet May 3-4. Nelson, who won the decathlon in 2016, scored 7,420 points. He helped his cause with victories in the 100 meters (11.06), shot put (48-02.75) and discus (136-04), and a runner-up finish in the 110 meter hurdles (14.64) and 400 meters (48.66). Bender broke the conference meet record in the heptathlon  with 5,814 points, eclipsing the previous mark of 5,709 set by former Gaucho and United States Olympian Barbara Nwaba in 2012. It was a repeat title for Bender, who also claimed gold in 2018 with 5,561 points. She dominated this year’s competition with four event victories, including the 200 meters (24.03), 100 meter hurdles (13.48), long jump (19-10.75) and shot put (40-11). She finished no worse than third in any of the seven events. It was the first time since 2012 that two individuals from the same school won the decathlon and heptathlon. UCSB’s Derek Masterson and Nwaba represented atop the medal stand that year.

Event Leaders By School
Of the 20 remaining events that will be scored at the Big West Championships, CSUN leads all Big West programs with top times or marks in seven of them. The Matadors have the No. 1 conference performer in five sprint events and two more in the field. Six other schools have at least two event leaders. Cal State Fullerton has the top mark in three events, including junior Samantha Huerta, who is No. 1 in the 800 (2:04.33) and 1,500 (4:18.39) meter races. UC Irvine senior thrower Barbara Coward also tops the league circuit in two events, as the school record holder in both the hammer (196-07) and discus (186-04). Cal Poly leads in three events, with Long Beach State, UC Davis and UC Santa Barbara also posting two.

On the men’s side, Cal State Fullerton sports the top performance in a league-high six events this season, including five in the sprints and one in the distance.  Senior Mason Rollins contributes to three top marks, including the 100 meters (10.45), 200 meters (21.20) and 4x100 relay (40.33). Junior Marcel Espinoza is tops in the 400 meters (46.13) and is a part of both the No. 1 4x100 and 4x400 relay (3:10.11) teams. Four CSUN athletes lead in various events. Long Beach State (3), UC Davis (3), Cal Poly (2) and UC Irvine (2) also have multiple top performers.

Clancy, Briggs Vying For Fourth Straight Event Titles
UC Davis senior Kyle Clancy and Long Beach State senior Kemonie Briggs are bidding to become four-time champions in their respective events. Clancy won the high jump in 2016 and 2017 with identical marks of 6-11.50, and returned in 2018 with a top clearance of 6-09. He owns a career-best mark of 6-11.75 this season, which ranks No. 2 in the Big West behind Long Beach State senior Vincent Calhoun’s No. 1 effort of 7-03. Clancy is just one of four individuals all-time to win three high jump titles.

Briggs aims for his fourth straight title after winning with wind-aided marks in 2016 (26-02.25) and 2017 (25-08.25), and a wind legal clearance of 26 feet last year. Briggs and Ted Hooper (2012-14) of UC Riverside are the only three-time winners in conference history. Briggs is the favorite at this year’s meet as he owns the Big West’s top mark of 25-09.25, nearly nine inches better than the next best competitor.

There are six other men’s events in which a two-time champion may emerge this year. They are as follows:

MEN

Name, School	Event	2018 Winning Mark	Top 2019 Mark	BWC Rank
Kent Harris, Long Beach State	200 Meters	21.38	21.55	No. 6
Sean McDermott, Cal Poly	3000 Meter Steeple	9:02.96	9:13.12	No. 4
Diego Courbis, Cal State Fullerton	400 Meter Hurdles	*52.89	52.30	No. 2
Drew Xandrine-Anderson, UC Davis	Triple Jump	51-10.50	50-07.50	No. 2
Erick Loomis, CSUN	Hammer	210-03	224-06	No. 1
Clint Meyer, CSUN	Shot Put	60-01.75	62-02.25	No. 1

*2017 champion

Davis, Bender Seeking Third Career Event Titles
A pair of seniors are on a quest to win gold for the third time at the Big West Championships. UC Santa Barbara’s Hope Bender is the lone competitor aiming for her third straight title. She won the 400 meter hurdles in 2017 (58.87) and 2018 (58.02), and is one of the top performers in the event this year. However, her season-best time of 59.60 seconds ranks No. 3 in the Big West, with CSUN sophomore De’Andreah Young (58.57) and Hawai‘i sophomore Kristen LaCosse (59.56) ahead of her.

