at UNM Team Open
Dates: Friday-Saturday (Jan. 27-28)
Location: Albuquerque Convention Center - Albuquerque, N.M.
Meet Info

IRVINE, Calif. - The UC Irvine women's indoor track & field team is back in action this weekend, traveling to Albuquerque, New Mexico, for the UNM Team Open, Jan. 27-28. The Anteaters have 25 individuals entered in 13 events. The two-day meet gets underway Friday at 2 p.m. (PST), while a full day of events is slated for Saturday, starting at 9:30 a.m. (PST).
 
STORYLINES
• UCI is making its first of two trips to the Albuquerque Convention Center this season.
• The Anteaters head back to the same venue next weekend for the NM Collegiate Classic.
• The NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships will also be held at the Albuquerque Convention Center.
• Five 'Eaters are set to make their indoor collegiate debuts, while two are entered in their first meet of the season.
• Eight student-athletes combined for 11 marks that rank among UCI's all-time top-10 in the opener on Jan. 13-14.
• UC Irvine welcomes back 19 student-athletes with previous indoor experience.
• The Anteaters also have 12 newcomers (10 freshmen, 2 sophomore transfers) and four returning redshirts.
 
THROWS
• Deandra Tyler won both the shot put and weight throw at the season-opening Spokane Indoor Challenge (Jan. 14).
• Tyler started the meet with a victory in the weight throw where she established a personal-best 54-03.25.
• That distance moved her up three spots to No. 4 on UCI's all-time charts.
• Tyler then improved her No. 3 mark in program history with a PR 48-00 to claim the shot put title.
• Nyla Baker also entered the school record book in the shot put as she had the fifth-best mark (44-02.5) in her debut.
• Freshmen DeAna Davis (WT) and Sydney Gontang (SP, WT) are entered in their first collegiate meet this weekend.
 
DISTANCE
• Sameen Andar and Hannah Chau kicked off the 2023 indoor season in the 5000m at the Spokane Indoor Challenge.
• Andar had the top time in the race and set an indoor PR at 17:06.57.
• Makena Castillo, Olivia Liuson and Cathy Salazar-Gasca also competed in the mile two weeks ago.
• Salazar-Gasca led the trio with a time of 5:16.62, while Liuson notched a lifetime-best 5:19.78.
• This weekend will be a light one for the distance crew with two entries.
• Montgomery Allison (Mile) and Maggie Sczupak (3000m) are set to make their season debuts on Saturday.
 
SPRINTS/HURDLES/RELAYS
• Amari Fraser is coming off an individual victory in the 60m hurdles at the Spokane Indoor Challenge.
• Fraser ran a personal-record 8.78 in the finals to tie for ninth in program history.
• Emma McCarthy (2:13.54) and Alexis Alexander (2:14.44) both ran PRs in the 800m.
• McCarthy now ranks second in school history, while Alexander is fifth.
• Samantha Bartz cracked UCI's all-time top-10 in both the 60m (7.68) and 200m (25.34).
• Aryel Coats also established a 60m PR 7.77, which ranks eighth among the Anteaters' all-time leaders.
• Alana Odom (60m, 200m), Journee Harvey (400m) and Malia Gay (800m) will make their debuts this weekend.
 
MULTI-EVENTS
• Jolie Robinson led a bolstered multi-event group with top-10 marks in the HJ and LJ two weeks ago.
• After one meet as an Anteater, she is tied for fifth in the long jump (18-02.5) and is 10th in the high jump (5-01.25).
• Robinson won the 2022 CCCAA state title in the heptathlon, javelin and long jump at Saddleback College.
• Robinson, Chaselyn Amos, Shaelyn Amos and Laura Sangiacomo are entered in four events this weekend.
 
UP NEXT
• UC Irvine is back in Albuquerque next weekend for the NM Collegiate Classic, Feb. 3-4.