2018 Big West Track & Field Assistant Commissioner/Communications: Mike Villamor • [email protected] 2 Corporate Park, Suite 206 • Irvine, CA 92606 • Phone: (949) 261-2525 x115 @BigWestXCTF Final Release - Monday, July 30, 2018 BEATTIE NAMED FIRST TEAM ALL-AMERICAN NCAA TRACK & FIELD CHAMPIONSHIP Fifteen Big West athletes earned All-America recognition from the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association, headlined by first team honoree Erinn Beattie of UC Davis. USTFCCCA OUTDOOR TRACK AND FIELD Beattie tied for second place in the women’s high jump with a mark of 5 feet, 11.5 inches (1.82m). She actually NCAA DIVISION I ALL-AMERICANS equalled the top height of the competition, but Alexus Henry of UT-Arlington was declared the champion as she Big West Representatives Only reached that height in fewer attempts. FIRST TEAM ALL-AMERICAN Making her second straight NCAA Championship appearance, Beattie earned the highest finish by a Big West high jumper at nationals since former Cal Poly and U.S. Olympian Sharon Day claimed the national title in 2005 Name School Event and placed second in 2004. Erinn Beattie UC Davis High Jump Beattie set the UC Davis record earlier in the season with a clearance of 6-00.50 at the Bryan Clay Invitational. SECOND TEAM ALL-AMERICAN Name School Event First team All-American status is achieved when a competitor finishes in the top eight of an event. Hope Bender UC Santa Barbara Heptathlon Beattie is the third Aggie in the last four years to be named a first team All-American by the USTFCCCA. Rianna Marc Toney UC Davis Pole Vault Goins (800 meters) earned the honor in 2017 and Raquel Lambdin (1,500 meters) in 2015. It is the seventh straight year a UC Davis athlete achieved at least honorable mention accolades. HONORABLE MENTION Name School Event ALL-AMERICAN HONORS BESTOWED ON 14 OTHERS Ashleigh Chambers Long Beach State 4x100 Relay In addition to Beattie, 14 other Big West athletes competed at nationals inside the historic Hayward Field venue in Eugene, Ore. Those performances garnered the group All-American recognition. Courtne’ Davis Long Beach State 4x100 Relay Marcel Espinoza Cal State Fullerton 4x100 Relay In particular, UC Santa Barbara junior Hope Bender and UC Davis senior Marc Toney captured second team Madison Golden Long Beach State 4x100 Relay All-American accolades. To qualify as a second teamer, a competitor must finish between ninth and 16th place Azaria Hil Long Beach State 4x100 Relay in an event. Jenna Hinkle UC Santa Barbara 1,500 Meters Rasaun House Cal State Fullerton 4x100 Relay Toney finished in 10th place in the men’s pole vault. He cleared 17 feet, 10.5 inches to obliterate the Aggie all-time Lily Lowe Hawai‘i High Jump record. The previous mark of 17-06.50 was shared by Toney and two others. Toney is the first Aggie to achieve second team All-America recognition since 2011 when Thomas Phillips and Alex Wilright placed 13th and 15th in Luis Matos Cal State Fullerton 4x100 Relay the 400 meter hurdles, respectively. Toney is also the first Big West pole vaulter since Cal Poly’s John Prader Saladin Nasser Long Beach State Long Jump (2012) to be named a second team All-American. Jason Smith Long Beach State Long Jump Thaddeus Smith Cal State Fullerton 4x100 Relay Bender came in 12th place among 24 competitors in the heptathlon as she scored 5,653 points. The Gaucho turned in the best point total by a Big West heptathlete at nationals since former UCSB standout Barbara Nwaba had 5,927 points for a runner-up finish in 2012. Bender’s best event was the 200 meters, clocking 24.21 seconds 2018 BIG WEST POSTSEASON HONORS for third place and coming up just short of her personal best 24.15 set at the Big West Multi-Event Championships. MEN’S TRACK ATHLETE OF THE YEAR The list of honorable mention All-Americans included the following: Swarnjit Boyal, Cal Poly « Jenna Hinkle, UC Santa Barbara – The senior claimed honorable mention distinction for the second year in WOMEN’S TRACK ATHLETE OF THE YEAR a row in the 1,500 meters. Coming off a school record effort of 4:15.39 at the West Preliminary in Sacramento, Hinkle ran the distance in 4:24.07 for 23rd place. She came in 19th place in 2017. Hinkle became the first in Jenna Hinkle, UC Santa Barbara school history to qualify for nationals twice in the 1500m. MEN’S FIELD ATHLETE OF THE YEAR « Lily Lowe, Hawai‘i – The sophomore finished in 18th place in the women’s high jump with a top mark of 5 feet, Jason Smith, Long Beach State 8 inches. WOMEN’S FIELD ATHLETE OF THE YEAR « Saladin Nasser, Long Beach State – The senior turned in an 18th place showing with a top leap