Don Kirby Elite Invitational
Date: Friday-Saturday (Feb. 11-12)
Location: Albuquerque Convention Center - Albuquerque, N.M.
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Notes (PDF)

IRVINE, Calif. - The UC Irvine women's indoor track & field team will make its third and final trip to the Albuquerque Convention Center for the Don Kirby Elite Invitational, Feb. 11-12. The Anteaters have 20 individuals entered in 14 different events.

STORYLINES
• This is the Anteaters' final tune-up before the MPSF Indoor Championships next weekend.
• So far this season, nine different 'Eaters have combined to establish 12 top-10 marks in program history.
• Deandra Tyler, Aryel Coats and Reyna Johnson have made their way into the record books in multiple events.
• All three are in the midst of their first collegiate indoor season.
• The MPSF Championships will look different this year with the departure of the Pac-12 schools.
• In 2022, the championship meet will feature nine women's teams from the Big West and West Coast Conferences.
• It will also be held at The Podium in Spokane, Washington, for the first time.
 
THROWS
• In her last outing at the UNM Team Open, Deandra Tyler established a season-best 42-00.75 in the shot put.
• She currently ranks among UCI's all-time top-10 in the shot put (4th) and weight throw (8th, 46-11).
• Kassidy Sani had a strong outing in the weight throw two weeks ago, registering a season-best 40-10.25.
 
DISTANCE/MIDDLE DISTANCE
• In her first 3000m race of the year, McKenna Paulson crossed the finish line in 10:50.25 at the UNM Team Open.
• Her altitude-adjusted time of 10:34.24 puts her at No. 10 in program history.
• Cathy Salazar-Gasca led the 'Eaters in the mile at the Dr. MLK Jr. Collegiate Invitational (Jan. 22).
• She notched a personal-record 5:09.12 (5:02.39aa) to come in 13th out of 39 competitors.
• Salazar-Gasca's altitude-adjusted time puts her at No. 5 among UC Irvine's all-time leaders.
• Hannah Chau also improved her No. 9 mark in school history by two seconds as she clocked in at 5:08.22aa.
• Emma McCarthy was the Anteaters' top 800m finisher in each of their first two meets of the season.
• She ranks ninth in school history with a season-best 2:18.38.
 
SPRINTS/HURDLES
• In the sprints, Aryel Coats owns the seventh-fastest 60m (7.79aa) and 200m (25.25aa) times in indoor school history.
• True freshman Reyna Johnson placed among the top-eight in the 60m hurdles in each of the team's first two meets.
• Johnson had a season-best 8.80 in the prelims at the UNM Team Open, putting her at No. 9 on UCI's all-time charts.
• Zani Meaders had a sixth-place finish in the 400m (57.72) at the season-opening Dr. MLK Jr. Invite on Jan. 22.
• Meaders established a 400m school-record 54.81 at the 2020 MPSF Championships.
 
JUMPS
• Reyna Johnson was also the Anteaters' top performer in the long jump in both meets this season.
• Two weeks ago, she established the sixth-best mark in program history at 18-02.25.
• Laura Sangiacomo made her indoor debut at the UNM Team Open, clearing 10-01.25 in the pole vault.
• Sangiacomo's mark puts her among UC Irvine's all-time top-10 (6th).
 
UP NEXT
• UC Irvine will head to Spokane, Washington, for the 2022 MPSF Indoor Championships, Feb. 18-19.