Highlanders Sign Seven Male Distance Runners to NLI

(May 10, 2004) - The UC Riverside Head Cross Country and Track and Field Coach Irv Ray announced the signings of seven elite high school middle distance runners to national letters of intent.

“I am very excited about our very talented and motivated recruiting class. In my 17 years of coaching at the college level, this is my strongest recruiting class ever,” Ray said. “We will be working very hard to retain and build this class into Big West Conference Champions and National Qualifiers in the next 2-3 years.”

The 2004 signing class consists of (in alphabetical order):

• Ryan Allen, middle distance, Yucaipa HS – Personal best of 50.0 in the 400, 1:54 in the 800, 4:15 in the 1,600. Ran the Mt. SAC cross country course in 15:12. “Ryan is a very motivated athlete and sees himself reaching the elite levels of Division I,” Ray said. Has a 3.5 GPA at Yucaipa HS.

• Jared Bain, middle distance, Rialto HS – Personal best of 52.0 in the 400, 1:57 in the 800, 4:22 in the 1,600 and 9:28 in the 3,200. “Jared is a talented young runner who will make big improvements and has great potential to become an excellent collegiate athlete,” Ray said. Has a 3.3 GPA at Rialto HS.

• Joel Cota, middle distance, Indio HS – Personal best of 49.0 in the 400, 1:54 in the 800 and 4:14 in the 1,600. “We feel Joel has outstanding potential at middle distance and we are very excited about his future contributions,” Ray said. Has a 4.2 GPA at Indio HS.

• Raul Lara, middle distance, Orange HS – Personal best of 51.0 in the 400, 1:54 in the 800, 4:15 in the 1,600 and 9:10 in 3,200. “Raul will make an immediate impact in the 8,000 and 10,000 events. He is a very strong runner,” Ray said. Has a 4.0 GPA at Orange HS.

• Andrew Tachias, middle distance, Covina HS – Personal best of 52.0 in the 400, 1:57 in the 800, 4:18 in the 1,600, and 9:08 in the 3,200. “Andrew is an exceptionally strong endurance athlete with great will to work hard and improve. He will be a big contributor to our cross country program,” Ray said. Has a 3.2 GPA at Covina HS, where his coach, Kevin Burko, ran under Coach Ray when ray coached at the school in the 1980’s.

• Andrew Trinidad, middle distance, Rancho Cucamonga HS – Personal best of 51.0 in the 400, 1:55 in the 800, 4:17 in the 1,600 and 9:14 in the 3,200. Ran the Mt. SAC cross country course in 15:07. “Andrew is a very strong runner and will combine with Lara to give us an excellent 1-2 punch in cross country,” Ray said. Has a 3.5 GPA at Rancho Cucamonga HS.

• Nathan Wolack, middle distance, Don Lugo HS – Personal best of 51.0 in the 400, 1:56 in the 800, 4:18 in the 1,600 and 15:34 in 5,000 K cross country. “Nathan has excellent balance at both cross country, where he led Don Lugo to the state cross country title, and is making big improvements in track, especially at the 1,600 distancce,” Ray said.

The seven join a solid core of five returning distance runners for the Highlanders, senior Ruben Espinoza, juniors Carlos Handler, Dustin Russell and Andy Padilla and sophomore Santiago Alonzo.

Four More Athletes Commit to UCR

(June 3, 2004) - UC Riverside Head Cross Country and Track and Field Coach Irv Ray announced that four student-athletes, three women and one man, had committed to join the Highlander program Wednesday.

The Highlanders have signed hurdler Hassan Rahmaan (Serra HS, Gardena, CA), sprinter Whitney Leachman (Elsie Allen HS, Santa Rosa, CA), and sprinter Jonelle Smiley (Serra HS, San Diego, CA) to National Letters of Intent. In addition, Hesperia native and Sultana HS graduate Shanon Meyer has announced her intention to transfer from San Diego State University.

Meyer is a four-time multi-even junior nationals qualifier who had a strong season at SDSU. In her freshman campaign in 2003 she competed in 12 different events, including the 400 hurdles, long jump, triple jump, pole vault, and javelin as well as the heptathlon. In 2003 she was the USA Junior National Champion in the heptathlon, finished fourth in the Pan Am Junior Championships in the heptathlon and 15th in the NCAA meet. She was named the Mountain West Conference indoor and outdoor Freshman of the Year in 2003.

Smiley is one of the top sprinters in the San Diego section, with a time of 12.19 in the 100 and 25.31 in the 200. Ray says she will be “a major player for the women’s sprint corps and relay teams.”

Leachman, who will be competing in the 200 at the California State Meet, will join Smiley on the sprint squads. Her times of 12.17 in the 100 and 25.15 in the 200 make her one of the top sprinters in the North Coast Section. “The addition of Whitney will make an already strong women’s sprint corps that much better as well as challenging the other sprinters for a spot on both relays,” Ray said.

