UC Irvine Shines at Challenge Cup

Saturday, March 15

Irvine, Calif.

1:00 PM

UC Irvine

Challenge Cup

UC Irvine Shines at Challenge Cup

March 15, 2025 | Women's Track & Field

Results

IRVINE, Calif. – The UC Irvine women's track & field team had eight event wins at the Challenge Cup Saturday at Anteater Stadium.

The 'Eaters finished second, coming in just 2.5 points behind team champion Long Beach State.

Sophomore Kailah McKenzie recorded a personal-best 6.33 meters (20-9.25) to win the long jump. She reached 20 feet on five-straight attempts including her final jump where she notched her PR. McKenzie's mark ranks second in program history. Senior Jolie Robinson also scored in the long jump with a second-place showing (6.07m/19-11), and senior Jazzmine Davis matched her lifetime best at 5.85m (19-2.5) to take fifth.

Juniors Zharia Taylor and Esmeray Demirbas both cleared a personal-record 1.79 meters (5-10.5) in the high jump to tie for second in school history. Taylor won the event as she did not miss at her first five heights, while Demirbas was the runner-up.

In just her second outdoor collegiate meet, freshman Pinkie Schnayer earned her first individual victory in the shot put. Schnayer took the lead on her fifth attempt where she went for a lifetime-best 14.74m (48-4.5). That stood as the best of the meet and moved her up three spots to No. 4 among the Anteaters' all-time leaders.

Sophomore Halle Sutherland claimed top honors in the 100m, clocking a wind-legal personal-record 11.63 seconds. Sutherland now ranks third in school history. Junior Samantha Bartz added six points with a third-place finish (12.01).

Senior Malia Gay ran a personal-best 2:06.90 to beat out the rest of the field by three seconds in the 800m. Gay's time sits fourth on UCI's all-time charts. Graduate student Luz Mercado was the runner-up in a season-best 2:09.87.

Sophomore Kaia Schmidt crossed the 1500m finish line in a lifetime-best 4:28.54 to win the event. Juniors Nicole Contreras (4:36.68) and Makena Castillo (4:36.78) were also among the top-five, while senior Montgomery Allison came in seventh (4:39.33). Castillo and Allison both set PRs.

Junior Nyla Baker won the discus for the second week in a row. She was first out of 15 athletes with a mark of 46.53m (152-8). Schnayer added a season-best 42.30m (138-9) to come in sixth.

Lauren Aquino, Demirbas, Mikah Longcob and Amelia Trautman closed out the meet with UC Irvine's eighth event win of the day. The quartet combined for a time of 3:45.66 to edge Long Beach State in the 4x400 relay.

Senior Jazzmine Davis was third out of 21 in the 100m hurdles where she established a season-best 13.94 seconds. Senior Reyna Johnson wasn't far behind in fourth (14.00).

Freshman Ihe Okoh was the Anteaters' top performer in the 200m where she came in eighth (25.82). Freshman Kayla Smith was also eighth in the hammer throw with a season-best 42.43m (139-2).

Freshman Breckyn Kornachuk clocked a season-best 11:24.75 in the steeplechase.

The Anteaters' 4x100 relay team was second at 45.89 seconds.

UC Irvine will be back in action next Saturday, March 22, at the UCR Spring Classic.