IRVINE, CALIF. – Men won their third Big West Outdoor Track & Field Championships in four seasons. After a nail-biting performance through the first 20 events, it all came down to the 4x400m relay.
The winner takes all scenario came down to the final leg of the relay team made up of (Samaniego, House, Lowe, and Kelly) where the double winner in the men's 110H and 400H Charles Kelly, received the baton in third place and was able to anchor the Titans to victory with a first-place finish. Kelly who was the current record holder in the men's 110H after breaking it just two weeks ago, would break it again today after running a wind legal time of 14.10 (+1.4 m/s). Less than two hours later, Kelly would return to the track to break a 20-year-old 400H record set by Richard Adams in 2001 with a time of 51.23.
Freshman Reyte Rash finished second in the men's 400H with a seasonal best time of 51.57. Rash's time now sits as the third fastest time in CSUF school history. Matt Cohen rounded out the top eight with a seventh-place finish after running 53.29. Cohen moves into the number nine all-time list for men's 400H.
Following Kelly's record-breaking performance in the men's 110H, teammate Matt Cohen added two points to the team tally by finishing in a time of 14.80. The 400H finals consisted of Kelly (51.23), Rash
(51.57), and Cohen (53.29). They were able to contribute 21 more points towards the team counter.
Sophomore Paris Samaniego (47.60) and Freshman Justin Lowe (48.17) finish second and third in the 400m dash. Senior Marcel Espinoza was able to complete his lap around the track, after injuring his leg in the 4x100m relay, for a seventh-place finish and two points to add to the men's tally.
Rasaun House found his way to the podium after finishing 2nd place with a time of 10.71 in the men's 100m dash. Teammates Naythn Scruggs, Cooper Bibbs, and Christian Wood finish 6th – 8th to add six more points.
To open up the meet, the Titans ran 41.24 in the 4x100m relay which was good enough for 2nd place. The team was made up of Parris Samaniego, Naythn Scruggs, Rasaun House, and Marcel Espinoza. House, Lowe, and Samaniego were back in action in the 200m final with House leading the Titans effort with a 2nd place finish in a time of 21.60.
Three Titans scored in the men's 1500m final with Sammy Ayala (3:46.85) leading the way with a 2nd place finish and then Sam Pimentel (7th) and Jake Smith (8th) rounded out the competition to add 3 more pints to the tally.
In the field events, Sophomore Juwan Seales contributed six points to the team total by finishing 3rd in the men's triple jump after a leap of 15.02m (49'3.50). Senior and current school record holder in the men's discus, Corey Gilbert, added a crucial eight points after he clinched a 2nd place finish in the men's discus with a fifth-round throw of 54.73m (179'6").
Titan Women finished second at the 2021 Big West Outdoor Track & Field Championships with a score of 149.50, just 32 points behind the Mustangs of Cal Poly.
Senior Ty Wallace took 2nd place in the women's triple jump with a leap of 12.24m (40'2"). While teammate Jelani Minix added one point after a leap of 11.48m (37'8") which was good enough for an 8th place finish.
Deja Allain, Naiah Boardingham, Amir'a Edmond, and Hailey Murdica made up the women's 4x100m relay team that finished second after running a season best time of 46.60. Boardingham would come back in the women's 100m to run a new lifetime best of 11.73 (+1.8), which was good enough for 2nd place. Teammates Hailey Murdica (11.96) and Amir'a Edmond (12.19) would finish fourth and eight to add six more points to the women's total. Murdica later came back to compete in the 200m dash where she logged a time of 25.06 following teammate Deja Allain who placed fourth at 24.85.
Senior Samantha Huerta and Junior Trinity Ruelas finished third and fourth in the women's 1500m with times of 4:21.13 and 4:26.47. Dana McGrath rounded out the scoring field with an 8th place finish bettering her time from the prelims by 5 seconds. Huerta later ran a time of 2:05.54 to finish third in the Women's 800m.
After a false start committed by an opponent in the women's 100H final, Tammy Vien (14.49), Mariah Stewart (14.59), Madison Moku 14.65) and Karyn Best (14.83) finished fifth thru eighth.
Freshman Maya Occiano ran 1:00.08 in the 400H to claim the conference title. Occiano's time moved her up to #44 in the NCAA West Region. Teammate Maddison Moku (1:02.65) added to the overall score with her 4th place finish. Ruelas and Alyssa Block represented the Titans in the women's 5000m and crossed the finsh line fourth and seventh with times of 16:48.01 and 17:11.10.
In the 4x400m relay, the Titans finished 3rd with a time of 3:52.57.
Select members of the team will be back in action next week to compete in the 2021 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships hosted by Texas A&M in College Station, Texas.
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