Rahmaan is a talented hurdler who will also be competing at the state meet. He has posted a time of 14.47 in the 110 hurdles and 38.04 in the 300 IH. “Hassan will be a major impact hurdler in the seasons to come and is an immediate potential scorer at the Big West Championship Meet next season,” Ray said.

Six Female Student-Athletes Commit to UCR

(June 25, 2004) - UC Riverside Head Cross Country and Track and Field Coach Irv Ray announced that six female student-athletes had committed to join the Highlander program Friday.

The Highlanders have signed five high school athletes Tajma Stephenson (St. Bernard HS), Lisa Lopez (Hesperia HS), Maryanne Hanks (Murrieta HS), Kristina Tudor (Apple Valley Christian HS) and Uchechi “Angel” Egonuigwe (Mayfair HS) and one junior college transfer, Rose Serna (Southwestern Junior College).

• Serna, a distance runner, had personal bests of 17:40 in the 5K, 4:42 in the 1,500 and 2:19 in the 800. “She will be a leader with her junior college experience and her leadership in the big meets,” Ray said.

• Stephenson, a sprinter, has personal bests of 25.5 in the 200, 55.81 in the 400 and 2:16 in the 800. “She has huge upside in the 800 and potential to be a sub-2:10 runner as a freshman,” Ray said.

• Lopez, a distance runner, has personal bests of 57.95 in the 400, and 2:16.27 in the 800. “With the strength program here at UCR she could also run a sub-2:10 in her freshman year,” Ray said.

• Hanks, a distance runner, has personal bests of 2:17 in the 800 and 5:11 in the 1,600. “ She has what it takes to be a great miler,” Ray said.

• Tudor, a distance runner, has personal bests of 2:19 in the 800, 5:18 in the 1,600. “She will be a great addition to the distance side of the track team and a big plus on the cross country squad,” Ray said.

• Egonuigwe, a sprinter, has personal bests of 57.0 in the 400 and 45 in the 300 hurdles. “She is a second generation Nigerian. She has an immense amount of talent. She will be an excellent addition to the 4x4 relay team as well as the 400 hurdles,” Ray said.

Highlanders Announce Spring Home Schedule

(November 9, 2004) - The UC Riverside Highlanders Track and Field program announced the dates of six home track meets for the 2005 season Tuesday.

Four of the meets will be "All-Comers Meets" and will be open to any and all interested athletes. The dates of these events are January 8, January 22, February 19 and February 26. Events begin at 12 noon.

The Highlanders will host a four way collegiate meet with Southern Utah, Northern Arizona and Cal Poly Pomona on April 9, then a week later on April 15 will offer an alternative to the Mt. SAC Distance Invitational at 6:00 PM. The event will feature the 5,000, 10,000, steeplechase, 1,500 and 800.

For more information on any of these events, please contact the UCR track and field office at (951) 827-5207.

ALL COMERS TRACK AT UC RIVERSIDE
HIGH SCHOOL , AGE GROUP , COLLEGE , CLUB , MASTERS AND OPEN
ATHLETES WELCOME

DATES: SATURDAY JANUARY 8 & 22 & FEBRUARY 19 & 26

TIME: BOTH RUNNING AND FIELD EVENTS START AT NOON.

ADMISSION: $5 TO VIEW OR COMPETE IN UNLIMITED EVENTS

SITE: UC RIVERSIDE 9 LANE URETHANE TRACK ! _” PYRAMID SPIKES REQUIRED.

AWARDS: NO AWARDS BUT MARKS FOR ALL ATHLETES.

QUESTIONS: CONTACT MARK MOYER @ 951-827-5207 EVENT SCHEDULE

12:00 300 M HURDLES - 36” 12:00 HAMMER
      300 M HURDLES - 30” 12:00 JAVELIN
      4x100 RELAY         12:00 LONG JUMP
      800M                12:00 HIGH JUMP (OPEN HT 4’)
      100M                12:00 SHOT PUT
      1600M                1:15 HIGH JUMP (OPEN HT 6’)
      400M                 1:30 TRIPLE JUMP
      100M HURDLES         1:30 DISCUS
      110M HURDLES – 39”
      110M HURDLES – 42”
      200M                 SPECIAL NOTE:
      3200M                NO POLE VAULT CONTESTED !!
      4 X 400 RELAY

THIS SCHEDULE DOES NOT PROVIDE INDIVIDUAL STARTING TIMES FOR THE RUNNING RACES AS STARTING TIMES AFTER THE FIRST EVENT WILL DEPEND ON THE NUMBER OF ENTRIES AND THEREFORE THE NUMBER OF HEATS REQUIRED. THE FIELD EVENT TIMES WILL BE ADHERED TO AS CLOSELY AS POSSIBLE.

Track and Field Assistant Coach Mark Moyer
Announces His Retirement

(Jan. 7, 2005) - UC Riverside Assistant Track and Field Coach Mark Moyer has announced his retirement, effective at the end of the 2004-05 school year in June.

