Reports From LBSU
The Long Beach State men’s track and field team won its third consecutive Big West Challenge Cup with 213 points, while the 49er women finished third (120.50) Friday evening at Anteater Stadium. The Beach had six first-place performances and established nine lifetime bests.
The 49ers took the top two spots in the 400-meter hurdles with Sam Jeter finishing ahead of the pack at 51.79 seconds, while Kenneth Medwood claimed runner-up honors, clocking in at 53.04.
Nimrod Piggee also won the 110m hurdles, posting a lifetime-best and the seventh-fastest mark in school history at 14.19.
Richard Crawford led The Beach in the 100-meter dash, notching a personal-record and Big West qualifying mark of 10.88. Nathan Alade (10.96) and Piggee (11.35) added season bests as they finished fourth and eighth, respectively. Crawford also took second in the 200m with a lifetime-best 21.80.
Mario Granville was Long Beach State’s top finisher in the 400m, placing fifth overall with a career-best 49.17. Alex Goldberg was just .01 seconds behind Granville, for a sixth-place finish (49.18).
Alex Freitas posted a second-place performance in the 800m with a time of 1:50.58, while Jonathan Evanshad a lifetime-best 1:52.09 to finish fourth.
Matt Maldonado established a personal-record 3:46.48 as he placed second overall in the 1500-meter run. Maldonado’s mark stands as the third-fastest time in school history. Mark Thomas also had a career-low 3:54.67, while Raul Arcos ran a season-best 3:55.48.
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Steven DeCastro topped his lifetime-best in the 3000-meter steeplechase with a mark of 9:17.43 for runner-up honors. Jacob Ainsworth came in fourth with a season-low 9:33.08. Both marks are Big West qualifiers.
In the 3000-meter run, Bret Hasvold placed third with a season-low 8:39.13.
The men closed out the running events on a high note as the 4×400 relay squad took second with a time of 3:14.39.
Over in the field events, Medwood won the long jump with a season-best 23-09.50, while Danny Bang made it a one-two finish for The Beach with a career-long 23-02.
In his 49er debut, Eric Nowell finished ahead of the pack with a Big West qualifying mark of 48-02 in the triple jump. He also took fourth in the long jump (21-05.25). Kevin Jenkins chipped in a third-place showing in the triple jump (47-00.75).
Alex Black posted a runner-up finish in the high jump, clearing 6-08.75, while Jenkins took third with a height of 6-04.75.
Cesar Puga led the 49er throwers as he was a dual winner, claiming the shot put and discus titles. Puga tied his season best in the shot at 53-05, while notching a distance of 178-06 in the discus.
Rajan Bains added second-place performances in the hammer (181-00), shot put (52-04), discus (162-00) and javelin (162-04). Bains, who was already a Big West qualifier in the shot put, discus and hammer, added a conference qualifying mark in the javelin.
On the women’s side, Randi Hicks and Alex Shaw once again led the 49er throwers as they took first and second in the javelin. Hicks won the event for the third time this season, recording a distance of 159-06.
Shari Harris was LBSU’s top finisher in the hammer, placing fourth with a season-long 144-04. Alexandra Cervantes was not far behind in fifth as she also notched a season-best 144-03.
Kayla Kamaka was the lone individual winner for the 49er women, claiming the pole vault title with a height of 11-07.75.
Both Katrina Graves-Johnson and Tayler O’Connor reached a season-high tying 5-07 in the high jump to finish second and third, respectively.
Jennifer Rodriguez also took third in the 3000m steeplechase. She established the fourth-best mark in LBSU history, crossing the finish line in 11 minutes, 11.42 seconds.
Denise Nunez notched a Big West qualifying mark in the 800m as she recorded a season-low 2:16.26 to finish sixth overall.
Alisia Barajas was the 49ers’ top finisher in the 3000m, netting a lifetime-best 10:07.25 for fifth place. Missy Barclay also posted a season-low 10:11.93 to finish sixth.
Kristen Kiefer led a trio of 49ers in the 100-meter hurdles with a fourth-place showing, clocking in with a season-best 14.73. Aiyana Welsh also had a personal-record 15.47, while Krissy Knowles (15.41) ran her fastest time of the season.
In the 400 hurdles, Brenda Finney placed fourth overall with a season-best 63.74.
Long Beach State returns to action with a busy week, starting with the Mt. SAC Decathlon-Heptathlon, April 14-15. The 49ers will also be competing in the Mt. Sac Relays (April 15-17), while hosting the Beach Invitational from April 16-17.