FULLERTON, Calif. – Cal State Fullerton kicks off the outdoor track and field season with the squad competing in the Riverside City College Invitational on Friday at 1 p.m. PT.
On the women's side, the Titans will look to repeat as Big West Champions after claiming the first team title in program history last season. Head coach John Elders, the reigning Big West Women's Coach of the Year, welcomes back All-American, 2019 Big West Champion and high jump school-record holder junior Iesha Hamm. Also back for her final outdoor campaign is three-time school-record holder, three-time Big West Champion, the 2019 Big West Women's Track Athlete of the Year Samantha Huerta. Another key returner for the women's squad is junior Sierra Valdivieso represented the Titans at the NCAA West Preliminaries in the discus last season and finished in fifth place in the event at the Big West Championships.
After winning Big West Championships in both 2017 and 2018, the men begin the quest to get back on top after a runner-up finish in 2019. Elders and his staff welcome back the 2019 Big West Track Athlete of the Year in Marcel Espinoza, the 2018 Big West Freshman of the Year Rasaun House and sophomore Parris Samaniego. Those three all ran on the 4x400-meter relay team that took 12th place at the NCAA Championships last season, earning second-team All-America honors. For the distance runners, Jorge Sanchez and Anthony Alfaro both qualified for the men's 3,000-meter steeplechase at the NCAA West Preliminaries and will look to build on that this outdoors season.
On Friday, the Titans will compete against Riverside City College, UC Riverside, Cal Baptist, Azusa Pacific and Cal State San Bernardino.
With the 2020 season beginning, cross country and track and field head coach John Elders is in his 32nd 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, then repeated that feat in 2018 to become back-to-back champions. In 2019, the men's team earned a runner-up finish but the women claimed the first title in program history.
SUPPORT THE TITANS!
Fans can purchase tickets for various Cal State Fullerton athletic events by visiting FullertonTitans.com/Tickets. The Athletic Ticket Office can also be contacted by phone at 657-278-2783 or by email at athletictixs@fullerton.edu. The Ticket Office is located at the Titan House off of Gymnasium Drive at the eastern end of the Intramural Fields and is open from 10 am – 4 pm PT, Monday – Friday.
FOLLOW THE TITANS
Fans can keep up with the latest in Titans athletics by following us on Facebook (@FullertonTitans), Twitter (@FullertonTitans), and Instagram (@FullertonTitans) and Snapchat (FullertonTitans). In addition, the track and field and cross country teams have established their own official Twitter page (@FullertonTFXC) and Facebook Page (@FullertonTFXC).