UC Irvine Sends Split Squad to Azusa, Long Beach, and Walnut

Thursday, April 16

Long Beach, CA

8:20 AM

UC Irvine

Pacific Coast Invitational

UC Irvine Sends Split Squad to Azusa, Long Beach, and Walnut

April 15, 2026 | Women's Track & Field

Live Results Meet Notes

Bryan Clay Invitational
Date: April 16-18 (Thursday-Saturday)
Location: Cougar Athletic Stadium - Azusa, Calif.
Meet Info | Live Results

Pacific Coast Invitational
Date: Thursday, April 16
Location: Jack Rose Track - Long Beach, Calif.
Meet Info | Live Results

Beach Invitational
Date: April 17-18 (Friday-Saturday)
Location: Jack Rose Track - Long Beach, Calif.
Meet Info | Live Results

Mt. SAC Relays
Date: April 17-18 (Friday-Saturday)
Location: Hilmer Lodge Stadium - Walnut, Calif.
Meet Info | Live Results

IRVINE, Calif. - UC Irvine women's track & field will have a split squad at three sites this week. Most of the team will be in Long Beach for the Pacific Coast Invitational (April 16) and Beach Invitational (April 17-18). The Anteater distance crew is also set to compete in the Bryan Clay Invitational at Azusa Pacific's Cougar Stadium, April 16-18, while a handful of 'Eaters are entered in the sprints, hurdles, jumps, and throws at the Mt. SAC Relays in Walnut.

BREAKING RECORDS
UC Irvine has broken four school records in 2026. Last week, the Anteaters took down two of those records, starting with freshman Joy Anderson in her first career heptathlon at the Bryan Clay Multis. Anderson concluded the two-day meet with a program-best 5,572 points, topping the previous standard of 5,549 that was set by UCI Athletics Hall of Fame inductee Lauren Collins in 2009. About 15 minutes later, graduate transfer Aoife Hernon uprooted a 35-year-old school record in a 400m victory at the Challenge Cup in Fullerton. Hernon crossed the finish line in 54.05 to beat Shelly Tochluk's time of 54.32 that ranked first in UCI history since 1991. Hernon also teamed up with Catalina Teran, Esmeray Demirbas, and Mikah Longcob to run a 4x400 program-record 3:40.83 at the Ben Brown Invitational (March 13). On April 3, junior Kaia Schmidt won her second steeplechase of the year in a school and stadium record 10:16.88.

WEEKLY TRIFECTA
UCI has won three of the last four Big West Women's Track & Field Athlete of the Week awards. On April 7, Kaia Schmidt took home the Anteaters' first honor of the season after winning the steeplechase in a school-record and 17-second personal-best 10:16.88 at the Triton Invitational. Aoife Hernon and Joy Anderson then swept the weekly honors on April 14. Hernon was named the Big West Track Athlete of the Week for her school record in the 400m (54.05), while Anderson earned Big West Field Athlete of the Week distinction following her program-best 5,572 points in the heptathlon at the Bryan Clay Multis.

MULTIS DEPTH
All four of UC Irvine's heptathletes rank among the top-10 in program history, with three of those marks being set last week at the Bryan Clay Multis. Joy Anderson led the way with a school-record 5,572 points. Her score ranks first in the Big West and 14th in all of NCAA Division I this season. It has been an impressive freshman campaign for Anderson, who was the 2026 MPSF indoor champion in the pentathlon. Seniors Jazzmine Davis (5,415) and Zharia Taylor (5,185) both added lifetime bests that rank fourth and 10th, respectively, on UCI's all-time charts. Senior and two-time Big West champion Jolie Robinson owns the Anteaters' No. 3 score with a PR of 5,524 points that she established in 2025.

