Red & Black Invitational
Date: Friday, April 2
Time: 9 a.m. (PDT)
Location: Matador Track & Field Complex - Northridge, Calif.
Live Results // Meet Schedule

Notes (PDF)

IRVINE, Calif. - The UC Irvine women's track & field team will send a majority of its squad to Northridge on Friday, April 2, for the Red & Black Invitational at the Matador Track & Field Complex.
 
Four Big West schools - UCI, CSU Bakersfield, UC Davis and host CSUN - are set to compete in the one-day meet. The women's events will begin with the hammer throw and pole vault at 9 a.m., while action on the track gets underway a couple hours later with the 4x100 relay at 11 a.m. The Anteaters have 35 student-athletes entered in 16 events. Junior Hannah Chau will also be competing in the 10K at the Sound Running Collegiate Invite at Crean Lutheran High School in Irvine.
 
QUICK HITS
• The Anteaters have one of their larger rosters in recent history with 29 returners and 26 newcomers.
• Nine student-athletes will be making their season debuts on Friday.
• After two weeks of action, six 'Eaters have already combined for seven marks that rank among the program's top-10.
• At UCLA, Kayla Richardson ran UCI's fifth-fastest 100m (11.80) and eighth-fastest 200m (24.19).
• She was named the Big West Women's Track Athlete of the Week for her effort.
• Lorraine Nance won the triple jump at the Ben Brown Invite with a PR 39-03, which ranks sixth in school history.
• Tayla Crenshaw (43-03.75) and Deandra Tyler (42-09.75) are also No. 7 and No. 8, respectively, in the shot put.
• Carly Johnson's PR 128-10 in the javelin is the program's eighth-best mark since the specifications changed in 1999.
• Hannah Chau also established UCI's eighth-best 5K time (16:54.40) in the season opener.
• UC Irvine has two sets of siblings on its roster - Zani Meaders and Zoi Meaders, and Chaselyn Amos and Shaelyn Amos.
 
RICHARDSON EARNS ATHLETE OF THE WEEK HONORS
Kayla Richardson (Walnut, Calif.) was named the Big West Women's Track Athlete of the Week on Tuesday, March 30. She was recognized for her performance at UCLA's Jim Bush Legends Invitational where, despite running into a headwind in both races, she established the fastest 100m and 200m times in the Big West this season. Richardson won the 100m (11.80) and claimed runner-up honors in the 200m (24.19). She is the first Anteater to take home Big West Women's Track Athlete of the Week honors since 2016.
 
Richardson is a graduate transfer from USC where she was a 2017 NCAA West Preliminary qualifier in the 400m. Earlier that year, she set the Philippines' national 400m record with a time of 53.81 at the Mt. SAC Relays.
 
LAST TIME OUT
The 'Eaters sent a group of 13 student-athletes to UCLA's Jim Bush Legends Invitational last Wednesday. Adding to Kayla Richardson's top performances on the track was junior Zani Meaders, who took second in the 400m (56.41). Senior Cecily Montanez was also the runner-up in the 400m hurdles, establishing a personal record for the second meet in a row with a time of 63.80.
 
In the field events, junior Tayla Crenshaw notched a lifetime-best 43-03.75 in the shot put, moving her up two spots to No. 7 in program history. Senior Brianna Villanueva contributed top-three finishes in the hammer (171-10) and discus (157-09). In the javelin, freshman Carly Johnson notched a lifetime-best 128-10. Junior Lorraine Nance was also the runner-up in the triple jump (38-09), and registered a personal-best 17-11.5 in the long jump.
 
The UC Irvine distance crew was in action on their home track, hosting the Anteater Distance Twilight on Thursday, March 25. Sophomore Elizabeth Celada Padilla led a quartet of 'Eaters in the 800m where she was third with a time of 2:21.30. Junior Hannah Chau was sixth out of 28 in the 1500m (4:38.79), while sophomore Cathy Salazar-Gasca also placed among the top-10 with a lifetime-best 4:42.58.
 
BACK FOR MORE
Brianna Villanueva is back at UC Irvine after the NCAA granted an extra year of eligibility to the 2020 spring sport seniors. Villanueva is a two-time All-Big West performer, earning the recognition in the hammer and discus with third-place finishes in both events at the 2019 conference championships. The 2021 team captain ranks second in school history in the hammer (186-01) and fourth in the discus (163-10).
 
GOING THE DISTANCE
Junior Hannah Chau is the Anteaters' top distance runner as she ranks among the program's all-time top 10 in the 5000m (16:54.40) and 10000m (35:43.62). As a freshman in 2019, Chau was the first 'Eater to score in both events at the Big West Championships in six years. Chau was also an All-Big West performer in cross country as a sophomore. 
 
400M SPEED
Junior Zani Meaders garnered All-Big West distinction with a third-place finish in the 400m at the 2019 Big West Championships. She owns the third-best 400m time in outdoor program history (55.00) and is also the indoor school record holder (54.81).