FULLERTON, Calif. – Cal State Fullerton track and field is set to host the Ben Brown Invitational this weekend at the Titan Track Complex. On Friday, the hammer and javelin will be contested with competition beginning at 10:30 a.m. PT. The rest of the events are scheduled for Saturday with the meet commencing at 9:30 a.m. PT. You can follow along on live results here.
"We're just getting into the swing of things," head coach John Elders. "We're still not at full strength in terms of everybody competing in their primary events. I'm excited to see what both teams can do this weekend and I think there will be better marks than we had last weekend. Also, hopefully we can avoid the rain."
The Titans will compete against teams such as Cal Poly Pomona, Mt. San Antonio College, Chino University, Army West Point, Pepperdine, UC Irvine and others.
Rasaun House, the reigning Big West Men's Track Athlete of the Week, who posted region-leading times in the 100 meters (10.44) and 200 meters (21.49), will run the 400-meter sprint.
Tatiana Bell, who won both the 100 and 200 meters at the RCC Quad Meet on March 3, is set to run the 100 meters and 200 meters once again this weekend.
Laura Hamann, who is primarily a horizontal jumper for the Titans and the reigning Big West Champion in the triple jump, will run the 100-meter sprint and long jump. Fellow horizontal jumper Naiah Boardingham, the school-record holder (20-3.75, 6.19m) in the long jump, is set to run the 400 meters. Iesha Hamm, a freshman that set the indoor school record in the high jump, is entered in the 100-meter hurdles, high jump and javelin. Edwin Matthews will compete in the men's high jump and javelin for CSF.
Shelby Noble, the indoor school-record holder in the pole vault, will compete in the event with Bryn Williamson, Arielle Williams (Bray), Mariah Lark and Alysse McMillen
Charles Kelly will look to continue his winning ways in the 400-meter hurdles after he earned a first-place finish in the event at the RCC Quad Meet. Blake Rose will compete in the event as well for the Titans. Kelly and Mason Guzman-Sanchez will also run the 110-meter hurdles. Guzman-Sanchez and Kelly went 1-2 in the event last weekend.
The men's 4x100-meter relay will run two teams on Saturday. The quartet of Luis Matos, House, Kasey Corey and Thaddeus Smith clocked the best time in the NCAA West Region at the RCC Quad Meet with a time of 40.74. The 4x400-meter relay team of Alex Perez, Brandon Hasson, Tristan Griffith and Gino Long clocked a time of 3:14.51 for the No. 2 time in the region. The women's squad will run both relays as well and look to improve on their No. 8 4x400-meter relay time in the region.
Jacob Smith, Danny Ramirez, Josh Silva and Jorge Sanchez will all run the men's 5,000-meter race. On the women's side, Trinity Ruelas, Sam Huerta, Wendi Leos, Gabrielle De La Rosa and Brianna Jacklin are set to represent the Titans.
Kelsey McKelvey is set to make her season debut in the javelin, the event she holds the school record in. Sierra Valdivieso (hammer, discus) and Sinai Fatafehi (hammer, shot put) will look to build on their opening weekends at the RCC Quad Meet with another strong weekend. Tanner Miller and Austin Flores will throw the shot put for the CSF men's squad.
As the 2018 season gets underway, cross country and track and field head coach John Elders enters his 30th season at the helm of each program making him the longest tenured head coach in the history of Cal State Fullerton. Cal State Fullerton won the 2017 Big West Men's Outdoor Track and Field Championships, the first conference title in program history.
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