SAN LUIS OBISPO – Jane Doolittle led the Gaucho women to a dual meet victory over the Cal Poly Mustangs with her UCSB record-setting performance in the high jump. This is the fifth week in a row that a member of the UCSB track and field team has set a school record.
Doolittle first captured the UCSB record by clearing 6’0.75″, then moved the bar up two centimeters and cleared it again to solidify her spot at the top with a performance of 6’1.50″ (1.87m). Doolittle eclipsed the previous record 6’0.50″ set by Tara Fairfield in 1990.
Julian DeRubira came close to setting a UCSB record in the steeplechase, winning a race against the two previous Conference leaders with a time of 8:48.92. He improved his personal best by nearly 10 seconds and moved into second on the Gaucho all-time list. Entering this weekend he was 16th in the West, and he will likely move higher up the list with this performance.
In the middle distances, Scott Smith went for the UCSB record in the 1500m and came three tenths of a second short, crossing the line in 3:44.09. However, he dominated the race and won by more than seven seconds. Danielle Domenichelli won the women’s 1500m with a seasonal best time of 4:28.99.
Tayler Williams and Tamara Thomas finished 2-3 in the triple jump with wind-aided marks of 41’2″ (12.55m) for Williams and 40’5″ (12.32m) for Thomas. Although the wind was too strong for record-breaking purposes, it was under the allowable limit for NCAA qualification and will improve their chances of qualifying for the first round of the NCAA Championships.
Williams and Thomas also went 2-3 in the long jump with performances that will move them up on the Gaucho all-time lists. Williams jumped 19’3″ (5.87m) to move within two inches of the school record, and Thomas jumped 19’1″ (5.82m) to move into fifth all-time. Both of those marks were posted jumping into a significant headwind.
Mike Powers won the long jump at 22’1.75″ (6.75m) and the triple jump at 46’3.75″ (14.12m). His triple jump mark qualifies for the Big West Championships.
Drew Johnston was a double winner in the hurdles with times of 14.69 in the 110 highs and 52.89 in the 400m hurdles. His 400m hurdles time is a new personal best that moves him into ninth on the Gaucho all-time list.
In the throws, Kayla Smith won the shot put with a personal best performance of 47’9.50″ (14.57m), which will likely land her on the West leaderboard this upcoming week. Alex Umstead won the hammer in a throw close to his seasonal best, hitting 190’3″ (58.00m). Adam Shigem finished second with a personal best of more than 10 feet, posting a mark of 176’4″ (53.75m).
The women’s 4x100m relay squad ran the second-fastest relay in Gaucho history with a time of 46.87, comfortably winning the race.
The women cruised to a 126-76 victory over the Mustangs, while the men came up three points short in a 101-98 scoreline.
The big event next weekend is the Big West Multi-Event (decathlon and heptathlon) finals, which count towards team scoring in the Big West Championships. The Multis will be held Friday and Saturday, May 7-8, at Cal State Northridge. The Gauchos will also participate in the Occidental Invitational on Saturday, May 8, for last-second attempts to qualify for Conference and for time trials.
