FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. – Senior Megan George bettered her own school record in the 60-meter hurdles to lead the UC Irvine women's indoor track & field team in their season opener Saturday at the Lumberjack Team Challenge.
"We had a very good overall performance from the group in all events for our first meet of the year," head coach Jeff Perkins said. "Megan really stepped up and competed. She left with a new school record so it just shows where she is right now."
George wasted no time in setting a high standard for her final campaign as she claimed runner-up honors in the 60H with an altitude-adjusted time of 8.44 seconds. That mark topped her previous best of 8.54, which she set last year at the MPSF Championships. Junior Tyra Jones also came in seventh with a personal-record 8.77, putting her in a tie for fourth in program history.
Three 'Eaters finished among the top-10 in the 60-meter dash. Junior Persis William-Mensah took third at 7.51, which was just .02 seconds off her school record from 2016. George placed seventh as she ran a lifetime-best 7.72 to move up one spot to No. 4 in the UCI record books. Sophomore Hope Bushnell also cracked the program's all-time top-10 with a personal-best 7.77, which was good for ninth.
Freshman Anastasia Karnaze had a strong race in her first collegiate meet as she led the Anteaters in the mile with a fifth-place finish. Karnaze clocked in at 5:14.39, which puts her seventh all-time at UC Irvine.
In the field events, sophomore Barbara Coward, who is UCI's outdoor record holder in the discus, had an impressive outing in her first career indoor meet as she finished fourth in the weight throw with a big toss of 55-00.25. That mark puts her second among the program's all-time top-10, behind classmate Dazhana Bauer-Jackson (55-10.25). The two are the only 'Eaters to surpass the 50-foot mark in school history.
Freshmen Brianna Villanueva (44-02) and Alison Meegan (44-01.25) also entered the record books at No. 6 and 7, respectively.
Senior Ariel Cheng cleared 11-11.75 to place second overall in the pole vault, while sophomore Adrienne Lee was fifth (10-11.75).
Senior Melanie Speech came in seventh in the shot put with a distance of 39-11.25.
UC Irvine returns to action next weekend when it heads to Seattle, Wash., for the UW Invitational, Jan. 27-28.
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