California Irvine Athletics

IRVINE, Calif. – Jeff Perkins has been named the MPSF Women's Indoor Track & Field Coach of the Year the conference office announced Friday.
 
Perkins, who is in his 13th year the helm of the UC Irvine track & field program, led the Anteaters to their first MPSF team championship in program history, finishing a comfortable 45.5 points ahead of the field. It was the largest margin of victory in the conference meet since 2022. The 'Eaters showcased their depth, scoring in 13 of the 17 events. They had 12 podium finishes including two individual titles. Freshman Joy Anderson won the pentathlon with an MPSF Spokane-Reno era record (since 2022) 4,069 points. Senior Jazzmine Davis also brought home gold in the 60m hurdles, running the top-two times in program history with a school-record 8.39 in the prelims and 8.41 in the final.
 
Overall, Perkins' athletes established eight school records in five meets. The Anteaters did it twice in the 4x400 relay, first at the Spokane Indoor Challenge (3:45.77), then at the Battle Born Classic (3:42.90). UCI also clocked a program-best 11:27.11 in the distance medley relay at the MPSF Championships.
 
Individually, junior Halle Sutherland broke an eight-year-old program record in the 200m with a time of 24.19 at the Wolf Pack Classic. She went on to top her own standard three weeks later at the conference meet (24.04). Graduate transfer Aoife Hernon set the standard in the 400m (54.23), while junior Emma Hadley did the same in the mile (4:42.71).
 
This is Perkins' first MPSF Coach of the Year award and the first for UC Irvine women's indoor track & field. Perkins was also named the Big West Women's Outdoor Track & Field Coach of the Year in 2025.