'Eaters Head to Azusa and Long Beach This Week

Wednesday, April 13

Azusa, Calif.

6:45 PM

UC Irvine

Bryan Clay Invitational

'Eaters Head to Azusa and Long Beach This Week

April 12, 2022 | Women's Track & Field

at Bryan Clay Invitational
Dates: April 13-15 (Wednesday-Friday)
Location: Cougar Athletic Stadium - Azusa, Calif.
Live Results // Meet Info

at Pacific Coast Intercollegiate
Dates: Thursday, April 14
Location: Jack Rose Track - Long Beach, Calif.
Live Results // Meet Info

at Beach Invitational
Dates: April 15-16 (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 has a busy week as it travels to three local meets. The distance crew is set to kick things off at the Bryan Clay Invitational in Azusa, April 13-15, while the sprinters, hurdlers and throwers will also be in action at LBSU's Pacific Coast Intercollegiate on April 14. The Anteaters then return to Jack Rose Track in Long Beach for the Beach Invitational, April 15-16.

QUICK HITS
• UC Irvine's roster is comprised of 26 returning letterwinners, 15 newcomers and seven redshirt freshmen.
• Graduate transfer Emma McCarthy has won two of her three 800m races this season.
• She has seen a time improvement in each meet, most recently clocking a PR 2:10.47 at the Challenge Cup.
• Lorraine Nance has established lifetime-bests in the triple jump (39-11.5) and long jump (18-02.25) this season.
• Nance's mark in the triple jump moved her up to No. 4 in program history.
• Reyna Johnson made a statement in her outdoor collegiate debut on March 5, winning the LJ with a PR 19-01.25.
• That distance stands as the best in the Big West this season, and ranks eighth in school history.
• Johnson is also eighth all-time at UCI in the 100H after notching a personal-record 13.99 at the Challenge Cup.
• Deandra Tyler leads the conference in the shot put with a lifetime-best 46-11.25 at the UCSB Invite (March 11).
• Montgomery Allison made her way into the Anteaters' all-time top-10 in the steeplechase in her first collegiate meet.
• Allison jumped five spots to No. 4 three weeks later, registering a PR 10:55.69 at UCLA's Bob Larsen Invitational.
• Hannah Chau is the defending Big West women's 10K champion and is a two-time All-Big West XC performer.
• Chau ranks fourth in school history in the 10,000-meter and seventh in the 5,000-meter.
• UCI has two home meets in April as it started the month with the inaugural Vince O'Boyle T&F Classic.
• The 'Eaters are also set to host the Steve Scott Invitational, April 29-30, in their final tune-up before conference.

JUST THROWING IT OUT THERE
The throws squad might not have the same veteran presence as the last few seasons, but they have already proven they have the talent to carry on the tradition of success. In six shot put competitions, sophomore Deandra Tyler has picked up four individual victories, winning the event at the Challenge Cup (46-09.5), Vince O'Boyle Track & Field Classic (44-09.5), Ross and Sharon Irwin Invitational (45-01.75) and UCSB Invitational (46-11.25). Her toss of 46-11.25 is a personal best and ranks fifth in program history. Tyler also moved into UCI's top-10 in the hammer throw with a PR 158-08 at the Challenge Cup last week. Sophomore Kassidy Sani has notched a pair of lifetime bests that cracked UC Irvine's all-time top-10 as she is fifth in the new javelin (140-09) and ninth in the hammer (159-06). Freshman Laura Lindquist (134-11) and sophomore Cassious Fiaui (40-08) have added personal records in the javelin and shot put, respectively.

GOING THE DISTANCE
The distance crew had an impressive outing at UCLA's Bob Larsen Invitational on March 25. Montgomery Allison bettered her personal record in the steeplechase by over 17 seconds, clocking in at 10:55.69. She is the sixth 'Eater in program history to break the 11-minute mark and moved up to No. 4 on UCI's all-time charts. In the 5000m, Anna Vogtmann cracked the Anteaters' top-10, crossing the finish line in 16:52.68. Sameen Andar also saw a 15-second improvement in her second 5K of the season (16:56.89).

NOW THAT'S A DEBUT
UC Irvine had a pair of true freshmen win their events with personal records in their collegiate debuts. Reyna Johnson claimed the long jump title at the Beach Opener with a leap of 19-01.25. That stands as the top mark in the Big West this season, and puts her at No. 8 in school history. Johnson added individual victories in the event at the Vince O'Boyle T&F Classic and the UCSB Invitational. Montgomery Allison was also first to cross the finish line in the steeplechase at the season opener with a then lifetime-best 11:13.28.

ALL-CONFERENCE RETURNERS
UC Irvine is coming off one of its best Big West Championship performances in recent years. In 2021, the Anteaters, who had 10 podium finishes and five event wins, placed fourth in the team standings with 123 points, marking their best conference showing since 2014 and their highest point total since 1996. Back from that squad are defending 10K champion Hannah Chau, who won UCI's first title in that event in 19 years, along with all-conference performers Mia Marquez (400m, 4x100, 4x400), Aryel Coats (4x100, 4x400) and Amari Fraser (4x400).

BACK FOR MORE
Junior Zani Meaders, who redshirted the 2021 season, is back on the track for the Anteaters. Meaders was an all-conference performer in the 400m as a true freshman in 2019, and ranks third in school history with a personal-record 55.00. At the UCSB Invitational (March 11), Meaders was just shy of her PR with a season-best 55.50. Lorraine Nance also returns off a redshirt season, leading the 'Eaters in the jumps. Her lifetime-best of 39-11.5 in the triple jump puts her at No. 4 all-time, while she established a PR 18-02.25 in the long jump.

UP NEXT
UC Irvine will compete in The Battle in the OC at Cal State Fullerton on Friday, April 22.