“This year marks my 20th year at UC Riverside, and it has been an outstanding experience. But I am ready to take a break and to spend some more time with my wife, Bambi, and children Erin and Hayley,” Moyer said.

Moyer, a specialist in sprints, hurdles and relays, joined the Highlander program in 1985 as an interim head track and field coach during former Head Coach Chris Rinne’s tenure as director of athletics. When Rinne left the athletic directorship in 1986 and returned as head track and field coach, Moyer began work in his current full-time assistant position.

“Mark Moyer has been a integral part of UCR’s growth and success over the last 20 years. He has seen UCR track make the transition from Div-II to Div-I, and has shared his expertise with hundreds of athletes over that time,”

Head Track and Field Coach Irv Ray said. “The track and field staff and student-athletes want to thank Mark for everything he has given UCR and wish him the very best in the future.”

"Mark Moyer is a Highlander through and through and he will be missed at UCR," UCR Athletics Director Stan Morrison said. "His enthusiasm, consistency and commitment to the institution, and the young people under his guidance, is outstanding.”

A 1976 graduate from Cal State Hayward with a degree in physical education, Moyer went on to earn a master’s degree in education from San Francisco State in 1983. Moyer began his coaching career at his alma mater, St. Mary’s College High School in Berkeley, CA in 1966, and added teaching duties in 1971. During his 19-year stay he was the head track coach and head football coach. Moyer left the school in 1985, having coached four California State Hurdle Champions/All Americans during his career. In his prep career at St. Mary’s, Moyer played football and ran track.

Moyer, 56, has had two articles on offensive football published, appearing in “Scholastic Coach” and “The Coaching Clinic” magazines. He is a clinician for the Amateur Athletic Federation/CIF Coaching Certification Clinics.

Gibson Wins Triple Jump as Highlanders Open 2005 Season in Washington

(Jan. 15, 2005) - Staton Gibson won the triple jump and thrower Craig Wood posted a pair of second place finishes as the Highlanders opened the 2005 campaign at the Husky Invitational Indoor meet in Seattle Saturday.

Gibson's first jump was 48' 2.5", and he matched it on his second attempt, besting the other five contestants.

Wood finished second in the shot put with a 47' 6.5" effort and second in the weight throw at 55' 2.25" inches.

The men's 4x400 relay team finished third in a time of 3:23.66.

On the women's side, Melissa Genisauski had a strong debut for UCR, finishing third in the shot at 42' 1.5" and third in women's weight throw at 43' 4.50.

Other top finishers for the Highlanders include:

• Zikarra Beverly was seventh in the 60 in 7.99 after qualifying at 7.94, and sixth in the long jump at 17' 11".

• Terri Tiongsen was fourth in the 400 in 59.94.

• Maryanne Hanks was sixth in 800 in 2:23.97.

• Erica Cosby fifth in the shot put at 36' 10.25".

• John Moore 7th in the 400 in 52.26.

• Guillaume Mok 7th in 600 in 1:22.33

Complete results may be found by clicking here.

April 14 , 2005 UC Riverside Run– Jump– Throw Competition Is Cancelled

(Jan. 24, 2005) - With the expanded collegiate competition format that the Mt. SAC relays are implementing for the 2005 relays, the UCR Track and Field program is cancelling the UCR Run-Jump-Throw Competition scheduled for April 14, 2005.

"With Mt. SAC's changes, we do not feel the need to add this competition to the schedule of outdoor meets for this year," Head Coach Irv Ray said. "We wish the best of luck and success to all the teams at the Pomona-Pitzer /Long Beach / Mt. SAC relays that weekend."

Please contact Asst. Coach Mark Moyer at 951-827-5207 with any questions. He can also be reached at mark.moyer@ucr.edu

Highlanders Compete at Boise State

(Jan. 29, 2005) - The UC Riverside Highlanders track team competed in it's second meet of the year, running in the Athletes.com Invitational at the Jacksons' Track-Idaho Center at Boise State.

Top finishers for UCR include:

Jon Moore placed third in the 200 in 22.76 and Ryan Davis was right behind at 22.87.

In the mile run, Ulices Pina was second in 4:23.60 and Ruben Espinoza was third in 4:25.28. In the 800, Joel Cota was third in 1:57.19 and Nemo Simmons fourth in 1:57.59.

In the high jump, Josh Gibson was fourth at 6' 4.75".

Lisa Lopez was second in the mile run at 5:13.94 and then was second in the 800 in 2:18.10. In the women's 3000, Ashley Zamora was third in 11:21.52 and Elvira Delcastillo was fourth in 11:35.03

For complete results, click here.

