The UCSD women’s track and field team performed impressively at the March 13 San Diego City Championships, emerging victorious over Division I rival San Diego State, and finishing first among six teams. The Triton men also posted a victory by leading in the final standings ahead of three opponents.
“We had a huge day especially on the women’s side against SDSU,” head coach Tony Salerno said.
The Triton women outscored the Aztecs 217 to 204 , with Cal State San Marcos (69), Point Loma Nazarene (60), Alliant International (9) and University of San Diego (7) also in the competition.
UCSD had a number of individual highlights in the meet. Sophomore Kaylin Siever’s first-place showing of 39 feet, 8.75 inches in the triple jump was a school-record and an NCAA qualifying mark. Siever was also notable for finishing second in the long jump.
Junior Meredith Perry ran 14.38 to garner a second-place finish in the 100-meter hurdles, fast enough to be an NCAA Division II qualifying standard.
Freshman distance sensation Tina Firouz took first in the 3,000-meter race with sophomore teammate Michelle DiMeo running right behind her. Firouz and DiMeo finished in NCAA qualifying times of 10:12.94 and 10:14.98, respectively.
Senior thrower Sagrario Hernandez did double duty, performing and winning both the shot put by 45’-2 1/2”, and the hammer throw, reaching a distance of 160’-6”.
Senior Michelle Beebe excelled in the javelin, throwing 131’-7” and taking first. Other first-place finishers were freshman Torrey Trust, a discus specialist who threw 123’-7”, and junior high jumper Kelsey Turner, with a jump of 5’-5”.
San Diego State still had a few standouts, despite its team’s weak overall showing at the meet. Tonette Dyer won both the 100 (11.61) and 200 (23.69), while teammate Nicole Ireland finished second in each event (11.89, 23.85).
Heather Heron swept the hurdles events, taking both the 100 -meter (13.61) and 400-meter races (1:00.64). Dyer and Heron were also on the first-place 400 relay for the Aztecs, which finished with a time of 45.37.
Jamillah Titus was a final double-event winner for SDSU, as she came in first in the 800 meters (2:15.93), and as a member of the 1600 relay.
On the men’s side, UCSD, scoring high with 243.5 points, was able to decisively outdistance Point Loma Nazarene (132.5), Cal State San Marcos (89) and Alliant International (45).
Triton athletes won 13 of the 19 events, including every field event except the discus.
Sophomore Jon Patton took first in the 200-meter race, running 21.97, while fellow sophomore Matt Borzage was the winner of the 400-meter race with 49.57. Patton and Borzage were among the first-place UCSD runners competing with the 1,600 relay team, taking first with 42.23.
Several hurdlers were event winners, including sophomore Mike Cunningham, who ran 15.11 in the 110-meter hurdles, while freshman JC Inauen won the 400 hurdles in 55.72.
Senior Eric Nilsen was the 3,000-meter steeple winner, reaching the finish line first in 9:46.50.
The jumping events also had a large number of high scorers that were able to help elevate UCSD above the other competitors. Senior Pat Ruttinger won the pole vault, first with a height of 14-10, while fellow senior Marcus Keller was the triple jump winner, rising above the competition at 46-2.
Sophomore Tim Bailey was the long jump winner at 21’0.5”, and junior Kevin Beeman finished first in the high jump, reaching a height of 6’4.75”.
Sophomores Ryan Osgood and Brad Libuit shined in the javelin and shot put events, respectively. Osgood’s javelin throw went 185-7 and Libuit’s shot put went 44-3 1/4; both performances were good enough for first place.
Junior Hans Van Dale had a hammer throw of 169-7, which was another event-winning throw.
Though UCSD’s rivals at the meet were playing with injuries, including SDSU, the Tritons came to the meet well-prepared and ready for the Division I competition; the sheer number of event winners clearly indicates UCSD’s versatility in the variety of track and field events.
“They had a couple of injuries that gave us some scoring opportunities that we took advantage of, but mostly we had a great day,” Salerno said.
Some other competitors were able to stand out, although UCSD athletes accounted for the majority of event winners for both the men’s and women’s teams. Josephat Keino was a double winner for Alliant International in the 800-meter (1:53.62) and the 1,500 (3:54.47).
Terrance Hale from Point Loma Nazarene won the discus with a mark of 164-11, while the Sea Lions also earned top honors in the 1,600 relay at 3:20.44.
The meet was an impressive victory for both the men and the women because of the caliber of competition offered by the opponents, especially San Diego State, a Division I school.
“SDSU was California/Nevada State Champions last year as well as Mountain West Conference champs,” Salerno said.
