Challenge Cup
Date: Saturday, March 15
Location: Anteater Stadium - Irvine, Calif.
Meet Info

IRVINE, Calif. - UC Irvine women's track & field is set to make its home debut on Saturday, March 15, when it welcomes Cal State Fullerton, Long Beach State and UC Santa Barbara to Anteater Stadium for the 30th annual Challenge Cup. The four Big West members will square off in a one-day, scored meet with field events starting at 1 p.m. and action on the track getting underway at 3 p.m.

QUICK HITS
• The Challenge Cup was originally scheduled for Friday but got pushed back one day due to inclement weather.
• Forty-eight Anteaters are entered in 18 events.
• The 'Eaters have won the Challenge Cup four times with their last team victory coming in 2009.
• UCI kicked off the 2025 campaign with six event wins and four top-10 marks last weekend.
• Kailah McKenzie was named the Big West Athlete of the Week for her effort at the Beach Opener.

BIG WEST ACCOLADES
Sophomore Kailah McKenzie earned her second career Big West Women's Field Athlete of the Week award following her performance at the Beach Opener. McKenzie, the 2024 Big West high jump champion, started the season-opening meet with an individual victory. As the only athlete left in the competition at 1.75 meters (5-9.25), McKenzie cleared the bar on her third attempt. That height, which was just a half inch shy of her personal record, is the best in all of NCAA Division I this season. McKenzie then matched her PR in the long jump at 6.10m (20-0.25) to place fourth overall. She ranks second in the nation behind only teammate Reyna Johnson after the Anteaters' first week of the season.

MORE FROM THE JUMPS
Senior Reyna Johnson notched a wind-aided personal-record 6.23m/20-5.25 (+2.1) to place third in the long jump at the Beach Opener. Her mark ranks first in the country through the first two weeks of the outdoor season. Junior Zharia Taylor also won the high jump at the Ben Brown Invitational with a clearance of 1.71m (5-7.25). Her height was an outdoor personal best and ranks eighth among UCI's all-time leaders.

HAMMER TIME 
Junior DeAna Davis started the outdoor campaign with her first collegiate victory in the hammer throw at the Ben Brown Invitational. Her winning mark of 53.50 meters (175-6) came on her final attempt in Flight 3. Davis beat out the rest of the competition by 22 feet and was just one inch shy of her personal record that ranks seventh in program history. Her mark is also third in the Big West this season. 

THROWING IT OUT THERE
Junior Nyla Baker led from the get-go in a 13-foot discus victory at the Ben Brown Invitational. Her winning mark of 49.91m (161-4) was a personal record that ranks eighth in school history and is second in The Big West this season. Freshman Pinkie Schnayer led the 'Eaters in the shot put in her first collegiate outdoor meet, claiming runner-up honors with a toss of 14.08m (46-2.5), which is seventh on UC Irvine's top-10 list.

ANTEATER SPEEDSTERS
Junior Esmeray Demirbas led the sprints/hurdles group at the Ben Brown Invitational, winning the 400H in a personal-record 60.22 seconds. Her time ranks eighth among UCI's all-time leaders. Senior Jazzmine Davis was the Anteaters' top finisher in the 100H where she was the runner-up at 14.02 seconds. Sophomore Halle Sutherland also crossed the finish line in a wind-aided 11.69 seconds to place third out of 54 in the 100m. Her time is tops in The Big West.

GOING THE DISTANCE
In her first career steeplechase race, sophomore Kaia Schmidt finished ahead of the pack in 10:50.78 at the Beach Opener. Schmidt's time ranks sixth in program history. Over in Fullerton, graduate student Luz Mercado took third in the 800m (2:10.66) in her Anteater debut, while senior Malia Gay was fourth out of 57 in the 1500m (4:32.36).

AT A GLANCE
UC Irvine has placed among the top four at the Big West Championships in each of the last four seasons. In 2024, the Anteaters had their best showing in 28 years as they claimed runner-up honors, finishing only 12 points shy of the program's first conference title. UCI returns 34 members of last year's squad, including 13 conference scorers and five All-Big West performers, while bringing in 26 newcomers.
 
UP NEXT
UC Irvine heads to the Inland Empire for the UCR Spring Classic next Saturday, March 22.