of 24-06.50 (7.48m) in the men’s high jump. Hope Bender, UC Santa Barbara « Jason Smith, Long Beach State – The sophomore came in 20th place in the men’s long jump with a distance MEN’S FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR of 24-04.25 (7.42m). Nasser and Smith became the first Beach duo since 2006 to compete in the same event at Rasaun House, Cal State Fullerton the NCAA’s. WOMEN’S FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR « Marcel Espinoza/Rasaun House/Luis Matos/Thaddeus Smith, Cal State Fullerton – The Titan 4x100 relay Shalee Reynolds, Long Beach State quartet finished 21st overall in a time of 40.10 seconds, which represented their second-fastest time of the season. The group clocked a school-record time of 39.86 – the first sub-40 second race in school history – at the West Preliminary meet in Sacramento that booked their trip to nationals. MEN’S COACH OF THE YEAR John Elders, Cal State Fullerton « Ashleigh Chambers/Courtne’ Davis/Madison Golden/Azaria Hill, Long Beach State – The Beach foursome broke the school record in the 4x100 relay for the third time this season. They crossed the line in 44.59 seconds for WOMEN’S COACH OF THE YEAR 18th place overall. The group initially set the LBSU record in 44.85 seconds at the MONDO Team Challenge, then Andy Sythe, Long Beach State improved upon that mark with a 44.63 performance at the Big West Championships. Chambers, Davis, Golden and Hill represented the second Beach 4x100 relay team to reach nationals – the first since 2007. 2018 NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS • EUGENE, OR • HAYWARD FIELD Men’s Results Women’s Results Name, School Event Round Time/Mark Place Name, School Event Round Time/Mark Place Marc Toney, UC Davis Pole Vault Finals 17-10.50 10th Jenna Hinkle, UC Santa Barbara 1500 Meters Semis 4:24.07 23rd Saladin Nasser, Long Beach State Long Jump Finals 24-06.50 18th Hope Bender, UC Santa Barbara Heptathlon Finals 5,653 Pts. 12th Jason Smith, Long Beach State Long Jump Finals 24-04.25 20th Erinn Beattie, UC Davis High Jump Finals 5-11.50 t-2nd Luis Matos, Cal State Fullerton 4x100 Relay Semis 40.10 21st Lily Lowe, Hawai‘i High Jump Finals 5-08.00 18th Thaddeus Smith, Cal State Fullerton 4x100 Relay Semis 40.10 21st Ashleigh Chambers, Long Beach State 4x100 Relay Semis 44.59 18th Rasaun House, Cal State Fullerton 4x100 Relay Semis 40.10 21st Courtne’ Davis, Long Beach State 4x100 Relay Semis 44.59 18th Marcel Espinoza, Cal State Fullerton 4x100 Relay Semis 40.10 21st Madison Golden, Long Beach State 4x100 Relay Semis 44.59 18th Azaria Hill, Long Beach State 4x100 Relay Semis 44.59 18th BIG WEST NOTES CAL STATE FULLERTON REPEATS AS MEN’S CHAMPION TITAN FOURSOME SETS SCHOOL RECORD Cal State Fullerton head coach John Elders, the dean of the Big West coaching fraternity A strong contingent of 76 Big West athletes competed in the NCAA West Preliminary in Sac- in his 30th season, guided the Titans to their second straight conference championship. ramento, Calif. In the previous 28 years, CSF’s best finish was third (2006), making the current two-year run all the more impressive. A number of impressive performances resulted, including the Cal State Fullerton men’s 4x100 relay team. Building upon their win at the conference meet, the Titan combo of Rasaun The Titans upped their winning point total from 133 in 2017 to 154 in 2018 in a showcase House, Thaddeus Smith, Luis Matos and Marcel Espinoza set a school record in 39.86 of their overall depth. That depth was obviously apparent in the sprints. The team scored seconds to finish third in their heat and 10th overall. It was the first sub-40 second race in double-digit points in the 200 meters (19), 100 meters (18), 110 meter hurdles (15) and Titan history, giving the four the reward of competing at nationals – the first CSF representa- 4x100 relay (10). They also piggybacked contributions from the 3,000 meter steeplechase tives in the 4x100 since 2003. and javelin – 14 points apiece – into the team title. HINKLE BREAKS OWN RECORD IN 1,500 METERS CSF needed only three event victories on its way to the championships. Junior Thad- Another record breaking effort at the NCAA West Preliminary came from UC Santa Barbara deus Smith captured gold in the 100 meters. He also contributed to a Titan first place senior Jenna Hinkle. finish in the 4x100 meter relay, combining with Luis Matos, Rasaun House and Marcel Espinoza. CSF won the 4x100 for the third consecutive year. Senior Mason Guzman- The Gaucho distance standout ran a school record 4:15.39 to finish sixth in her heat and Sanchez also won the 110 meter hurdles.