The UCSD track and field teams both had strong outings during the California Collegiate Athletic Association Quadrangular meet at Jesse Owens Stadium in Los Angeles this weekend. The women’s team finished first and the men’s team took second in their first intercollegiate competition of the season.
The UCSD women’s team won the team title with 159 points, distancing itself from runner-up California State University Los Angeles, which finished with 115. Cal Poly Pomona, Cal State Dominguez Hills and Sonoma State finished in that order, rounding out the field.
On the track, three Tritons emerged victorious — Audrey Sung in the 3,000-meter run, Meredith Perry in the 100-meter hurdles and Hillary Hills in the 400-meter hurdles. Perry’s mark of 14.2 in the hurdles broke the UCSD record of 14.29 set by Lisa Shepard in 1995.
UCSD fared even better in field events, with Clara Wilson winning the long jump, Zita Dixon taking the high jump, Jackie Vu earning first in the pole vault, Sara Allsur winning the discus and Sagrario Hernandez taking first in the shot put.
On the men’s side, Cal Poly Pomona took first with 170 points, the Tritons finishing second with 149 and CSULA last with 38.
UCSD won eight events — including the 100-meter relay and 400-meter relay. Individually, Jon Wong took first in the 800 meters and 1500 meters, Brian Parisi won the 400 meters and Julian Nahan won the 3,000-meter steeplechase. On the field, Rob Ewanio won both the hammer throw and shot put.
Although NCAA qualifications do not begin until March 1, UCSD had several performances that would have earned athletes provisional spots or would have come close to qualifying at the NCAA Division II Championships in San Angelo, Texas.
Ewanio, the UCSD record-holder in the shot put, had a mark of 56’10” in the men’s shot put that was just shy of the 58’6” needed for an automatic berth. Wong’s 3:56.9 in the men’s 1500 meters was just off of the 3:55 mark required for a provisional bid to the NCAA.
Perry’s 14.2 in the women’s 100-meter hurdles would have surpassed the 14.65 needed for a provisional qualifying berth and was close to the 13.8 required for an automatic spot.
