Wednesday, April 17
Azusa, CA
7:50 PM PT
UC Irvine
at
Bryan Clay Invitational
Women's Track & Field Prepares for Busy Week
April 16, 2019 | Women's Track & Field
Bryan Clay Invitational
Dates: April 17-19 (Wednesday-Friday)
Location: Cougar Athletic Stadium - Azusa, Calif.
Live Results // Meet Info
Pacific Coast Intercollegiate
Date: Thursday, April 18
Location: Jack Rose Track - Long Beach, Calif.
Live Results // Meet Info
Mt. SAC Relays
Date: Friday, April 19
Location: El Camino College - Torrance, Calif.
Live Results // Meet Info
Beach Invitational
Dates: April 19-20 (Friday-Saturday)
Location: Jack Rose Track - Long Beach, Calif.
Live Results // Meet Info
Notes (PDF)
IRVINE, Calif. - The UC Irvine women's track & field team is gearing up for a busy week with the distance runners kicking things off at the Bryan Clay Invitational in Azusa, April 17-19. The Anteaters will also send a handful of sprinters to the Mt. SAC Relays in Torrance on Friday, April 19, while most of the squad will make their way to Long Beach for the Pacific Coast Intercollegiate on Thursday, April 18, and the Beach Invitational, April 19-20.
STORYLINES
• Senior Barbara Coward has already broken her own school records in the hammer (196-02) and discus (186-04).
• She earned back-to-back Big West Women's Field Athlete of the Week nods on March 5 and 12.
• Coward has been working her way back from an injury, competing in only the discus in each of the last three meets.
• Freshman Zani Meaders established the eighth-fastest 400m time in program history in her outdoor collegiate debut.
• Senior Elizabeth Akindele earned her second shot put win with a season-best 45-09.25 at the Big West Challenge.
• Freshman Hannah Chau has run two races in 2019, notching UCI's best times of the year in the 3000m and 5000m.
• Senior Adrienne Lee has cleared a PR 11-11.75 in the pole vault in each of her last two outings.
• All of UCI's regular-season meets will take place in Southern California.
• The only time UCI travels outside of the region is for NCAA postseason competition.
• The NCAA West Prelims are in Sacramento, while the NCAA Championships will be held in Austin, Texas.
• The 'Eaters have a good mix of experience and youth with 21 returners and 18 newcomers.
• Of their 21 returners, 10 have already etched their names in the program's record book.
LAST TIME OUT
• Two Anteaters competed in UC San Diego's Triton Invitational last weekend.
• Barbara Coward led the way, breaking her own school record in the discus with a toss of 186-04.
• Her top mark came on her final attempt in Flight 1, and was good enough to give her three more throws in the finals.
• Although she did not see an improvement, Coward had a couple more impressive marks of 183-11 and 181-05.
• She placed first among collegians and sixth overall.
• Senior Julia Sambvani also ran the 400m, registering a lifetime-best 58.78.
DOUBLE THREAT
• Barbara Coward has continued to rewrite the record books, bettering her own standards in the hammer and discus.
• Last weekend at the Triton Invitational, she broke her own UCI discus record with a lifetime-best 186-04.
• That mark ranks first in the Big West, eighth in the West Region and 10th in all of NCAA Division I.
• In her season debut at the Beach Opener, Coward also established a program-best 196-02 in the hammer throw.
• She has not competed in the hammer over the last five weeks while recovering from an abdominal injury.
• Despite missing a handful of meets, she is still No. 1 in the conference and 26th in the West Region.
• Coward earned the first two Big West Women's Field Athlete of the Week awards of the 2019 campaign.
• The Atwater, Calif., native has combined for four individual victories in seven hammer and discus competitions.
MORE FROM THE THROWERS
• Junior Brianna Villanueva has provided a solid 1-2 punch behind Coward in the discus and hammer.
• She has already established multiple PRs in both events and finished no lower than fifth in six meets this year.
• Villanueva ranks fifth in school history in the hammer throw (178-05) and seventh in the discus (157-07).
• Freshman Tayla Crenshaw added a lifetime-best 158-02 in the hammer to come in at No. 9 on UCI's all-time charts.
• Senior Elizabeth Akindele won the shot put at the Ben Brown Invitational and Big West Challenge.
FRESHMAN PHENOM
• In her first collegiate outdoor meet, freshman Zani Meaders etched her name among UCI's elite 400m runners.