Boise State Friday and Saturday January 28th and 29th Results

Long Jump
• Zikarra Beverly (5.52m) 18-1 _ A new school record and indoor PR
• Amy Walton (5.35m) 17-6 _ Indoor PR
• Staton Gibson (6.73m) 22-1 Indoor PRTriple Jump
• Amy Walton (11.54) 37-10 _ new school record and Indoor PR

High Jump
• Josh Gibson (1.95m) 6-4 _ seasons best

Women’s Shot Put
• Erica Cosby (11.73m) 38’5 new PR
• Myla Hollyfield (11.06m) 36’3 new PR
• Melissa Genisauski ( 12.82) 42’0 2 inches off last weeks PR

Men’s Shot
• Craig Wood (14.40) 47’3

Women’s Weight
• Myla Hollyfield (14.36m) 47’1 New PR
• Erica Cosby (12.96) 42-6 _ New PR

Men’s Weight
• Craig Wood (16.41m) 53’10 _ 5th place

Women’s 60m HH
• Mary Timm 9.28 season’s best

Men’s 200m
• Ryan Davis 22.87 New PR
• Jon Moore 22.76 New PR

Women’s 200m
• Terri Tiongson 26.06 indoor PR

Men’s 400 Ryan Davis New PR 50.80Men’s 800
• Guillaume Mok 2.01
• Joel Cota 1:57.19
• Nemo Simmons 1:57.59

Women’s 800
• Lisa Lopez 2:18.10 New PR
• Melissa Garza 2:29.51
• Rose Serna 2:31.86

Men’s Mile
• Ulices Pena 4:23.60
• Ruben Espinosa 4:25.28
• Andrew Tachias 4:27.30
• Joel Cota 4:29.02
• Trinidad 4:44.41

Women’s Mile
• Lisa Lopez 5:13.94 New PR
• Rose Serna 5:55.80
• Melissa Garza 5:42.60

Women’s 3000
• Ashley Zamora 11:21.52
• Decastillo 11.35.03
• Tudor 11.43.08

Highlanders Compete at Iowa State Classic

(Feb. 14, 2005) - UC Riverside set nine personal records and broke aschool records at the Iowa State Classic Track Meet this weekend.

Lisa Lopez was third in the women's 800 in a school record 2:15.04. She finished in third place in the event.

UCR's new records can be found below. Complete results for the men are here, while women's results are here.

Men’s Shot
• Craig Wood (15.06) 49’4 New PR

Women’s Weight
• Myla Hollyfield (14.80m) 48’6 New PR
• Erica Cosby (15.02) 49-3 New PR by 7ft!!!

Men’s 800
• Guillaume Mok 2.01
• Joel Cota 1:57.19
• Nemo Simmons 1:57.59
• Nathan Wolack 1:58.24

Women’s 800
• Lisa Lopez 2:15.04 New PR, School Record, 3rd place
• Mary Anne Hanks 2:20.47 New PR Indoor
• Teri Tiongson 2:23

Men’s Mile
• Ulices Pena 4:18.89 New PR
• Ruben Espinosa 4:16.17 New PR

Women’s Mile
• Lisa Lopez 5:05.02 New PR in best time at UCR

Men’s 5,000
• Ulicies Pina 14:58.89 New PR

Tillman, Dixon, Walton, and Gibson Victorious at All-Cal

(March 5, 2005) - The UC Riverside men’s and women’s track and field teams each came in fifth at the All-Cal Challenge Cup Track and Field Meet at UC Irvine Saturday. Aqueelah Tillman, Amy Walton, Evangela Dixon, and Staton Gibson each won their individual events, as did the women’s 4x100 meter relay team.

On the track, UCR finished first and third in the 800m with Tillman taking the race in 2:14.65, 0.42 seconds ahead of her closest challenger. Lisa Lopez came in third with a time of 2:15.25. In the women’s 4x100 relay, the Highlanders defeated all comers, finishing in a time of 47.34 seconds.

In the field events, Dixon won the shot put with a toss of 50’10.25” while finishing third in the hammer (166’4”) and fourth in the discus (139’11”). Amy Walton took the triple jump, leaping 38’7”. Erica Cosby was another top finisher, coming fourth behind Dixon in the hammer with a throw of 164’2”. On the men’s side, Gibson won the triple jump with a best effort of 47’5.75”, almost two feet farther than his closest competitor.

Next up for UCR is the Ben Brown Invitational next Saturday in Fullerton.

Highlanders Compete at Spring Break Collegiate Classic

(March 12, 2005) - A small contingent of the UC Riverside track and field team went up against one the better fields it has faced in 2005 at the Cal State Fullerton Ben Brown Invitational Saturday.

The Highlanders competed against athletes from colleges and clubs from throughout Southern California.

Complete results from the meet can be found here.

Highlanders Compete at Spring Break Collegiate Classic

(March 26, 2005) - The UC Riverside women's track and field team finished third and the men's team fifth at the Spring Break Collegiate Classic at UC Irvine Saturday.

Overall, the Highlander women finished third in the meet behind Cornell and UC Irvine and ahead of Cal Poly Pomona.

Senior thrower Evangela Dixon posted a trio of wins, finishing first in the shot put at 51' 4.5", first in the discus at 143' 10" and first in the hammer at 178' 9".

Junior Amy Walton nearly matched Dixon, placing first in her two jumping events. She win the long jump with an 18' 3.25" effort and first in the triple jump at 38' 3.75".

