Track and Field Release No. 12

Big West West Preliminary Round Representatives

West Preliminary Round Schedule

West Preliminary Results Page

ESPN+ STREAMS
Wed: es.pn/2QB3kWD | Thu: es.pn/3u1ckSN | Fri: es.pn/3fuyY0u | Sat: es.pn/3oyZFFv

BIG WEST REPRESENTED WITH 41 ATHLETES AT WEST PRELIMINARY ROUND
The next phase of the track and field season begins Wednesday at the NCAA West Preliminary Round in College Station, Texas. The Big West will send 41 student-athletes to compete at Texas A&M’s E.B. Cushing Stadium over four days, May 26-29, with the objective of qualifying for the NCAA Championship.

The top 12 qualifiers per event will advance to the NCAA’s in Eugene, Ore. with the University of Oregon’s Hayward Field playing host from June 9-12.

To keep track of West Preliminary results, follow along at NCAA.com.

THE COMPETITORS
Eight Big West schools are represented at the West Prelims. A total of 27 male and 14 female student-athletes will compete. On the women’s side, three will make their third career appearance at the West Prelims – Cal State Fullerton teammates Samantha Huerta (800m – 2018 & 2019) and Iesha Hamm (high jump), along with Cal Poly’s Brooke Tjerrild. Two men’s participants will compete in multiple events – Long Beach State senior Jason Smith (high jump and long jump) and Cal State Fullerton junior Charles Kelly (100m hurdles & 400m hurdles).

Among the entries for the West Preliminary Round, there are four Big West athletes seeded in the top 10 regionally.

JASON SMITH, LONG BEACH STATE
The Big West Men’s Field Athlete of the Year makes his second career appearance at the West Prelims. He was a double champion at the Big West Championships – just the second individual in conference history to win both the long jump and high jump. He cleared 25-01.25 in the long jump and his high jump effort of 7 feet, 1.5 inches was the best winning mark at the Big West Championships since 2012. His season-best high jump of 7-02.50 took place at the Stanford Invitational on Apr. 2.

KATIE CAMARENA, UC SANTA BARBARA
The 2021 Big West Women’s Track Athlete of the Year is seeded ninth in the 1500 meters with a career-best 4:13.32 at the Apr. 16 Bryan Clay Invitational. She finished second at the Big West meet in 4:20.66. Camarena blazed to the second-fastest winning 5000 meters time at the conference meet with a personal-best 16:29.57, which shaved 26 seconds off her previous top time. She also picked up a silver in the 800 meters, finishing second in 2:05.52.

ASTRID ROSVALL, UC SANTA BARBARA
She became the first Gaucho in school history to capture gold in both the 800 and 1500 meters at the Big West Championships. Rosvall dethroned champion Samantha Huerta of Cal State Fullerton in both events, running the 800 in 2:04.95 and the 1500 in 4:20.11. Her 800 time was just five-tenths off her season-best 2:04.90 at the Apr. 16 Bryan Clay Invitational. Rosvall is seeded ninth in the 800 in this week’s meet.

BROOKE TJERRILD, CAL POLY
The Cal Poly junior won the pole vault competition at the Big West Championships for the third consecutive year, the first in league history to accomplish the feat. Her clearance of 13 feet, 11 inches set a conference meet record, which had stood since 1999. Earlier in the year, she broke the all-time Big West record in four consecutive meets, culminating with a mark of 14 feet even at the Blue-Green Rivalry Meet on May 1. The previous record had stood since 2000. Tjerrild is the first pole vaulter to be named Big West Field Athlete of the Year.

BIG WEST CHAMPIONSHIPS IN REVIEW
John Elders, in his 33rd and final season as Cal State Fullerton head coach, got a tremendous sendoff as his men’s squad won the Big West Championship for the third time in the last four years. The Titans won with 163 points, overtaking Cal Poly in the final event, the 4x400 meter relay, winning in a season-best time of 3:11.93. Elders was named Big West Men’s Coach of the Year for the second straight season.

Cal Poly won the first women’s championship in school history with a total of 181.5 points, the highest winning conference meet tally since 2015. The Mustangs won six of the 21 events overall and polished off the performance with a victory in the 4x400 meter relay. Mark Conover, in his 25th season, helped the Mustangs to their first title and earned his first Coach of the Year accolade.