2017-track-team-huddle

5 Things to Know Before the Big West Challenge

IRVINE, Calif. - The UC Irvine men's and women's track & field teams welcome conference foes Cal State Fullerton, Long Beach State and UC Santa Barbara to Anteater Stadium for the 26th annual Big West Challenge on Friday, April 6. It is the first time since 2014 the 'Eaters will be hosting the meet.

Before UCI returns to action tomorrow, let's take a look back at some of the top performances so far this season.

1. BUILDING A LEGACY
Senior Persis William-Mensah has continued to build her legacy as one of UC Irvine track & field's all-time greats. She entered the 2018 campaign as the school record holder in the 100m (11.57) and 4x100 relay (44.51), and has added the 200m to her resume this year. William-Mensah broke a 22-year old record with a lifetime-best 23.90 at the UCI Spring Break Collegiate Classic on March 17, before topping that performance one week later with a new PR of 23.88 at the UC Riverside Spring Track Classic. The Costa Mesa native is the first 'Eater to run a sub-24 second 200m, shattering Toby Dean's previous standard of 24.06, which had held up since 1996. She also bettered her own indoor records in the 60m and 200m earlier this year.
 
"Persis is finally coming into her own as one of the elites in more than just the 100m within the conference," UC Irvine head coach Jeff Perkins said. "She obviously has had the success we have worked for, but we are looking for more on the national stage, so that is now our aim."
 
William-Mensah had a couple eye-opening experiences over the last two summers that will benefit her as she continues to work toward her NCAA goals this year. In 2016, William-Mensah reached the pinnacle of the sport as she was one of 16 athletes to represent Ghana at the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. She was selected for the 4x100 relay pool after running the 100m at the African Senior Track & Field Championships. In 2017, she was also a member of Ghana's 4x100 that earned a berth into the IAAF World Championships in London.
 
2. JUNIOR SPEEDSTERS
Junior Brandon Lucas has been the top sprinter on the men's side with the team's fastest times of the season in the 100m, 200m and 400m. He won the 200m at the Mondo Team Challenge in a personal-record and Big West leading 21.08, despite running into a 2.0 headwind. His mark ranks seventh in school history, making him the first Anteater to crack the top-10 since Dayne Comrie in 2008. Lucas was also the runner-up in the 100m with a lifetime-best 10.60, which is the sixth-fastest time at UC Irvine. He added a season-best 48.56 in the 400m at the UCR Spring Track Classic.
 
Junior Asa Allen has finished ahead of the pack in each of his last two 110m hurdle races. He won the event in a season-best 14.28 at the UCR Spring Track Classic, before another first-place performance at the Mondo Team Challenge (14.35). Allen, who ranks eighth among the program's all-time leaders, was also the top NCAA DI finisher at the UCI Spring Break Collegiate Classic (14.48).
 
Lucas (200m, 21.08) and Allen (110H, 14.28) are both tops in the Big West and are among the top-25 in the NCAA West Region in their respective events, while Bushnell ranks among the conference's top-four in both the 100m and 200m.

On the women's side, junior Hope Bushnell owns a pair of 100m victories and three third-place finishes in the 200m. She established a wind-legal personal-record 11.77 in the 100m and an all-conditions lifetime-best 24.06 in the 200m at the UCR Spring Track Classic. Her 200m time ranks second in program history behind only teammate Persis William-Mensah.
 
3. FRESHMAN PHENOM
Freshman Seth Enochs had a remarkable start to his collegiate career, winning the long jump in each of his first three meets. He opened the 2018 campaign by taking top honors with a mark of 23-02.5 on a rainy day at the Ben Brown Invitational. The Yucca Valley, Calif., native then claimed his second individual victory at the UCI Spring Break Collegiate Classic on March 17. He had the top distance in the prelims with a then personal-record 24-01.75. It was the first time an Anteater surpassed the 24-foot mark since 1992. Enochs wasn't done, however, as he saw an improvement of over three inches in the finals, hitting 24-05.5. It was the best jump by an 'Eater in 34 years and tied for fifth in program history. He went on to pick up his third-straight title at the UCR Spring Track Classic (24-00.25).
 
"Seth has been a pleasant surprise," Perkins said. "As a young man, he works very hard and keeps his focus in training and throughout competition in a meet. His upside is tremendous and I am excited for his future within our program."
 
Enochs' 24-05.5 is third in the Big West and 29th in the NCAA West Region.
 
4. REACHING NEW HEIGHTS
Junior pole vaulter Adrienne Lee has established three personal records in four meets. She matched her old lifetime-best of 11-03.75 at the season-opening Ben Brown Invitational before clearing 11-06.25 at the UCR Spring Track Classic. Lee continued to raise the bar at last weekend's Mondo Team Challenge where she reached 11-07.75 to move up to No. 6 in program history.
 
5. REWRITING THE RECORD BOOKS
In addition to the aforementioned performances, a handful of other Anteaters have etched their names in the school record books. Junior Barbara Coward recently established a lifetime-best 177-04 in the hammer throw, putting her at No. 3 on UCI's all-time charts. Coward is currently second in the Big West in the hammer and first in the discus (164-06). She already owns a program-best 180-08 in the discus, which she established last year. In the men's hammer, senior Jon Dickinson moved up one spot to No. 9 with a personal-record 176-02 at the Ben Brown Invitational.
 
Sophomore Brianna Villanueva also sits at No. 7 in the discus (151-01), while classmate Anastasia Karnaze is fifth in the steeplechase (11:02.61). In addition, junior Mychal Robinson ran the eighth-fastest 100m hurdle time at 14.00 seconds. Overall, 22 current student-athletes are among the top-10 in their respective events with 13 of those marks being set during the 2018 campaign.


***  Update (April 10): The Anteaters produced more top individual performances at last Friday's Big West Challenge. Barbara Coward led the way with two event wins and a school-record 187-07 in the hammer throw. She was also first in the discus with a season-best 169-03. On the track, Persis William-Mensah broke her own program record in the 100m where she clocked in at a wind-legal lifetime-best 11.51. 

Women's Recap // Men's Recap


 
Print Friendly Version