Report By LBSU
The Long Beach State track and field team will send 12 athletes to Eugene, Ore., for the NCAA West Regional Championships, May 29-30, at Hayward Field on the University of Oregon campus. The two-day meet is slated to get underway on Friday with the men’s javelin throw at 2:40 p.m., while Saturday’s action is set to begin at noon with the men’s discus.
The top five finishers in each event earn an automatic bid to the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships, while the at-large selections are chosen from the top 12 finishers based on national ranking.
“The great thing about this meet is that everyone has a chance to qualify for the championship meet,” said LBSU head coach Andy Sythe. “We are looking forward to seeing what this level of competition will bring out in our athletes.”
Leading the way is junior Kenneth Medwood, the only 49er who will be competing in more than one event. Medwood, who is a multiple All-Big West performer, qualified for the 400-meter hurdles and the long jump.
Senior Rodney Hawkins is looking to extend his final season at The Beach as he will be competing in the triple jump. Hawkins recently improved his lifetime best by over two feet (51-07.25) to place second at the Big West Championships.
Also contending for an automatic bid to the NCAA Championships will be Alex Black (high jump), Colin Dunbar (hammer), Alex Freitas (800m), Dylan Jaedtke (steeplechase), Matt Maldonado (1500m), Nimrod Piggee (110 hurdles) and Patrick Smith (javelin).
On the women’s side, senior Carly Harris qualified for both the 5000-meter run and the steeplechase, but will only be competing in the latter event this weekend. Harris recently established a school record and placed second in the steeple at the conference championships with a time of 10:28.31. Rounding out the 49er women’s contingent are Missy Barclay (1500m) and Tayler O’Connor (high jump).
Senior Jennifer Onyeagbako also notched qualifying marks for the regional meet in the discus and hammer throw, but will be unable to compete due to a season-ending injury suffered at the Beach Invitational (April 18).