at Beach Opener
Date: Friday-Saturday (March 7-8)
Location: Jack Rose Track - Long Beach, Calif. 
Live Results | Meet Schedule | Meet Info

at Ben Brown Invitational
Date: Friday-Saturday (March 7-8)
Location: Titan Track Stadium - Fullerton, Calif.
Live Results | Meet Schedule | Meet Info

Meet Notes

IRVINE, Calif. - UC Irvine women's track & field is set to open the 2025 outdoor season with two local meets, March 7-8. Forty-six Anteaters are entered in 13 events at Cal State Fullerton's Ben Brown Invitational, while 11 'Eaters are also set to compete in seven events at the Beach Opener, hosted by Long Beach State. 

QUICK HITS
• In Long Beach, UCI has entries in the javelin on Friday (11 a.m.), while Saturday's events start at 10 a.m.
• The 'Eaters will compete in the hammer and the AstroAI Distance Classic Friday at the Ben Brown Invite.
• UC Irvine returns to Fullerton for the remainder of the meet on Saturday, starting at 12 p.m.
• The Anteaters return 13 conference scorers and five All-Big West performers from last year's squad.

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, while bringing in 26 newcomers.

"This team is already ahead of last year's team in terms of development and readiness," head coach Jeff Perkins said. "It's the championship mentality that we are continuing to instill in each athlete that we feel is ready to contribute to a team win."
 
MULTIS
Senior and two-time defending Big West heptathlon champion Jolie Robinson leads a trio of multi-event athletes. Robinson ranks fifth in program history with a personal-record 5,343 points. Senior Jazzmine Davis also scored at the 2024 Big West meet, finishing fifth with a lifetime-best 5,085 points. Junior transfer Zharia Tayor, who was an All-American and 3C2A state runner-up in the heptathlon at Cerritos College last year, enters the mix in 2025.

THROWS
UCI will continue to rely on its throws squad in 2025. The Anteaters welcome back a core group of juniors in Nyla Baker, DeAna Davis and Nadia Combs-Mahone. Baker earned All-Big West distinction in the shot put, while Davis was a conference scorer in the hammer throw last year. They have also added freshman Pinkie Schnayer, who was the 2024 CIF high school state champion in the shot put. 

SPRINTS & HURDLES
Sophomore Halle Sutherland and junior Samantha Bartz are back after breakout seasons in the short sprints. They both cracked UCI's all-time top-10 in the 100m, while Sutherland was also a conference scorer in the event. In addition, the 'Eaters bring in a handful of newcomers to bolster their 400m depth, including junior transfer Esmeray Demirbas and freshmen Ihe Okoh and Mikah Longcob. The hurdles are another strong event area with the return of seniors Reyna Johnson and Jazzmine Davis, who scored in the 100H at the 2024 Big West Championships.

DISTANCE
The distance crew is one of UC Irvine's deepest event groups in 2025. Senior Anna Vogtmann is coming off an impressive cross country season in which she was the Big West runner-up and broke her own school record in the 6K. Senior Malia Gay, a two-time All-Big West performer in the 800m, will be looking to build off a strong indoor season in which she broke the school record in the 600m, 800m and distance medley relay. 

JUMPS
Sophomore Kailah McKenzie, senior Jolie Robinson and senior Reyna Johnson combined for 29 points in the jumps at the Big West Championships last year. McKenzie, who was named the 2024 Big West Women's Freshman of the Year, won the high jump and took third in the long jump. Robinson was also the runner-up in the long jump, while Johnson just missed the podium with a fourth-place finish.

UP NEXT
UC Irvine hosts the first of its three home meets with the Challenge Cup next Friday, March 14. The 'Eaters will welcome Cal State Fullerton, Long Beach State and UC Santa Barbara to Anteater Stadium for the one-day, scored meet. Field events get underway at 1 p.m., while action on the track is set for a 3 p.m. start.