IRVINE, Calif. - UC Irvine will be adding a new home meet to its schedule this year with the inaugural Vince O'Boyle Track & Field Classic.
 
The two-day meet, which is set for April 1-2, 2022, is named after legendary head coach Vince O'Boyle, who spent 32 years at the helm of the Anteater cross country/track & field program.
 
"Vince O'Boyle has been the cornerstone of this program for so many years," said current head coach Jeff Perkins. "His pride, passion and dedication to UCI Cross Country and Track & Field for 32 seasons is something that not many can say they have been able to accomplish. It only made sense to honor Vince for all he's done, for as long as he's done it, with the naming of this meet in its inaugural season on campus in 2022."
 
A 20-time Big West Coach of the Year, O'Boyle led the 'Eaters to 12 conference titles in women's cross country and seven in men's cross country. He orchestrated the first Big West dynasty on the women's side as they won nine of the first 10 team and individual league championships. In 1984, UC Irvine posted a perfect 15-point score, a feat that has yet to be duplicated in the Big West.
 
O'Boyle also took the women's cross country team to the national stage as they made four trips to the NCAA Championships during his tenure. His teams had three top-10 finishes, including in 1990 when the Anteaters placed fourth in the nation.
 
On the track, O'Boyle coached numerous All-Americans, most notably Charles Jock, the 2012 NCAA individual champion in the 800m and a 2016 Olympian. Overall, the longtime head coach mentored 27 All-Americans and 23 Big West Athletes of the Year.
 
O'Boyle has been inducted into the UCI Athletics Hall of Fame (2020) and the Mt. SAC Relays Hall of Fame (2010).
 
The full 2022 UC Irvine outdoor track & field schedule will be released shortly.