FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. - Senior Barbara Coward led the UC Irvine women's indoor track & field team with a record-breaking performance in the weight throw Friday at the season-opening Lumberjack Team Challenge.
 
"With the start of a new indoor season, we were looking to dust some rust off with us getting into competing again," head coach Jeff Perkins said. "The day started off a little rough for us, but we got our focus back and it ended with a nice school record out of Barbara. It's never a bad day when you are able to come home with a new school record."
 
In her first meet of the year, Coward beat the previous program record by over a foot with a mark of 57-05.75. It was also an improvement of two feet in her own personal best. The Atwater, Calif., native now holds the top mark in school history in three events as she set the standard in the hammer and discus during the 2018 outdoor season. Coward finished fifth out of 18 competitors.
 

One meet ??, one record ??

Barbara breaks the school record in the weight throw with this PR of 57-05.75?? pic.twitter.com/jGx4Zt5RvE

— UCI Track & Field (@UCIcctf) January 19, 2019

Junior Brianna Villanueva and senior Alison Meegan also established lifetime bests in the weight throw. Villanueva, who placed seventh, recorded a toss of 52-11, which puts her at No. 3 in program history. Meegan was right behind her with UCI's fourth-best mark at 51-09.75. Coward, Villanueva and Meegan are three of only four Anteaters to surpass 50 feet in the weight throw.
 
Freshman Lorraine Nance made a statement in her collegiate debut with a runner-up showing in the triple jump. Nance's mark of 38-01 is third in school history, making her the first 'Eater to crack the top-five in the event since 2014. Junior Tatyana Hamlett added a personal-best 37-01, which puts her at No. 7.
 
In other field events, senior Elizabeth Akindele was seventh in the shot put (43-03.25), while sophomore Natalie Koppel and Hamlett (16-11.5) each had an indoor-best in the long jump. Koppel's leap of 17-11.75 ranks seventh on UC Irvine's all-time charts.
 
On the track, senior Julia Sambvani, freshman Zani Meaders, sophomore Mikayla Scott and junior Cecily Montanez took third in the 4x400 relay with a time of 3:52.69.
 
Senior Mychal Robinson led four 'Eaters in the 60m hurdles, coming in fourth with a personal-record 8.57 seconds (8.61aa). Junior Imani Jones added a lifetime-best 9.14 (9.18aa). 

Senior Hope Bushnell was UCI's top finisher in the 60m as she clocked in at 7.65 seconds (7.69 altitude adjusted), which was good for seventh. Scott registered a time of 7.91 (7.95aa), while Robinson (7.99) and Koppel (8.05) notched PRs.
 
In the 200m, Meaders ran a 25.62 (25.76aa) to rank ninth in school history.

Senior Megan Mirkhanian paced the Anteater milers with an altitude-adjusted personal-record 5:18.86. Freshman Natalie Ewe wasn't far behind at 5:23.15.
 
UC Irvine will continue the season next weekend when it heads to Seattle, Wash., for the UW Invitational, Jan. 25-26.