SEATTLE, Wash. – Senior Crystal Lizaola highlighted the final day of the UW Invitational for the UC Irvine women's indoor track & field team as she broke a five-year old 800m school record Saturday at Dempsey Indoor.
Lizaola, who shaved six seconds off her lifetime best, finished 20th overall with a program-record 2:12.93. The Los Angeles, Calif., native beat the previous record of 2:13.75, which was set by Sakia Sailinuu in 2012. In just the second week of the season, Lizaola became the second 'Eater to take down one of UCI's top marks.
In her fourth race of the day, senior Megan George claimed runner-up honors in a very tight 60-meter hurdle final that was decided by two thousandths of a second. Both George and San Diego State's Andrenette Knight clocked in at 8.50, but Knight had the edge at 8.494 compared to George's 8.496. George qualified for the finals with a second-place finish in the prelims (8.61).
George also competed in the 60-meter dash where she won her qualifying heat in 7.74 seconds before placing 20th in the prelims (7.76).
Junior Persis William-Mensah took fourth in the 60m finals (7.53). She was one of eight automatic qualifiers after placing second in the prelims with a time of 7.50, just .01 seconds off her school record.
Junior Tyra Jones started the day by finishing third in the qualifying round of the 60m hurdles (8.82). She was then unable to advance out of the prelims as she came in 12th (8.87). Sophomore Hope Bushnell did the same in the 60m where she was 14th in qualifying (7.78) and 17th in the prelims (7.72).
Also in the 60m, senior Michelle Norman ran a lifetime-best 7.86 (21st) and Jones matched her season best at 8.02 (34th) in the qualifying round, but both fell short of advancing to the prelims.
Senior Marisa Gonzalez led a trio of 'Eaters in the mile with a personal-record 5:16.73. Senior Aliya Shah also notched a lifetime-best 5:24.59.
UC Irvine will have a week off from competition before traveling to Albuquerque, N.M., for the Don Kirby Invitational, Feb. 10-11.
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