at Spokane Indoor Challenge
Dates: Friday-Saturday (Jan. 12-13)
Location: The Podium - Spokane, Wash.
Meet Info

IRVINE, Calif. - The UC Irvine women's indoor track & field team is set to open the 2024 campaign with the Spokane Indoor Challenge at The Podium, Jan. 12-13. The Anteaters have 25 student-athletes entered in 12 events. Everyone will be in action on Saturday, starting at 10 a.m.
 
The 'Eaters return 20 letterwinners from last year's squad, while three sophomores are in their first year on the indoor roster. UCI also brings in 12 newcomers including nine freshmen.
 
"With the addition of some rookies along with the development of our returners, I feel like this is our most talented women's team we've had across the board," said 11th-year head coach Jeff Perkins. "With that, there are a lot of ups and downs in a track season, even in one as short as the indoor campaign, but I'm really looking forward to it because we have a lot of dynamic athletes who can do a lot of different things. We should see more top-10 marks and potential records being broken this year so it will be exciting."
 
STORYLINES
• Three of UC Irvine's four meets will be at The Podium in Spokane, Washington.
• Next weekend will be the Anteaters' lone trip to Albuquerque where they will compete in the Dr. MLK Jr. Invitational.
• Fourteen of UCI's 20 returners already rank among the top-10 in program history in 14 events (not including relays).
• Last year, Sameen Andar established school records in both the 3000m and 5000m at the MPSF Championships.
 
THROWS
• Senior Deandra Tyler ranks among the top-four in school history in the shot put and weight throw.
• She owns PRs of 14.90m/48-10.75 (3rd) in the shot put and 16.71m/54-10 (4th) in the weight throw.
• Last year, Tyler won both events at the Spokane Indoor Challenge.
• Sophomore Nyla Baker ranks fifth on UCI's all-time charts in the shot put with a best of 13.47m/44-2.5.
• Sophomore DeAna Davis is also looking to improve on her No. 9 mark of 14.16m/46-5.5 in the weight throw.
 
DISTANCE
• Junior Sameen Andar broke two school records at the 2023 MPSF Championships.
• Andar was the runner-up in the 3000m (9:39.12) and took third in the 5000m (16:37.63) at conference last year.
• Junior Anna Vogtmann is fourth in program history in the mile and was part of UCI's school-record DMR in 2022.
• Junior Malia Gay is also among the Anteaters' all-time top-10 in the 800m and mile.
 
SPRINTS/HURDLES/RELAYS
• Freshmen Kailah McKenzie and Sarah Ajayi are set to make their collegiate debuts in the 60m hurdles on Saturday.
• Both McKenzie (3rd) and Ajayi (10th) had a top-10 showing in the 100H at the 2023 CIF State Championships.
• Junior Jazzmine Davis (Cerritos College) also joins UCI after winning the CCCAA state title in the 100H last year.
• The trio of newcomers join junior Reyna Johnson, who owns the Anteaters' sixth-best 60H time at 8.71 seconds.
• In the sprints, Samantha Bartz, Aryel Coats, Mia Marquez and Alexis Alexander own top-10 marks.
 
MULTIS & JUMPS
• UC Irvine will be represented by the last two CCCAA heptathlon state champions in the multis.
• Jolie Robinson claimed the title as a freshman at Saddleback College in 2022.
• Jazzmine Davis did the same as a sophomore at Cerritos College in 2023.
• Last year, Robinson set the Anteaters' indoor long jump record with a PR 5.84m (19-2) at the UNM Team Open.
• Reyna Johnson also ranks third in program history with a best of 5.69m (18-8) at the 2023 NM Collegiate Classic.
 
UP NEXT
• UC Irvine will head to Albuquerque, New Mexico, for the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Invitational on Saturday, Jan. 20.