BIG WEST CHAMPIONSHIPS
Titan Track Complex - Fullerton, Calif.
May 12-13, 2017
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IRVINE, Calif. - The UC Irvine women's track & field team makes its way to Fullerton this weekend for the Big West Championships, May 12-13, at Titan Track Complex.
The conference meet gets underway Friday morning with the women's hammer throw at 10:30 a.m. The running events are then set for an afternoon start with the men's steeplechase at 3 p.m. On Saturday, the men's hammer kicks things off at 10 a.m., while the track events, which will be televised live on Fox Prime Ticket, begin with the men's 4x100 relay at 2:08 p.m.
"I am excited for our seniors who have worked so hard over the last four years and up to this point," UCI head coach Jeff Perkins said. "They have been the cornerstone of our program and will show who they are in this meet. We should have much success in many events both on the track and on the field. The team centers around our team leaders and feed off each other's successes in this type of competition, so we are looking forward to seeing what we can achieve and how much we all believe in each other to forge us forward amongst the other conference opponents. It should be a great meet and we are all really looking forward to it."
BIG WEST REWIND: At the 2016 Big West Championships, UC Irvine finished fifth in the team competition, while the 'Eaters had five all-conference performances (top-three). Megan George led the way as she defended her individual title in the 100m hurdles. She also joined forces with Taisyn Crutchfield, Michelle Norman and Persis William-Mensah to win the 4x100 relay in a school-record 44.51 seconds. William-Mensah added a runner-up showing in the 100m.
ALL WE DO IS WIN: The Anteaters notched 24 event wins (including relays) during the regular season. Barbara Coward placed first in the discus five times and threw for over 174 feet in eight of nine meets, including at the Ben Brown Invite where she unleashed a school-record 180-08. Persis William-Mensah also owns five victories with four coming in the 100m and one in the 200m. She established a program-best 11.57 in the 100m at the Mondo Team Challenge. Elizabeth Akindele (Shot Put) and Megan George (100H) have added three top finishes each.
SETTING THE STANDARD: Senior Megan George has continued her success in the 100m hurdles during her final campaign. She opened the year at the UCI Spring Break Collegiate Classic where she ran a then Big West-leading 13.70 to claim runner-up honors. George then picked up three consecutive victories, winning the 100H at the UCR Spring Classic Invitational (13.76), Mondo Team Challenge (13.54) and Big West Challenge (13.37). Most recently, she ran a season-best 13.30 at the Steve Scott Invitational. George, who has already qualified for her third NCAA West Preliminary, will be looking for her third-straight Big West 100H title this weekend. She owns the school record at 13.28 seconds.
SUMMER TO REMEMBER: Junior Persis William-Mensah had an eye-opening summer in 2016 as she traveled to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to compete in the Olympic Games as a member of Ghana's 4x100 relay team. At UC Irvine, William-Mensah is an all-conference performer and school record holder in both the 100m (11.57) and 4x100 (44.51). She turned it up a notch recently, running three consecutive wind-aided sub-11.50 races from April 7-15. William-Mensah highlighted that stretch with a Big West-leading and NCAA West Preliminary qualifying 11.41 (2.8) in an individual victory at the Mt. SAC Relays.
DOUBLE UP: Sophomore Barbara Coward claimed two Big West Women's Field Athlete of the Week awards in 2017. Her first honor came after shattering the school and meet record in the discus with a toss of 177-10 at the All-UC Challenge. The Atwater, Calif., native then uncorked a throw of 180-08 at the Ben Brown Invitational. Coward's new standard ranks second in the Big West, 11th in the West Region and 19th in the NCAA.
VAULTING TO SUCCESS: Senior Ariel Cheng is a two-time All-Big West performer in the pole vault and owns a personal-best 12-10.75, which ranks second in school history. Cheng earned her first victory of the 2017 campaign at the UCI Spring Break Collegiate Classic, while she went on to defend her title at the Big West Challenge. She also cleared a season-best 12-09.50 to tie for first in her section at the Beach Invitational.
CRYSTAL CLEAR: Senior Crystal Lizaola has been outstanding in the 400m hurdles and 800m this year as she has combined for six lifetime bests in the two events. Her current PR of 60.69 in the 400H came at the Beach Invitational, while she posted her top 800m time (2:09.93) at the Triton Invitational. Both marks rank ninth in school history and are the fourth-fastest in the Big West this season. She will focus on the hurdles at the Big West Championships.
AROUND THE HORN: Hope Bushnell has finished fifth or better in eight of 13 races this season … She cracked UCI's all-time top-10 in the 100m and 200m with wind-legal bests of 11.89 and 24.24, respectively … Tyra Jones posted back-to-back lifetime bests in the 100H on April 1 and 7 … She currently ranks fourth in school history at 13.72 … Jones also established a personal-record 61.39 in the 400H at the Steve Scott Invitational … Dazhana Bauer-Jackson registered a season-best 179-07 in the hammer throw, just four inches short of her career-best 179-11, which ranks second in program history.
UP NEXT: The 'Eaters will continue postseason action at the NCAA West Preliminaries in Austin, Texas, from May 25-27. The top-12 finishers in each event then advance to the NCAA Championships in Eugene, Ore., June 7-10.
