LONG BEACH, Calif. - The UC Irvine women's track & field team sits in first through seven scored events after Friday's action at the Big West Championships at Jack Rose Track.
 
The Anteaters hold the early lead with 61.5 points. Cal Poly isn't far behind in second with 57 points, while host Long Beach State (42.5) is third.
 
All three 'Eaters in the high jump placed in scoring position with two podium finishes for 17.5 points. Zharia Taylor led the way with a runner-up showing. She had only one miss through her first five heights with her final clearance at 1.78 meters (5-10).
 
Esmeray Demirbas was also cruising until the bar was raised to 1.73m (5-8). After two misses, Demirbas went to run the 400m hurdle prelims. She then returned for her final attempt where she came up clutch with a clearance to secure the third-place finish. Kailah McKenzie tied for fourth at 1.68m (5-6).
 
DeAna Davis claimed runner-up honors in the hammer throw. Davis took the lead on her fourth attempt with a toss of 57.50 meters (188-7). She stayed out front until the final round when CSUN's Summer Mosley unleashed a throw of 59.66m to take the title. It was Davis' first career Big West podium finish.
 
Kaia Schmidt opened action on the track by tying for second in the 3000m steeplechase. Schmidt sat in fifth as she made her way over the final water barrier before turning on the jets to pass two runners over the final 100m. She clocked a personal-record 10:43.51, which ranks third in school history. Montgomery Allison also scored in the event, placing eighth overall (11:00.23).
 
UCI put up eight points in the shot put. Freshman Pinkie Schnayer took fourth with a toss of 14.65m (48-0.75), while Nyla Baker came in sixth at 14.55m (47-9).
 
Kailah McKenzie and Reyna Johnson were fifth and seventh, respectively, in the long jump to add six points. McKenzie had a best of 6.02m (19-9), and Johnson posted a mark of 5.97m (19-7).
 
In her first career 10K, Anna Vogtmann scored with a seventh-place finish. She clocked in at 35:56.57.
 
Vogtmann was also one of four Anteaters to advance to tomorrow's 1500m final. Vogtmann (4:35.26), Malia Gay (4:39.98) and Nicole Contreras (4:41.38) all placed among the top-five in their heats, while Makena Castillo was a time qualifier with a personal-record 4:36.47.
 
Jazzmine Davis and Reyna Johnson both won their respective heats to qualify for the 100m hurdle final. Davis crossed the finish line in a wind-aided personal-record 13.45 (+2.8), while Johnson came in at 13.83 seconds.
 
Later in the day, Davis ran a lifetime best and the fastest qualifying time in the 400m hurdles at 59.75. She now ranks eighth among UC Irvine's all-time leaders. Esmeray Demirbas, who was in the middle of the high jump competition, also won her 400H heat at 60.24. Both Davis and Demirbas will be in tomorrow's final.
 
Halle Sutherland and Samantha Bartz were time qualifiers in the 100m. Sutherland ran a wind-aided season-best 11.60 and Bartz clocked a wind-aided PR of 11.67. Sutherland added a wind-aided personal-record 23.56 to advance in the 200m.
 
Luz Mercado (2:10.38) and Malia Gay (2:12.69) were auto qualifiers in the 800m with runner-up showings in their respective heats.
 
UC Irvine is back in action for the final day of the Big West Championships at Jack Rose Track on Saturday, May 17.