Other top finishers for the Highlanders included freshman Whitney Leachman posting a pair of thirds, in the 100 in 12.46 and in the 200 in 25.30. Senior Terri Tiongson was third in the 400 at 58.69 and fifth in the 200 in 25.89. Freshman Tajma Stephenson was fourth in the 800 at 2:13.83, senior Melissa Garza was fourth in the steeplechase at 11:36.22 and freshman Melissa Genisauski was third in the shot at 43' 5.25".

For the men, UCR was fifth among five teams behind UCI, Cornell, Miami (OH) and Cal Poly Pomona.

Senior sprinter Brandon Jacobs had a strong afternoon, finishing second in the 200 in 22.24 and second in the 400 in 49.02. Sophomore Staton Gibson was fourth in the long jump at 22' 2.75" and third in the triple jump at 48' 8". Junior thrower Craig Wood was fourth in the shot at 48' 4", second in the discus at 150' 0", and third in the hammer at 177' 1".

Complete results from the meet can be found here.

Highlanders Post Three School Records, PR's at CSUN Meet

(April 2, 2005) - The UC Riverside Highlanders continued their march towards the Big West Championship meet by setting three school records at Cal State Northridge Saturday.

The Highlanders' 4x400 relay team of Terri Tiongson, Lisa Lopez, Tajma Stephenson and Aqueelah Tillman set a school record in the 4x400 relay in 3:48.02, winning the event by two seconds over second place Southern Utah.

Not to be out done, the men's 4x400 relay team also hit a school mark, as Brandon Jacobs, Staton Gibson, Guillaume Mok and Jon Moore finished in 3:13.96.

Aqueelah Tillman set a school record in the 400 at 55.49, finishing second in the event. Tajma Stephenson, who finished third, had set the mark moments earlier in the second heat at 55.94, but that was reduced to a personal best following Tillman's effort in the thrid heat. Terri Tiongson also had a PR in the 400 in 57.36, good for sisth overall.

Lisa Lopez finished third in the 800 in a personal best time of 2:13.57.

Walton took the triple jump with a 38' 7" effort. She also finished fifth in the long jump with a personal best of 18'5.25".

Mary Timm made her return to the 100 hurdles following an injury and posted a season-best 15.30, good for seventh overall.

In the men's 400, Brandon Jacobs was third in a personal best time of 48.67. Nemo Simmons finished fifth in a personal best time of 1:55.04 in the 800, and Jon Moore was fifth in the 400 hurdles in a personal best time of 54.34.

Staton Gibson finished second in the triple jump with a 47' 2.25" effort

Complete results from the meet can be found here.

Highlanders Release Schedule for Track and Field Meet

(April 5, 2005) - The UC Riverside Highlanders track and field team has announced the schedule for the scheduled four-way meet between UC Riverside, Southern Utah, Northern Arizona and Cal Poly Pomona on Saturday, April 9, 2005 at the UCR Track and Field Stadium.

Field events will begin at 9:00 AM with the long jump and the javelin. Running events will begin at 11:00 AM with the steeplechase.

Complete results will be available from this web site on Saturday evening.

FIELD EVENTS:

RUNNING EVENTS:

Highlanders' Men, Women Finish Second at Home Meet

(April 9, 2005) - The UC Riverside Highlanders men's and women's track and field teams each finished second in a three-way meet at the UCR Track on Saturday.

The women finished two points behind Northern Arizona, 162-160, while Cal Poly Pomona was third with 120 points. For the men, Cal Poly Pomona placed first with 205 points, while UCR was second with 152 points and Northern Arizona third with 106.

Craig Wood swept three of the throwing events, winning the shot with a with a PR of 51' 4.5", the discus with a 153'10" effort and the hammer at 175'10".The men's 4x100 relay team won in 41.89. Staton Gibson won the long jump in 23' 0" and the triple jump in 48'0.5".

Evangela Dixon swept her throwing events, taking the shot with a 50' 3.25" effort, the discus with a 146'6" effort and the hammer with a 172'11" mark. The women's 4x100 relay team won in 47.58 and the 4x400 team won with a 3:51.66 time. The women's long jump and triple jump were swept by Amy Walton, who had a mark of 17'10.25 in the former and 38'5" in the latter. Terri Tiongson won the 100 in 12.54 and Tajma Stephenson won the 800 in 2:10.88. Lisa Lopez won the 1500 in 4:48.99. Mary Timm won the 100 hurdles in 15.21

Compete results in HTML format can be found here. Complete results in PDF format can be found here.

Highlanders PR's and season records for the meet are listed below.

