UCI Heads to Fullerton for Friday Night Lights

Friday, April 4

La Jolla, Calif.

2:00 PM

UC Irvine

Triton Invitational

jerry-roberts-mtrack-2025-friday-night-lights-preview

UCI Heads to Fullerton for Friday Night Lights

April 10, 2025 | Men's Track & Field

Live Results Meet Notes

at Fullerton Friday Night Lights
Date: Friday, April 11
Location: Titan Track Complex - Fullerton, Calif.
Meet Info & Schedule

IRVINE, Calif. - UC Irvine men's track & field will make the short trip to Fullerton for the Titans' Friday Night Lights meet on April 11.

LAST TIME OUT
The Anteaters traveled south to La Jolla for the Triton Invitational last weekend. Angel Cordero and Joshua Schuld led the way with individual victories. Cordero clocked in at 1:50.76 to finish first in an 800m field of 73 athletes. Schuld also won the 1500m in a personal-record 3:50.04. Liam Miksic kicked off the two-day meet with a season-best 67.51 meters (221-6) in the javelin. He took second overall and was the top collegiate finisher. Cole Dinkler added a lifetime-best 4.70m (15-5) to tie for third in the pole vault.

BIG WEST ACCOLADES
Senior Liam Miksic was named the Big West Men's Field Athlete of the Week on April 8. Miksic took second overall, and was the top collegiate finisher, in the javelin at the Triton Invitational. The Spring Lake, New Jersey, native threw for over 200 feet in all six rounds with a season-best 67.51 meters (221-6) on his third attempt. His mark ranks second in The Big West, 15th in the West Region and 31st in all of NCAA Division I. It was his first career weekly award and the first for UCI men's track & field this year.

MAKING THE LEAP
Junior Kenechukwu Okonkwo joined the Anteaters as a mid-year transfer in 2024 and made an immediate impact as a Big West scorer and NCAA West First Round qualifier in the triple jump. In just his second meet at UCI, he cracked the program's all-time top-10 with a lifetime-best of 15.33 meters (50-3.5). In his second meet of the 2025 season, Okonkwo set a new PR with a leap of 15.83 meters (51-11.25) for his first collegiate victory at the Challenge Cup. Okonkwo's mark is tops in The Big West, fifth in the West Region and 11th in all of NCAA Division I this season. He also moved past Mike Powell for No. 2 in program history.

WINNING WAYS
Seniors Liam Miksic (Javelin) and Jacob Hawkins (Discus), who were the Big West champions in their respective events last year, have both continued their winning ways to start the 2025 campaign. Miksic has placed among the top-two in all four of his meets with individual victories at the Beach Opener, Challenge Cup and Vince O'Boyle Classic. Miksic is a three-time NCAA West First Round qualifier and two-time Big West champion in the javelin. Hawkins led wire-to-wire in his season-opening discus win at the Ben Brown Invitational. He was also a double champion in the shot put and discus at both the UCR Spring Classic and Vince O'Boyle Classic.

FRESHMAN SENSATION
Freshman Angel Cordero is undefeated in his three collegiate 800m races. He kicked off his Anteater career by beating out a field of 45 athletes with a time of 1:52.18 at the Astro AI Distance Classic in Fullerton on March 7. The Chula Vista native continued to impress at the Challenge Cup (March 15) where he clocked a personal-record 1:48.88 for his second event win. His time leads The Big West and ranks 14th in the West Region. Cordero is also fifth in program history as he became the first 'Eater to crack the top-10 in the men's 800m since 2017. He added another 800m victory at the Triton Invitational on April 5 (1:50.76).

HEAD START
Joshua Schuld started his senior season with a statement in the steeplechase at the Beach Opener. Schuld ran a lifetime-best 8:54.14 to win the event by over 29 seconds. His nearly 12-second PR ranks sixth in program history. Schuld added a 5000m personal-record 14:17.79 at the Mangrum Invitational and a lifetime-best 3:50.04 in a 1500m victory at the Triton Invitational.

OUT OF THE BLOCKS
Senior Bryce Bushnell and freshman Justin Johnson are both out to a fast start. At the Challenge Cup on March 15, Bushnell crossed the 100m finish line in a season-best 10.54 seconds to move into a tie for third in program history. Johnson was right on his heels at 10.56 seconds to rank seventh among UCI's all-time leaders. Johnson also posted the Anteaters' fifth-fastest 200m at 21.04 in his collegiate debut at the Ben Brown Invitational. In addition, junior AJ Taylor owns the squad's top 110H time of the season at 14.55 seconds, while sophomore Roman Mendoza leads the way in the 400H (54.04).

AT A GLANCE
The 'Eaters are coming off a 2024 season in which they had four Big West individual champions and six NCAA West First Round qualifiers. UCI welcomes back four student-athletes from that group, including Jacob Hawkins (Discus) and Liam Miksic (Javelin) who broke the school record in their respective events last year. The Anteaters also bring in 10 newcomers with five junior college transfers and five true freshmen.

UP NEXT
UCI has a busy week ahead with the Bryan Clay Invitational (April 16-18), Mt. SAC Relays (April 17-19), Pacific Coast Intercollegiate (April 17) and Beach Invitational (April 18-19).