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FULLERTON, Calif. – The Cal State Fullerton men's and women's outdoor track and field team qualified nine individuals in addition to the men's 4x100 meter relay team to compete in the NCAA West Preliminary at the University of Texas at Austin on May 25-27, it was announced by the NCAA on Thursday.
Four Titans from the men's squad made the cut as the 2017 Big West Men's Track Athlete of the Year Darion Zimmerman qualified in the 400 meters for the second straight year.
Big West Champion Diego Courbis qualified in the 400-meter hurdles, while Trevor Gorwin, the Cal State Fullerton record holder in both the hammer throw and shot put, qualified for both events. Anthony Applequist qualified in the triple jump.
The two-time defending Big West champions in the 4x100 meter relay, Cal State Fullerton made the cut for the second straight year as Mason Rollins, Thaddeus Smith, Luis Matos, and Zimmerman are expected to compete for the Titans.
For the women, a pair of freshmen qualified, as Kiana Clay will compete in the 400 meters and Naiah Boardinham – the Cal State Fullerton record holder – made the cut in the long jump.
Big West champions Lauara Hamann (triple jump) and Bryn Williamson (pole vault) will complete as well as senior Ty'Jalayah Robertson (triple jump).
Naiah Boardingham – Long Jump
Freshman Naiah Boardingham broke her own Cal State Fullerton program record in the long jump on April 30 at the Fresno State Invitational. Boardingham's mark of 6.10 meters in the long jump was not only good for first place, but is a new program record at Fullerton, besting her previous mark of 5.94 meters set earlier in the spring.
Kiana Clay – 400 meters
Kiana Clay clocked her fastest time of the year at the Big West Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships, placing second in the 400 meters in a time of 53.88. This season, the freshman has three top-three finishes in the 400 meters at the Fresno State Invitational (2nd, 54.57) and the Big West Challenge (2nd, 55.17).
Laura Hamann – Triple Jump
Laura Hamann's personal-best mark of 41'3.75" (12.59m) in the triple jump clinched the title for the junior at the Big West Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships last week. It was the first championship for the Titans in the event since Anna Doty in 2001. Hamann's mark also leads the conference this season. She also placed first in the triple jump at the Fresno State Invitational (39'6"), the Pacific Beach Intercollegiate (38'8.25"), and at the RCC, UCR, Pepperdine Quad Meet (37'6.5").
Ty'Jalayah Robertson – Triple Jump
Ty'Jalayah Robertson's best mark of the season, 40'9" (12.42m) from the Michael Johnson Invitational ranks fourth in the Big West Conference this year. Robertson also placed second in the triple jump (39'7.75"/12.08m) at the UC Riverside Spring Track Classic.
Bryn Willianson – Pole Vault
Bryn Williamson broke her own school record in the pole vault with a mark of 13'6.25" (4.12m), winning the first title for the Titans at the Big West Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships since Jennifer Clarke in 2005. The mark also leads the Big West in 2017. Williamson became the first pole vaulter in Titan program history to clear 13 feet and was the recipient of Big West Women's Field Athlete of the Week award on April 4. She finished second in the event at the UCLA Legends Invite on April 1, posting a mark of 13-00.25. She broke her own previous record of 12-10.75 set earlier this year at the RCC Quad Meet, which at the time broke a school record that had stood since 2003.
Anthony Applequist – Triple Jump
Anthony Applequist's mark of 51' 2.75"(15.61m) from the UCLA Legends Invite ranks third in the Big West Conference this season and was good for first-place at the event. Applequist also finished first in the triple jump at the Big West Challenge (51'0"/15.54m) and the Ben Brown Invitational (49'3.75"/15.03m). Applequist collected his first career Big West Men's Field Athlete of the Week award on April 11 as he set personal and meet records at the Big West Challenge. In winning the triple jump with a mark of 51-00.00 at Long Beach State's Jack Rose Track, he set a new meet record.
Diego Courbis – 400 Hurdles
Diego Courbis claimed a title for Cal State Fullerton at the Big West Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships in the 400 meter hurdles in a time of 52.30, the first win in the event for the Titans since Roberto Archibold in 2008. His fastest time of the year, 51.92, at the Fresno State Invitational is the second fastest time in the Big West Conference in 2017 and a personal best. Courbis was named the co-Big West Men's Track Athlete of the Week, it was announced by the conference on March 28. Courbis posted a winning time in the 400 meter hurdles at the UC Riverside Spring Track Classic. He finished in 52.52.
Trevor Gorwin – Hammer Throw & Shot Put
Trevor Gorwin became a two-time Cal State Fullerton record holder on April 21 as his throw of 60'9.25" (18.52 meters) in the shot put set the new Titan program record at the Triton Invitational and ranks second in the Big West this season. Gorwin now holds the Fullerton record in both the hammer and the shot put as his mark surpassed Don Turri's throw of 59'11" (18.26 m) which had stood since 1973. Gorwin broke his own Cal State Fullerton school record on April 13 with a distance of 202-10 (61.82 meters) in the hammer throw at the Mt. SAC Relays hosted by El Camino College, which ranks fifth in the Big West in 2017. Gorwin placed third for Fullerton in the shot put with a throw of 57'11.75 at the Big West Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships. Gorwin set his first school record in the hammer throw to earn Big West Men's Field Athlete of the Week honors, it was announced by the conference on March 14. At his home meet, the Ben Brown Invitational, Gorwin uncorked a throw of 199-10 (60.90m) for a Cal State Fullerton record, before he bested that mark at the Mt. SAC Relays later in the year.
Darion Zimmerman – 400 Meters
Voted the Big West Men's Track and Field Athlete of the Year by the league's coaches on Thursday, senior Darion Zimmerman will be making his second straight appearance at the NCAA West Preliminary in the 400 meters. Zimmerman defended his Big West Conference title in the 400 meters last week, clocking a personal best time of 46.86 to win his second-straight crown in the event as well as break the Cal State Fullerton record. His time was the second fastest in the Big West in 2017. Zimmerman also took first at the conference championships in the 200 with a time of 21.13, the first Titan champion since his assistant coach Marques Barosso did so in 2006. The Oxnard, Calif., native was the first Big West athlete to win both the 200 and 400 meters at the conference meet since Boise State's Corey Nelson in 1999.
Zimmerman collected his second Big West Men's Track Athlete of the Week award this season on May 8 after finishing fourth overall – and first among collegians – in the 400 meters at the Oxy Invitational on May 6. Zimmerman previously earned Big West Men's Track Athlete of the Week accolades on April 4 after recording personal-bests in two events at the UCLA Legends Invite. Zimmerman ran a 10.57 in the 100 meters and blazed to a 21.16 finish in the 200 meters.
Mason Rollins, Thaddeus Smith, Luis Matos, Darion Zimmerman – 4x100 Meter Relay
The Cal State Fullerton 4x100 meter relay team defended its 2016 title in a time of 40.18 at the Big West Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships last week. Luis Matos, Thaddeus Smith, Mason Rollins and Darion Zimmerman will each run a leg in the race. Matos and Zimmerman were also part of the 2016 4x100 meter relay team that qualified for the NCAA West Preliminary. The Titans' time of 40.18 is the fastest in the Big West this season
The qualifiers from the West Preliminary will advance to the NCAA Division I Men's and Women's Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Eugene, Ore. on June 7-10.
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