Long Beach State’s Courtne’ Davis aims for her third title in the 200 meters. She won her first gold in 2016 (23.65) as a freshman before earning the crown again in 2018 (23.73). Davis looks to join Ashley Marshall (2013-15) of UC Davis as the only three-time conference champions in the 200.

Seven Women’s Athletes Aiming For Two Straight Golds
There are seven entries on the women’s side who are attempting to collect a second straight gold in her event.  Two hail from Cal State Fullerton, two from UC Santa Barbara, and one each from UC Davis and UC Riverside.  Below is the breakdown on what they did at last year’s meet and their top mark this year.

WOMEN       

Name, School	Event	2018 Winning Mark	Top 2019 Mark	BWC Rank
Samantha Huerta, Cal State Fullerton	800 Meters	2:07.63	2:04.33	No. 1
Sarah Anderson, UC Davis	10,000 Meters	36:54.22	34:41.69	No. 1
Abibat Rahman-Davies, Cal Poly	Triple Jump	41-07.75	41-04.50	No. 1
Brooke Tjerrild, Cal Poly	Pole Vault	13-01.50	13-05.25	No. 1
Barbara Coward, UC Irvine	Discus	167-07	186-04	No. 1
Brandy Williams, CSUN	Shot Put	51-07.75	50-06.75	No. 1
Nicole Clark, Cal State Fullerton	Javelin	151-02	159-07	No. 3

Other athletes entered in the meet who are also seeking their second individual title – but not consecutively, are as follows:

WOMEN       

Name, School	Event	Previous Winning Mark	Top 2019 Mark	BWC Rank
Courtne’ Davis, Long Beach State	100 Meters	*11.50	11.42	No. 1
Katie Izzo, Cal Poly	5000 Meters	*17:24.91	16:20.09	No. 1
Peyton Bilo, Cal Poly	5000 Meters	&16:43.83	NT	N/A
Peyton Bilo, Cal Poly	10,000 Meters	*36:46.78	NT	N/A
Erinn Beattie, UC Davis	High Jump	%5-10.75	6-00.75	No. 1
Megan Mooney, Cal Poly	Javelin	*153-02	140-08	No. 6

* Won in 2016    % Won in 2017    $ Won in 2018

Longest Streaks
Some schools have maintained a strangehold on winning individual gold in various events.  The longest current streaks are as follows:

• The UC Santa Barbara women have notched gold in the 1,500 meters three years in a row.
• Cal Poly men have owned 5,000 meter gold for six straight years.
• Cal State Fullerton men have won the 4x100 meter relay three years straight.
• Long Beach State men have captured first place in the long jump for four straight years.
• Men’s discus title belongs to the CSUN men for three straight years.
• UC Santa Barbara men sport the javelin title in four straight meets.

Ranked And Ready
A long list of Big West athletes are both regionally and nationally ranked according to the Track and Field Results Reporting System (TFRRS).  Five men and five women athletes have earned distinction with national top-25 marks or times, including seven in the top 15:

• Cal State Fullerton junior Samantha Huerta ran a school record 2:04.33 in the 800 meters March 30 at the Titan Team Challenge, a time that ranks No. 12 in the country.

• CSUN freshman Stella Weinberg ranks No. 9 in the country with a school record throw of 178-08 in the javelin on March 29 at the Stanford Invitational.

• UC Davis senior Erinn Beattie is one of the nation’s top high jumpers. Her school record mark of 6-00.75 at the Bryan Clay Invitational places her at No. 2 on the national list.

• UC Irvine senior Barbara Coward established a school record on April 12 at the Triton Invitational when she hurled the discus 186-04, a mark that stands No. 13 nationally.

• CSUN senior Erick Loomis bettered his own school record in the hammer with a mark of 224-06 at the USC Trojan Invite on March 15. He ranks No. 15 in the nation.

• Long Beach State senior Vincent Calhoun landed at No. 3 on the school list with a clearance of 7-03 in the high jump at the Beach Opener, which ranks No. 9 nationally.

• Long Beach State junior Charlie Vernoy uncorked a discus throw of 192-09 at the Titan Twilight, the fifth-longest distance in school annals and currently No. 14 on the national list.