IRVINE, Calif. (May 20, 2022) -- The Big West is proud to announce its 2022 Track & Field Major Award winners.
 
Hawai’i sophomore Alyssa Mae Antolin and Long Beach State junior Ryley Fick will both be named The Big West Women’s Co-Track Athlete of the Year. CSU Bakersfield sophomore Miranda Miller will take home The Big West Women’s Field Athlete of the Year honor. UC Riverside’s Linda Perez is The Big West Women’s Freshman of the Year. Long Beach State Director of Track & Field Andy Sythe is The Big West Women’s Coach of the Year.
 
For the second year in a row, Cal State Fullerton senior Charles Kelly will be honored as The Big West Men’s Track Athlete of the Year. Long Beach State senior Jason Smith will be named The Big West Men’s Field Athlete of the Year for the second consecutive season and for the third time in his career. The Beach have now won the conference’s top field athlete honor seven straight times. Cal State Fullerton’s Alonzo Floriolli wins The Big West Men’s Freshman of the Year award. Titan head coach Marques Barosso is The Big West Men’s Coach of the Year.
 
Antolin made it on the podium four times at the 2022 Big West Track & Field Championships where she finished second in the 100 (11.81), first in the 200 (23.79), second in the 4x100 relay (49.68) and first in the 4x400 relay (3:45.24). Fick was a double event winner at the conference meet in the 800 (2:09.00) and 3000 steeplechase (10:23.14), and qualified for the NCAA West Preliminaries in the latter event with a seasonal-best mark of 10:21.59.
 
Miller broke The Big West Championships meet record and won the pole vault competition by clearing the height of 4.30m/14’1.25”, a personal best. During the season she came in first place in seven meets in her specialty event. Miller will compete in the regional meet in the pole vault. 
 
Perez won (35:23.31) the 10000 and was the runner-up (16:45.93) in the 5000 at the conference meet. The Highlander rookie qualified for the NCAA West Preliminaries in the 10000 with a seasonal-best time of 33:50.14.
 
In his 33rd year at the helm, Sythe led the Beach to win their second conference crown overall, first since 2018, with 134 points and had four qualifiers for the regional meet in Imani Carmouche’ (high jump), Fick (3000 steeplechase), Rahni Turner (100 hurdles) and Crystal Washington (triple jump). It is Sythe’s second career Women’s Coach of the Year honor.
 
Kelly got the double hurdles gold at the conference meet, finishing first in the 110 hurdles (14.07) and 400 hurdles (52.31), and ran a leg on the 4x400 relay team that also won the event. He qualified in both hurdles events and will most likely run a leg on the 4x400 relay at the NCAA West Preliminaries.
 
Smith earned three titles at The Big West Championships, winning the long jump (7.75m/25’5.25”), triple jump (15.54m/51’0”) and high jump (2.11m/6’11”) and qualified for the regional meet in all three of the events. During the season, he came in first place in seven different occasions in the long jump and high jump.
 
Floriolli saw the podium three times at the conference meet. The first-year Titan took second (10.29) in the 100, third (21.17) in the 200 and ran a leg on the 4x100 relay team that won gold. Floriolli qualified for the regional meet in two events, the 100 (10.36) and the 200 (20.94).
 
In his first year as head coach, Barosso successfully defended the Titans’ conference title with 200 points scored. Cal State Fullerton won the meet for the second year in a row and have now won it four of the last five times. The Titans had seven individuals qualify for the NCAA West Preliminaries across 10 events in Cooper Bibbs (100, 200), Alonzo Floriolli (100, 200), Charles Kelly (110 hurdles, 400 hurdles), Daniel Palacio (pole vault), Shallamar Poole (high jump), Reyte Rash (400 hurdles) and Christian Wood (long jump), as well as the 4x400 relay squad.