Fullerton Spring Invitational
Date: April 8-9 (Thursday-Friday)
Time: 10:30 a.m. (PDT)
Location: Titan Track Complex - Fullerton, Calif.
Live Results // Meet Schedule

Notes (PDF)

IRVINE, Calif. - The UC Irvine women's track & field team is back in action this week at the Fullerton Spring Invitational, April 8-9. The Anteaters have 36 student-athletes entered in 15 events over the two-day meet at Titan Track Complex.
 
UCI is set to square off against five other Big West schools, including CSU Bakersfield, Hawai'i, Long Beach State, UC Santa Barbara and host Cal State Fullerton. The throws, pole vault and distance events will be held on Thursday, while the jumps, sprints, hurdles and relays are slated for Friday. The field events kick things off at 10:30 a.m. on both days.
 
QUICK HITS
• The Anteaters have one of their larger rosters in recent history with 28 returners and 26 newcomers.
• Just three weeks into the season, six 'Eaters have combined for nine 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.
• Hannah Chau has also established UCI's fifth-best 10K (35:36.35) and eighth-best 5K (16:54.40) times this season.
• Lorraine Nance won the triple jump at the Ben Brown Invite with a PR 39-03, which ranks sixth in school history.
• Tayla Crenshaw has etched her name in the record books in the shot put (43-03.75) and discus (148-10).
• Deandra Tyler (42-09.75) also notched a top-10 shot put mark in her collegiate debut.
• Carly Johnson's PR 128-10 in the javelin is the program's eighth-best mark since the specifications changed in 1999.
• UC Irvine has two sets of siblings on its roster - Zani Meaders and Zoi Meaders, and Chaselyn Amos and Shaelyn Amos.
 
LAST TIME OUT
UC Irvine racked up eight individual victories at the Red & Black Invitational in Northridge last Friday. Brianna Villanueva led the way as a double champion with season bests in both events. She won the hammer throw with a toss of 179-02, while headlining a 1-2-3 finish for the Anteaters in the discus at 160-09. Tayla Crenshaw was the runner-up in the discus with a personal-record 148-10, which puts her at No. 10 in school history. Kassidy Sani also took third in her collegiate debut (137-02).
 
Cecily Montanez won the 400m, crossing the finish line in 57.96 to beat her personal record by over two seconds. Aryel Coats contributed an individual victory in the 100m (12.16), while posting season bests in runner-up finishes in the 200m (24.78) and long jump (18-04.5). Cathy Salazar-Gasca was the top performer in the 800m with a time of 2:16.67, and Elizabeth Celada Padilla finished ahead of the pack in the 1500m (4:48.80). McKenna Paulson notched another win for the distance crew with a first-place showing in the 3000m (10:26.74). The 4x400 relay team of Jaida Robinson, Alexis Alexander, Myah Hatcher and Shaelyn Amos wrapped up the meet with a winning time of 4:10.45.
 
RICHARDSON EARNS ATHLETE OF THE WEEK HONORS
Kayla Richardson (Walnut, Calif.) was named the Big West Women's Track Athlete of the Week on 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) with both marks ranking among UC Irvine's all-time top-10. She is the first Anteater to take home the Big West Women's Track Athlete of the Week award 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.
 
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).
 
TRIPLE THREAT
Junior Tayla Crenshaw is a triple threat in the shot put, discus and hammer as she ranks among UCI's all-time top-10 in each of the three events. This year, she has established lifetime-bests of 43-03.75 in the shot and 148-10 in the discus, which puts her at No. 7 and No. 10 in school history, respectively.
 
GOING THE DISTANCE
Junior Hannah Chau is the Anteaters' top distance runner as she owns team season bests in the 1500m, 5000m and 10000m. Last week, she established the fifth-best 10K time (35:36.25) in program history at the Sound Running Collegiate Invite, while she also ran UCI's eighth-fastest 5K (16:54.40) at the season-opening Ben Brown Invitational. 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).