• Meaders won the 400 by over a second at the UC Irvine Spring Break Collegiate Classic with a time of 55.74.
• She saw an improvement in her next outing at the Jim Bush Legends Invitational, running 55.68 to finish second.
• That mark puts the Chino Hills native at No. 8 in school history.
• Meaders is only the third Anteater in the last six years to crack the program's all-time top-10 in the 400m.
• During the indoor campaign, Meaders broke the 400m school record (55.78), while ranking sixth in the 200m (25.36).
LAST HURRAH
• Senior Hope Bushnell looks to improve on a pair of top-three marks in school history in her final campaign.
• Last year, she ran the Anteaters' second-fastest 200m (24.03) and third-fastest 100m (11.76).
• In her 2019 outdoor debut, Bushnell swept the short sprints with impressive early season marks of 11.88 and 24.37.
• She added another event win in the 100m at the UC Riverside Spring Track Classic.
• The Upland, Calif., native is a two-time All-Big West performer.
BIG WEST DISTANCE QUALIFIERS
• Last year, UC Irvine's distance squad combined for two Big West qualifying marks in the 5000m and steeplechase.
• In just the second meet of 2019, the 'Eaters bettered that total with three qualifying times.
• Mariah Theologidy clocked in at 17:46.58 to finish second in the 5000m at the UCI Spring Break Collegiate Classic.
• Brenda Dorantes was not far behind in third with a time of 17:51.34.
• Anastasia Karnaze also notched a Big West qualifier in the steeplechase (11:10.17).
• Karnaze went on to improve her time with a personal-best 10:58.72 at the Big West Challenge.
• Theologidy added a season-best and conference qualifying mark of 11:29.48 in the steeple.
• Hannah Chau joined the group of qualifiers in her outdoor debut, running a 5000m season-best 17:30.70 at UCLA.
UP NEXT
• UC Irvine returns to Anteater Stadium next weekend, hosting the Steve Scott Invitational, April 26-27.
• UCI will hold an Alumni Reunion, and also recognize its current seniors in their final home meet on Saturday, April 27.
Dates: April 17-19 (Wednesday-Friday)
Location: Cougar Athletic Stadium - Azusa, Calif.
Live Results // Meet Info
Pacific Coast Intercollegiate
Date: Thursday, April 18
Location: Jack Rose Track - Long Beach, Calif.
Live Results // Meet Info
Mt. SAC Relays
Date: Friday, April 19
Location: El Camino College - Torrance, Calif.
Live Results // Meet Info
Beach Invitational
Dates: April 19-20 (Friday-Saturday)
Location: Jack Rose Track - Long Beach, Calif.
Live Results // Meet Info
Notes (PDF)
IRVINE, Calif. - The UC Irvine women's track & field team is gearing up for a busy week with the distance runners kicking things off at the Bryan Clay Invitational in Azusa, April 17-19. The Anteaters will also send a handful of sprinters to the Mt. SAC Relays in Torrance on Friday, April 19, while most of the squad will make their way to Long Beach for the Pacific Coast Intercollegiate on Thursday, April 18, and the Beach Invitational, April 19-20.
STORYLINES
• Senior Barbara Coward has already broken her own school records in the hammer (196-02) and discus (186-04).
• She earned back-to-back Big West Women's Field Athlete of the Week nods on March 5 and 12.
• Coward has been working her way back from an injury, competing in only the discus in each of the last three meets.
• Freshman Zani Meaders established the eighth-fastest 400m time in program history in her outdoor collegiate debut.
• Senior Elizabeth Akindele earned her second shot put win with a season-best 45-09.25 at the Big West Challenge.
• Freshman Hannah Chau has run two races in 2019, notching UCI's best times of the year in the 3000m and 5000m.
• Senior Adrienne Lee has cleared a PR 11-11.75 in the pole vault in each of her last two outings.
• All of UCI's regular-season meets will take place in Southern California.
• The only time UCI travels outside of the region is for NCAA postseason competition.
• The NCAA West Prelims are in Sacramento, while the NCAA Championships will be held in Austin, Texas.
• The 'Eaters have a good mix of experience and youth with 21 returners and 18 newcomers.
• Of their 21 returners, 10 have already etched their names in the program's record book.
LAST TIME OUT
• Two Anteaters competed in UC San Diego's Triton Invitational last weekend.
