LONG BEACH, Calif. - Senior Barbara Coward started the season on a high note as she won the hammer throw and broke her own school record in the process Friday at the Beach Opener.
 

BARBARA. COWARD. ??????

Already making statements as she tops her own school record in the hammer throw with this toss of 59.79m at the Beach Opener! ?? pic.twitter.com/9FOvv24WP2

— UCI Track & Field (@UCIcctf) March 2, 2019

Coward finished ahead of the pack with a heave of 59.79m on her second attempt in the finals. She beat the runner-up by 2.61m and topped her previous standard by over one meter in the outdoor season opener. Just last week, the Atwater, Calif., native wrapped up the indoor campaign with a program-best 17.80m in the weight throw.  
 
Junior Brianna Villanueva also advanced to the finals where she placed fourth with a personal-record 50.34m. She moved up two spots to No. 6 on UCI's all-time charts. Freshman Tayla Crenshaw added a ninth-place showing in her Anteater debut (44.80m).

UC Irvine returns to Jack Rose Track on Saturday, March 2, for the second day of the Beach Opener. Action gets underway with the 3000m at 8 a.m.