at MPSF Indoor Track & Field Championships
Dates: Friday-Saturday (Feb. 17-18)
Location: The Podium - Spokane, Wash.
Meet Info

IRVINE, Calif. - The UC Irvine women's indoor track & field team travels to Spokane, Washington, for the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Championships, Feb. 17-18, at The Podium. Twenty-seven Anteaters are entered in 14 events. The pentathlon will kick things off Friday at 10:30 a.m., while Saturday's action is slated for a 10:20 a.m. start.
 
STORYLINES
• MPSF Indoor Track & Field celebrates its 30th year of competition with the 2023 championship meet.
• The meet features 11 women's teams from the The Big West and West Coast Conference.
• BYU, which is ranked 23rd in the nation, is the defending MPSF champion.
• Last year, UCI's DMR squad established a school-record 11:46.87 at the MPSF meet.
• Emma McCarthy set a new standard in both the 600m (1:33.74) and 800m (2:12.10) earlier this year in Albuquerque.
• Jolie Robinson also shattered a 14-year old record in the long jump with a leap of 19-02 at UNM on Jan. 27.
• The Anteaters have combined for 24 marks that rank among the program's all-time top-10 in 2023.
• UC Irvine's roster features 19 student-athletes with previous indoor experience.
• The 'Eaters also have 12 newcomers (10 freshmen, 2 sophomore transfers) and four returning redshirts.
 
SETTING THE STANDARD
Sophomore Jolie Robinson and graduate student Emma McCarthy became first-time school-record holders at the UNM Team Open (Jan. 27-28). Robinson shattered a 14-year old standard in the long jump with a leap of 19-02 (5.84m). She had an impressive series, eclipsing 18 feet on all six attempts with her record-breaking distance coming on her third jump. Robinson is the first Anteater to hit the 19-foot mark in indoor competition. She also enters the MPSF meet ranked third in program history in the pentathlon (3,540). On the track, McCarthy started the UNM Team Open with a program-best 1:33.74 in the 600m. She came back the next day to top the charts in the 800m at 2:12.41. Both of her times beat out Crystal Lizaola's records from 2017. One week later, McCarthy bettered her 800m record at the New Mexico Collegiate Classic, clocking in at 2:12.10.
 
MAKING A MARK
Sophomore Deandra Tyler has led a young throws squad this year. At the season-opening Spokane Indoor Challenge on Jan. 14, Tyler was a double champion, winning the shot put (48-00) and weight throw (54-03.25). Both marks were personal bests and rank among the top-four in program history. She went on to improve both distances at the NM Collegiate Classic with tosses of 48-10.75 in the shot and 54-09.5 in the weight. A trio of true freshmen have also etched their names in the UC Irvine record book as Nyla Baker (44-02.5) and Sydney Gontang (42-01.25) are fifth and sixth in the shot put, while DeAna Davis registered the ninth-best weight throw at 46-05.5.
 
INTO THE TOP-5
The 'Eaters have combined for eight top-five marks in the sprints, mid-distance, relays and long jump. At the UNM Team Open, junior Aryel Coats established a lifetime-best 24.98 in the 200m to move up to No. 4 in program history, while freshman Samantha Bartz is fifth in the 200m (24.99) and tied for fourth in the 60m (7.68). Junior Alexis Alexander also made her way up to No. 3 in the 800m (2:13.75) and No. 4 in the 600m (1:36.97), while sophomore Reyna Johnson notched a personal-record 18-08 in the long jump to rank third. In addition, Mia Marquez, Emma McCarthy, Lauren Aquino and Alexis Alexander ran the program's second-fastest 4x400 at 3:49.43.
 
UP NEXT
UC Irvine will begin its 2023 outdoor season at the Beach Opener, March 3-4.