MEN:
Brandon Jacobs - 200 meters - 22.33 season best
Jon Moore - 400 meters - 49.51 PR
4 x 100 relay - J. Moore, G. Mok, B. Jacobs, S. Gibson - 41.89 season best
Staton Gibson - Long jump - 23' PR
Craig Wood - Shot put - 51' 4.50" PR
Tom Caballero - Shot put - 45' 1.50" PR

WOMEN:
Tajma Stephenson - 800 meters- 2:10.88 PR by 3 sec !!!
Aqueelah Tillman - 800 meters -2:12.67 PR by 2 sec !!!
Lisa Lopez - 1500 meters - 4:48.99 PR
Ashley Zamora - 1500 meters - 4:55.75 PR
Melissa Genisauski - Discus - 135' 6" PR

Stephenson Crushes School Record in 800, One of Three to Qualify for NCAA Regionals

(April 15, 2005) - The UC Riverside freshman Tajma Stepheson crushed the school record in the 800, posting a 2:08.02 time and earning a NCAA Regional Qualifying bid, one of three UCR student-athletes to accomplish the fete at the Pomona-Pitzer Invitational Track and Field meet Friday.

"Today marked a huge step forward for our program," UCR Coach Irv Ray said.

Junior Craig Wood earned a NCAA regional bid in the discus with a school record throw of 168'9, good for seventh, and came up just six inches short of a regional mark in the shot put with a 54'0" effort, good for sixth. Junior Erica Cosby earned a regional bid in the hammer with a personal best throw of 178'8", finishing 14th.

With her school record time, Stephenson was fifth in the 800 behind elite runner Nicole Teter of Team Nike and a trio of Michigan runners. Stephenson is now ranked No. 1 in the Big West and is now in the top five in the western region.

Sophomore Staton Gibson won the triple jump with an effort of 48'11.0".

Senior Terri Tiongson was third in the 400 in a time of 56.71. Junior Amy Walton was third in the long jump at 18' 4.25" and third jump in the triple at 38' 7.75".

The UCR relay teams and senior thrower Evangela Dixon will compete at the Mt. SAC Invitational Tournament Saturday and Sunday.

UCR's season bests, personal bests and other notable achievements can be found below.

MEN:
Guillaume Mok 400 - 49.59 Season Best
Akinyemi Ajayi 400 - 50.90 Season Best
Nemo Simmons 800 - 1:54.95 PR
Nathan Wolack 800 - 1:54.62 PR
Ruben Espinoza 1500 - 4:00.18 Season Best
Staton Gibson Triple Jump - 48'11" PR
Craig Wood Shot Put 54'0" - PR
Craig Wood Discus 169'7" - PR
Tom Caballero Discus 143'10" - PR
Tom Caballero Hammer 161'4" - PR

WOMEN:
Whitney Leachman 100 - 12.25 Season Best
Whitney Leachman 200 - 25.05 Season Best
Terri Tiongson 200 - 25.12 PR
Terri Tiongson 400 - 57.36 PR
Tajma Stephenson 800 - 2:08.02 School Record , PR , Regional Qualifier
Lisa Lopez 800 - 2:12.64 PR
Melissa Stoll 800 - 2:14.16 PR
Melissa Stoll 1500 - 4:37.80 PR
Lisa Lopez 1500 - 4:39.39 PR
Kelsey Wright 3000 - Steeplechase 11:51.39 Season Best
Erica Cosby Hammer - 178'8" PR , Regional Qualifier!

Compete results in HTML format can be found here.

Dixon, Relay Teams Perform Well at Mt. SAC Invitational

(April 18, 2005) - The UCR women's 4x400 relay team bested their school record and senior thrower Evangela Dixon won the discus at the 47th running of the Mt. SAC Invitational this past weekend.

Dixon won the women's university/open discus throw with a 159' 2" effort, 20 inches further than the runner up. She was fifth in the shot put with a toss of 47' 2.25".

The women's 4x400 relay team of Terri Tiongson, Melissa Stoll, Tajma Stephenson and Aqueelah Tillman finished second in their heat and seventh overall in a school record time time of 3:45.14, besting the old mark of 3:48.

The men's 4x400 relay team of Brandon Jacobs, Staton Gibson, Guillaume Mok and Jon Moore were fourth in their heat and 11th overall in 3:14.63.

Compete results in HTML format can be found here.

Highlanders Continue Improvement at UCSD Meet

(April 25, 2005) - The UCR men's and women's track and field teams continued their assault on the record books at the UCSD Invitational Meet in San Diego Saturday and Sunday.

The Highlanders had six career-bests and one regional improvement on the women's side. The men had three season bests and one regional improvement.

Highlights for the Highlanders included Tajma Stephenson finishing sixth in the 400 in 56.13; Melissa Stoll finishing 6th in the 800 in 2:13.52; Amy Walton finishing fourth in the triple jump at 38' 0.25"; and Evangela Dixon fourth in the shot put at 49' 9.75" and fourth in the hammer at 183' 11".

On the men's side, Ruben Espinoza was seventh in the 1500 in 3:59.32, Jon Moore was sixth in the 400 hurdles in 54.52, and Staton Gibson fifth in the long jump at 22' 9".

UCR's career best marks appear below.

