IRVINE, Calif. – Cal State Fullerton track and field competed at the Big West Challenge on Friday at UC Irvine's Anteater Stadium. The men's team earned a victory while the women's team took third place.
The Titans won the men's team competition with 203.5 points. UC Santa Barbara had 190 points in second, 169.5 points for Long Beach State in third and UC Irvine had 67 in fourth.
The women's team finished in third place with 171.5 points. UC Santa Barbara won with 185, Long Beach State was second with 180.5 points and UC Irvine was fourth as it tallied 118 points.
Thaddeus Smith continued his impressive form with a 100-meter dash victory in 10.57. He then won the 200-meter sprint with a time of 21.00, the second-fastest wind-legal time of his career and his best time this season. That is the top 200 meter time in the Big West this year. Smith also ran the third leg on the 4x400-meter relay team with Alex Perez, Luis Matos and Marcel Espinoza and that quartet clocked a season-best time of 3:12.53 to take second place in the event. That is the No. 2 time in the conference this year.
The Titans finished 1-3-4 in the women's 1,500-meter run. Samantha Huerta won with a time of 4:31.72. Sandra Flores finished in third place at 4:35.66 and Trinity Ruelas came in fourth place with a time of 4:36.30. Huerta and Flores went 1-2 in the women's 800 meters with times of 2:11.69 and 2:14.15, respectively. Jake Smith's personal-best time of 3:53.96 was good for second place in the men's 1,500-meter run. Danny Ramirez earned a runner-up finish in the 3K with a time of 8:33.46 to help secure the victory for the men's squad.
Mason Guzman-Sanchez won the 110-meter hurdles with a personal-best time of 14.38. That time is currently tied for No. 2 in the Big West this season. Sam Schubert's time of 14.64 was good for second place. Marcel Espinoza's personal-best time of 47.20 in the 400-meter sprint was good for first place overall. That is the second-best time in the league on the year.
Edwin Matthews won the men's high jump with a personal-best clearance of 6-9.75 (2.08m), good for the third-best mark in the conference on the year. Dwayne Lee won the men's long jump with a wind-aided mark of 24-0.75 (7.33m, +2.8 wind). Anthony Applequist took first place in the triple jump with a mark of 49-7 (15.11m).
CSF went 1-2 in the women's pole vault with Bryn Williamson (1st) and Alysse McMillen both clearing 12-5.5 (3.80m). In the men's pole vault, Ryan Polakiewicz took second place with a personal-best tying clearance of 15-9 (4.80m). Nicole Clark won the women's javelin with a toss of 141-4 (43.09m).
Alvin Sung won the men's javelin as he threw 190-8 (58.13m). Tanner Miller's personal-best toss of 52-9.25 (16.08m) in the men's shot put was good for second place overall.
Gabrielle De La Rosa clocked a personal-best time of 10:48.05 in the women's steeplechase to take second place. Pamela Pelayo took third place with a time of 11:02.77.
The Titans return to action next weekend and will be split up among different meets in Southern California.
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