The Long Beach State track and field team will have a split squad this weekend as it heads to Los Angeles for the annual California/Nevada Collegiate Track and Field Championships, March 28-29, while it sends seven distance runners to the Stanford Invitational (March 27-28).
A Glance at the Cal/Nevada Championships
The Cal/Nevada Championships will take place at UCLA’s 11,700-seat Drake Stadium. Field events begin with the women’s javelin on Saturday at 10:30 a.m., and at 11 a.m. on Sunday with the women’s discus. Running events will get underway at 1 p.m. on Saturday with the men’s 110-meter hurdles and on Sunday at 1:30 p.m. with the 4x100m relay. A distance carnival will begin at 6 p.m. on Saturday night with the steeplechase, 5000m and 10,000m being contested.
“The Cal/Nevada championship is a unique, one-of-a-kind event that is not run anywhere else in the country,” said 49er head track and field coach Andy Sythe. “This is a special meet where every division is invited to attend for a chance to crown a true state champion. We are excited to be in this meet and we are just as excited to be competing at Drake Stadium.”
The 49ers are expecting more solid performances from sophomore Rajan Bains after he posted Big West qualifying marks in the shot put and discus at the USC Invitational last weekend. Senior Jennifer Onyeagbako will once again be counted on to anchor the women’s field events as she enters the meet as the top seed in the discus and fourth seed in both the shot put and hammer throw.
About the Stanford Invitational
The Beach will send a contingent of seven distance runners to the Stanford Invitational, March 27-28. Action will get underway for the 49ers on Friday with the women’s 5000-meter run set to start at 11:18 a.m. All of LBSU’s athletes will be competing on the first day of competition, while junior Alex Freitas wraps up the action on Saturday with the 800m at 2:14 p.m.
“This is one of the premier distance meets in the country,” said 49er assistant track and field coach Patrick Cunniff. “This year the meet has gotten even tighter and has more elite competition than it ever has before.”
A Look Back — USC Invitational Recap
Freshman Janelle Coulter highlighted the competition at the USC Invitational for the 49ers, winning the high jump with a lifetime-best 5-06.00. Senior Jennifer Onyeagbako also had a strong meet as she was LBSU’s top finisher in the hammer (191-09), discus (159-01) and shot put (45-07). Her mark in the hammer was a career-long and was just 1 foot, 8 inches off the school record.
Sophomore Rajan Bains paced the men’s squad with personal records in the discus (184-03) and shot put (50-02.75). On the track, junior Kenneth Medwood took third in the 400-meter hurdles with a time of 53.61. Sophomore Chris Lawson also had a good race in the 110m hurdles with a fourth-place finish (14.57). Senior Austin Fowler, meanwhile, notched a top 10 performance in the 200-meter dash, crossing the finish line in 21.89 seconds.
Around the Big West
After just two outdoor meets, Long Beach State has qualified 33 athletes for the Big West Championships. In addition, Carly Harris (5000m) and Jennifer Onyeagbako (discus, hammer) have already recorded NCAA Regional qualifying marks in their respective events.
On the Big West performance lists, Austin Fowler currently holds the top time in the conference in the 200-meter dash at 21.65. Alex Goldberg, Fowler, Richard Crawford and Kenneth Medwood also own the league’s fastest mark in the 4x100m relay at 41.34, while Gabe Rodriguez ranks first in the javelin (198-04.25). For the women, Jennifer Onyeagbako is No. 1 in the hammer throw (191-09.75).
Up Next
Long Beach State will return to Drake Stadium next weekend as it is slated to compete in the UCLA Invitational, April 3-4.
Report By LBSU