UCR Spring Classic
Date: Saturday, March 22
Location: UC Riverside Track Facility / UCR Agricultural Operations (Hammer) - Riverside, Calif.
Meet Info

IRVINE, Calif. - UC Irvine women's track & field heads to Riverside for the UCR Spring Classic on Saturday, March 22. The field events get underway at 9 a.m., while action on the track is slated for a 12:30 p.m. start. 

LAST TIME OUT
UCI finished second at the Challenge Cup, coming in just 2.5 points behind team champion Long Beach State. The 'Eaters, who hosted the meet for the first time since 2018, earned eight event wins and set seven marks that rank among the top-10 in program history.

BACK-TO-BACK
Sophomore Kailah McKenzie claimed her second-straight Big West Women's Field Athlete of the Week award following her long jump victory at the Challenge Cup on March 15. In her home debut, McKenzie surpassed 20 feet on five-straight attempts, including her final leap where she notched a personal-record 6.33 meters (20-9.25). Her distance is tops in all of NCAA Division I this season, while she moved up to No. 2 in program history with the Anteaters' best mark since 1983. McKenzie earned her first weekly award of the 2025 campaign after winning the high jump at the Beach Opener on March 8. As the only athlete left in the competition at 1.75 meters (5-9.25), she cleared the bar on her third attempt. That height, which was just a half inch shy of her personal record, ranks third in the nation. McKenzie was the 2024 Big West Women's Freshman of the Year.

DOUBLE TROUBLE
Juniors Zharia Taylor and Esmeray Demirbas both cleared a personal-record 1.79 meters (5-10.5) in the high jump last Saturday at the Challenge Cup. Taylor did not miss at her first five heights to finish first, while Demirbas claimed runner-up honors. The UCI duo are tops in the nation this season and are tied for second in program history.

MORE FROM THE JUMPS
Senior Reyna Johnson had 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 second in the country through the first few weeks of the outdoor season. Johnson and senior Jolie Robinson are also fourth and fifth among UCI's all-time leaders in the long jump with wind-legal PRs from last season, while senior Jazzmine Davis cracked the top-10 with a lifetime-best 5.85m (19-2.5) last weekend.

GOING THE DISTANCE
Seniors Malia Gay and Luz Mercado went 1-2 in the 800m at the Challenge Cup. Gay clocked a lifetime-best and NCAA-leading 2:06.90, while Mercado registered a season-best 2:09.87. In her first career steeplechase, sophomore Kaia Schmidt finished ahead of the pack in 10:50.78 at the Beach Opener. Schmidt's time ranks sixth in school history.

ANTEATER SPEEDSTERS
Sophomore Halle Sutherland won the 100m in a wind-legal personal-best 11.63 seconds at the Challenge Cup. Sutherland's time is tops in the Big West and third in the nation this season. She also moved up one spot to No. 3 in program history. In her NCAA Division I outdoor debut, Esmeray Demirbas ran a lifetime-best 60.22 to take first in the 400m hurdles at the Beach Opener. Demirbas' time ranks eighth among the Anteaters' all-time leaders, and puts her second in the conference and in the nation in 2025.

THROWING IT OUT THERE
Freshman Pinkie Schnayer set a PR of 14.74 meters (48-4.5) in her first collegiate shot put victory at the Challenge Cup. Schnayer now ranks fourth in school history. Junior Nyla Baker is undefeated in her two discus competitions this season. At the Ben Brown Invitational on March 8, Baker led from the get-go in a 13-foot discus win. Her mark of 49.91m (161-4) was a PR and puts her at No. 8 on UCI's all-time charts. Junior DeAna Davis also took first in the hammer throw at the Ben Brown Invite.

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 'Eaters 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 from last year's squad, including 13 conference scorers and five All-Big West performers, while bringing in 26 newcomers.
 
UP NEXT
UC Irvine returns to Anteater Stadium to host the Vince O'Boyle Track & Field Classic, March 28-29.