IRVINE – The Gaucho women were victorious at the Big West Challenge Cup, amassing 236 points to win the team title and claim the cup. The men’s team finished a close second to Long Beach State, finishing with 188 points to Long Beach’s 213.
Tayler Williams broke her own school record in the triple jump, leaping past the 40-foot barrier with a mark of 40’3.50″ (12.28m). That eclipses the mark of 39’10.50″ (12.15m) she set at last weekend’s Cal Poly Invitational. Williams was the winner of the triple jump, and also was second in the long jump with her best mark measuring 19’5″ (5.80m).
In the first events on the track, Katie Voigtlander won the steeplechase with a big personal best of 10:32.60, improving upon her Regional-qualifying mark from last season of 10:47.68. She remains second on the UCSB all-time steeplechase list, behind the school record of 10:11.03 by Bethany Nickless. Julian DeRubira won the men’s steeplechase with a personal best of 8:57.92, which makes him the sixth Gaucho to run the steeple in under nine minutes. He moves into fifth on the UCSB all-time list.
Alex Umstead launched the hammer over 190 feet with his first attempt hitting 190-6 (58.06m). He won the men’s hammer and moves up to sixth on the UCSB all-time list. Alex Francis posted a mark of 164’6″ (50.15m) in the women’s hammer to take second place. Her mark is currently seventh on the UCSB all-time list. Also in the throws, Michael Guerra was the winner of the men’s javelin with his best toss reaching 194’6″ (59.28m).
The sprints were highlighted by Ryan Martin setting a personal best in the 400m dash with a time of 47.13, which took second place behind the 46.94 of UC Irvine’s Charles Jock. Martin moves up from eighth to fourth on the UCSB all-time 400m list.
Kelsey Bolden ran well in the 100m dash for the second week in a row, finishing with a time of 12.07. This time her result was wind-legal, which means she enters the Gaucho all-time list at fifth in the 100m. Grace Esslinger made it into the Gaucho all-time list in the 200m with a time of 25.00, which placed third at the meet. That time is good for eighth on the Gaucho list.
Rusty Parker got onto the UCSB all-time 800m list with his third-place performance of 1:51.02 in a fast men’s 800m field. Parker is now 10th all-time for the Gauchos. Justine Diaz won the women’s 800m with a time of 12:12.94, just off her seasonal best.
The Gauchos went 1-2 in the women’s 3000m with Danielle Domenichelli winning at 9:51.53, andBreanne Strenkowski taking second at 9:56.53. Scott Smith won the men’s race with a time of 8:33.03, and also won the 1500m with a seasonal-best time of 3:45.06.
Other event winners were Jane Doolittle in the high jump with a clearance over 5’8.75″ (1.75m), andBarbara Nwaba in the 400m hurdles with a seasonal best time of 61.97.
The Gauchos are competing in several meets next week, including the California Invitational Multis on Wednesday and Thursday, April 14-15, the Bryan Clay Invitational on Friday, April 16, and the Mt. SAC Relays from Thursday-Saturday, April 15-17.