WOMEN:
Evangela Dixon ( Hammer ) 183'11" Regional Update
Aqueelah Tillman (800 ) 2:11.42 Lifetime Best
Melissa Stoll ( 800 ) 2:13.81 Lifetime Best
Ashley Zamora ( 1500 ) 4:50.15 Lifetime Best
Kristina Tudor ( 1500 ) 4:54 Lifetime Best
Melissa Garza ( 800 ) 2:22.58 Lifetime Best
Kelsey Wright ( 800 ) 2:23.02 Lifetime Best

MEN:
Guillaume Mok ( 400 ) 49.46 Season Best
4 x 100 Relay ( Moore , Mok , Jacobs , S. Gibson ) 41.86 Season Best
Craig Wood ( Discus ) 172' Regional Improvement
Ruben Espinoza ( 1500 ) 3:59.32 Season Best

Compete results in HTML format can be found here.

Highlander Women Show They Can Run With the Nation's Best at Drake Relays

(April 30, 2005) - UC Riverside’s women’s track and field relay teams put up fine performances against an assortment of elite collegiate and Olympic-level competition at the Drake Relays in Des Moines, Iowa Friday and Saturday.

In its 96th year, The Drake Relays draw some of the best track and field athletes from throughout the country, including Michigan, Arkansas, Wisconsin, Alabama, Baylor, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Iowa State, Kansas, Texas Tech, Rice, Michigan State, Vanderbilt and Nebraska plus 18 olympic athletes. Over 18,000 spectators watched the events featuring 8,000 competing student-athletes.

"To run our four young women with no national level experience was a big gamble, but they passed the test," Head Coach Irv Ray said.

On Friday, the UCR women’s medley relay team of freshman Lisa Lopez, senior Aqueelah Tillman, freshman Tajma Stephenson, and senior Melissa Stoll ran a time of 11:40.64 to finish ninth out of 20 teams. The time set a new school record is in the top-10 times nationally. Lopez ran a 3:35 in the 1200, followed by Tillman running a 53.9 in the 400. Stephenson was 2:10.4 in the 800 and Melissa Stoll finished with a 4:52 in the 1600. Among the teams behind the Highlanders were Nebraska, Illinois, Indiana and Michigan State.

After showing they could run with the best, the Highlanders entered the 4x800 relay on Saturday. Tillman led off and led the first lap in a personal best time of 2:10.4.

"Hearing UCR being announced in front of 18,000 fans was awesome," Ray said.

Lopez followed with a personal best time of 2:12.6, then Stoll ran 2:09.2. Stephenson's anchor leg was 2:09.7, giving UCR a total time of 8:43.95, good for a sixth place finish. The time would have won last year's races. UCR beat teams from Alabama, Baylor, Wisconsin and nine other nationally ranked teams.

UCR will be ranked 6th by Track and Field News in the event. "For a first time-novice team, it is a big-time performance," Ray said. "This shows that we can compete at the national level in any sport.

Compete results for the Drake Relays can be found here.

Highlanders Compete at Steve Scott Invite

(April 30, 2005) - While four members of the UC Riverside women's track and field team were competing at the Drake Relays, the remainder of the team competed against a strong, West Coast dominant field at the Steve Scott Invitational at UC Irvine.

Highlights for UCR included Evangela Dixon finishing third in the shot put with a 47'11" effort and fourth in the hammer at 177' 7".

Brandon Jacobs won his section in the 400 in a time of 49.46.

In addtion, UCR Assistant Coach Ricky Etheridge, running for the Cal Coast Track Club, was the top finisher in the 800 in a time of 1:51.12.

Compete results for the Steve Scott Invitational can be found here.

Personal best, season best and other notable achievements are posted below:

Women:
Myla Hollyfield - Hammer - 142'3" PR
Kristina Tudor - Steeplechase - 11:40.29 PR
Ashley Zamora - 800 - 2:21.56 PR

Men:
Tom Caballero - Discus - 145'10 PR
Guillaume Mok - 400 - 49.32 Season Best
Israel Gonzales - 5000 - 15:34.78 Season Best

Walton Wins Triple Jump at Occidental

(May 7, 2005) - Junior Amy Walton earned the win in the triple jump with a 38' 5" effort at the Occidental College Invitational in Los Angeles, Saturday.

Walton's leap was 1.5 inches better than second place Katarzyna Klisowska of USC.

The Highlanders brought a small team to Occidental, with only two women and six men participating.

Other notable finishes included senior Ruben Espinosa placing fifth in the 1,500 in 3:55.93 and Josh Gibson finishing sixth in the high jump at 6'2.75".

Compete results for the Occidental Invitational can be found here.

Personal best, season best and other notable achievements will be posted during the week.

Men Eighth, Women Sixth at Big West Championships

(May 14, 2005) - The UC Riverside Highlanders track and field teams wrapped up competition at the Big West Track and Field Championships at UC Irvine Saturday.

The men's team finished in eighth place among nine teams with 23.5 points, while the women's team finished sixth among the nine teams with 54 points. The sixth place finish was the highest in the history of the program in the Big West.