• Barbara Coward led the way, breaking her own school record in the discus with a toss of 186-04.
• Her top mark came on her final attempt in Flight 1, and was good enough to give her three more throws in the finals.
• Although she did not see an improvement, Coward had a couple more impressive marks of 183-11 and 181-05.
• She placed first among collegians and sixth overall.
• Senior Julia Sambvani also ran the 400m, registering a lifetime-best 58.78.
DOUBLE THREAT
• Barbara Coward has continued to rewrite the record books, bettering her own standards in the hammer and discus.
• Last weekend at the Triton Invitational, she broke her own UCI discus record with a lifetime-best 186-04.
• That mark ranks first in the Big West, eighth in the West Region and 10th in all of NCAA Division I.
• In her season debut at the Beach Opener, Coward also established a program-best 196-02 in the hammer throw.
• She has not competed in the hammer over the last five weeks while recovering from an abdominal injury.
• Despite missing a handful of meets, she is still No. 1 in the conference and 26th in the West Region.
• Coward earned the first two Big West Women's Field Athlete of the Week awards of the 2019 campaign.
• The Atwater, Calif., native has combined for four individual victories in seven hammer and discus competitions.
MORE FROM THE THROWERS
• Junior Brianna Villanueva has provided a solid 1-2 punch behind Coward in the discus and hammer.
• She has already established multiple PRs in both events and finished no lower than fifth in six meets this year.
• Villanueva ranks fifth in school history in the hammer throw (178-05) and seventh in the discus (157-07).
• Freshman Tayla Crenshaw added a lifetime-best 158-02 in the hammer to come in at No. 9 on UCI's all-time charts.
• Senior Elizabeth Akindele won the shot put at the Ben Brown Invitational and Big West Challenge.
FRESHMAN PHENOM
• In her first collegiate outdoor meet, freshman Zani Meaders etched her name among UCI's elite 400m runners.
• Meaders won the 400 by over a second at the UC Irvine Spring Break Collegiate Classic with a time of 55.74.
• She saw an improvement in her next outing at the Jim Bush Legends Invitational, running 55.68 to finish second.
• That mark puts the Chino Hills native at No. 8 in school history.
• Meaders is only the third Anteater in the last six years to crack the program's all-time top-10 in the 400m.
• During the indoor campaign, Meaders broke the 400m school record (55.78), while ranking sixth in the 200m (25.36).
LAST HURRAH
• Senior Hope Bushnell looks to improve on a pair of top-three marks in school history in her final campaign.
• Last year, she ran the Anteaters' second-fastest 200m (24.03) and third-fastest 100m (11.76).
• In her 2019 outdoor debut, Bushnell swept the short sprints with impressive early season marks of 11.88 and 24.37.
• She added another event win in the 100m at the UC Riverside Spring Track Classic.
• The Upland, Calif., native is a two-time All-Big West performer.
BIG WEST DISTANCE QUALIFIERS
• Last year, UC Irvine's distance squad combined for two Big West qualifying marks in the 5000m and steeplechase.
• In just the second meet of 2019, the 'Eaters bettered that total with three qualifying times.
• Mariah Theologidy clocked in at 17:46.58 to finish second in the 5000m at the UCI Spring Break Collegiate Classic.
• Brenda Dorantes was not far behind in third with a time of 17:51.34.
• Anastasia Karnaze also notched a Big West qualifier in the steeplechase (11:10.17).
• Karnaze went on to improve her time with a personal-best 10:58.72 at the Big West Challenge.
• Theologidy added a season-best and conference qualifying mark of 11:29.48 in the steeple.
• Hannah Chau joined the group of qualifiers in her outdoor debut, running a 5000m season-best 17:30.70 at UCLA.
UP NEXT
• UC Irvine returns to Anteater Stadium next weekend, hosting the Steve Scott Invitational, April 26-27.
• UCI will hold an Alumni Reunion, and also recognize its current seniors in their final home meet on Saturday, April 27.
Players Mentioned
Throws
/ Women's Track & Field
Sprints
/ Women's Track & Field
Distance
/ Women's Track & Field
Throws
/ Women's Track & Field
Throws
/ Women's Track & Field
Distance
/ Women's Track & Field
Distance
/ Women's Track & Field
Pole Vault
/ Women's Track & Field
Sprints
/ Women's Track & Field
Hurdles/Sprints
/ Women's Track & Field
Distance
/ Women's Track & Field
Throws
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