SPRINTING TO THE TOP
UC Irvine has set 12 top-10 marks, including two school records, in the sprints, hurdles, and relays this year. Aoife Hernon took down the Anteaters' 35-year-old standard in the 400m with a time of 54.05 at the Challenge Cup. Junior transfer Catalina Teran, who had already made her way into UCI's record books in the 100m (5th, 11.64) and 200m (2nd, 23.61), also cracked the top-10 with her 400m PR of 55.32 ranking seventh. At the Ben Brown Invitational on March 13, Hernon and Teran joined forces with Esmeray Demirbas, and Mikah Longcob to run a program-best 3:40.83 in the 4x400 relay. Three weeks later, Jazzmine Davis, Halle Sutherland, Samantha Bartz, and Teran clocked UC Irvine's second-fastest 4x100 (44.82) at the Triton Invitational. They were .31 seconds off the school record. Senior Samantha Bartz has bettered her personal records in both of the short sprints, moving up to No. 3 in school history in the 100m (11.60), and ranking fifth in the 200m (23.91). Rounding out the group with top-10 times this year are Davis in the 100H (3rd, 13.40), Ihe Okoh in the 400m (4th, 54.86), and Joy Anderson in the 200m (6th, 23.98) and 100H (8th, 13.89).

DISTANCE DUO
Juniors Kaia Schmidt and Emma Hadley led UC Irvine's distance crew through the cross country and indoor track & field seasons, and they have continued to do the same during the outdoor campaign. Schmidt set a personal best in both of her steeplechase victories this year, most recently running a school-record 10:16.88 at the Triton Invitational. Her time ranks first in the Big West, 17th in the West Region, and 29th in all of NCAA Division I this season. In her outdoor season debut at the Aztec Coastal Classic (March 13), Hadley was the individual champion in the 1500m with a lifetime-best 4:22.34 that puts her at No. 6 on UCI's all-time charts. At the Vince O'Boyle Classic, Hadley (2:07.73) and Schmidt (2:09.14) both clocked PRs in the 800m to rank sixth and 10th, respectively, in school history.

RAISING THE BAR
The 'Eaters have built an impressive contingent in the high jump where they have four individuals ranked among the top-10 in program history. Zharia Taylor, who was a second-team All-American in the event last year, is second with a personal-record 1.81 meters (5-11.25). Esmeray Demirbas is third (1.79m/5-10.5), while Kailah McKenzie is fifth (1.77m/5-9.75). Taylor, Demirbas, and McKenzie were all 2025 Big West scorers and NCAA West First Round qualifiers. This season, Joy Anderson entered UCI's top-10 as her clearance of 1.73m (5-8) at the Triton Invitational is tied for sixth. McKenzie, who was also a regional qualifier in the long jump, has added the triple jump to her repertoire, making her debut in the event at the Vince O'Boyle Classic where she established the No. 4 mark in school history at 12.28m (40-3.5). The Anteaters are a threat in the pole vault this year as well with the return of Alana Sugue, who missed last season with an injury. Sugue set a PR 4.01m (13-1.75) on April 4 to move up to No. 2 among UC Irvine's all-time leaders.

THROWING IT OUT THERE
UC Irvine has set a top-five mark in school history in all four throwing events this season. Last weekend at the Challenge Cup, senior Nyla Baker was a double champion with personal records in both the discus (52.01m/170-7) and shot put (15.78m/51-9.25). She moved up to No. 2 among the Anteaters' leaders in the discus, while improving on her No. 3 mark in the shot put. Sophomore Pinkie Schnayer also climbed to fifth in program history in the shot put with a PR 14.94m (49-0.25) at the Beach Opener. In the hammer, senior DeAna Davis has notched a lifetime best at two meets this season, most recently unleashing a toss of 58.67m (192-6) at the Challenge Cup to rank second at UCI. Giselle Rodriguez also kicked off her 'Eater career with a personal-best 46.62m (152-11) at the Beach Opener to rank third in the javelin. She then topped her PR at the Vince O'Boyle Classic with a winning throw of 48.38m (158-8) to move up one spot to No. 2.

UP NEXT
UC Irvine will host the Steve Scott Invitational at Anteater Stadium, May 1-2.