In the 400, senior Aqueelah Tillman was second in the 400 in 54.74, setting a new school record. She also ran a lifetime best of 43.0 in the 4x400 anchor leg. The 4x400 team set a new school record of 3:42.10, just missing the regional qualifying mark of 3:42.10. The new school record marks an 11-second improvement in the school record since the beginning of the season.

Sophomore Staton Gibson was third in the triple jump with a 50'10" leap, setting a new school record and qualifying for the NCAA regionals.

Five individuals reached NCAA Regional qualifying minimums: Dixon, Crosby and Craig Wood in the throwing events, Gibson in the triple jump and Tajma Stephenson in the 800, becoming the first freshman ever to reach the regionals.

Other point winners for the HIghlanders included:

Sophomore Guillaume Mok was sixth in the 400 in a season-best 49.46. Sophomore Jon Moore was second in the 400 hurdles in a lifetime best time of 52.94. The 4x100 relay team was eighth in 42.43 and the 4x400 team was fourth in 3:15.10. Sophomore Josh Gibson was eighth in the high jump with a 6'6.75" effort.

Senior Aqueelah Tillman was second in the 400 in 54.74. Freshman Lisa Lopez was fifth in the 800 in a lifetime best of 2:11.67. The women's 4x400 relay team was third in 3:42.10. Junior Amy Walton was eighth in the triple jump at 39'2.25". Senior Evangela Dixon was second in the shot put at 46'9" and freshman Melissa Genisauski was eighth at 42' 4".

In competition on Friday, in the women's discus throw, Dixon finished second with a throw of 159;' 9", eight inches behind UCSB's Heather Quinn's throw at 160'5". Erica Cosby was fifth at 149' 4".

Dixon also placed second in the hammer throw with a throw of 184' 11", but was bested by a Big West record-setting throw by Amy Haapanen of UCSB, who had a 194' 10" effort. Cosby was sixth at 175'3".

Results can be found here.

Five Highlanders Compete at NCAA West Regional in Eugene

(May 24, 2005) - Highlanders Send Five to Eugene to Compete at NCAA West Regional
Five members of the UC Riverside Track and Field teams will compete with the best in the west at the NCAA West Regional Championships at Hayward Field in Eugene, OR on Friday May 27 and Saturday May 28. The regional is one of four being held simultaneously around the country and will feature student-athletes from Arizona, California, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Washington and Utah. The top five finishers from each individual event and top three in each relay will advance to the NCAA Championships in Sacramento on June 8-11. Another 5-8 athletes per event that finished sixth, seventh or eighth in their event will be selected by the NCAA Championship Committee to receive an at-large bid.

And a Freshman Shall Lead Them
UCR freshman sprinter Tajma Stephenson (Los Angeles, CA/St. Bernard HS) became the first female Highlander ever to reach the NCAA Regionals in her first year of competition when she recorded a school record 2:08.02 in the 800 at the Pomona-Pitzer Invitational on April 15. The time was the third best in the conference this season. In 2001-02, then-freshman Jeff Midgett (Riverside, CA/La Sierra HS) reached the NCAA Championships in Baton Rouge, LA, failing to record a height in the contest. The next year, in 2002-03 the NCAA altered the postseason by adding a regional round of competition. That year Midgett won the West Regional at Stanford.

Dixon Gets Her Shot
Senior Evangela Dixon (Hayward, CA/Hayward HS) redshirted the 2003-04 season to allow her to refine her skills in hopes of making a splash at the national level. The hard work paid off as she will make her second career appearance at the Regionals. In 2002-03 Dixon qualified in the discus, shot and hammer and finished 11th in the hammer at 174’2” and 29th in the discus at 140’ 6” in the Regional at Stanford. This season, she has a qualifying mark of 51’ 4.5 in the shot, recorded at the Spring Break Collegiate Classic on March 26, and 183’11” mark in the hammer, recorded at the Big West Championships on May 13.

Not to Be Overlooked
Junior Erica Cosby (Mission Hills, CA/Cleveland HS) posted a career-best throw of 178’8” at the Pomona-Pizer Invitational on April 15, earning her a trip to the regionals. Her sister Jessica is an All-American thrower at UCLA.

Gibson Overcomes Injuries to Earn Regional Berth
A pair of hamstring injuries could have but a stop to sophomore triple jumper Staton Gibson’s season. However, Gibson (Riverside, CA/Ramona HS) was able to put the injuries behind him to post a school-record effort of 50’10” in the triple jump to finish third in the event at the Big West Championships on May 9. Gibson suffered the first injury early in the season, then re-aggravated it towards the end of the season.

Wood Makes NCAA Regional Debut in Discus
Junior thrower Craig Wood (Rancho Cucamonga, CA/Alta Loma CA) will compete for UCR in the discus. His season-best mark of 172’ was recorded on April 25 at UCSD.

Cosby Leads UCR at NCAA West Regional

(May 27, 2005) - Three UC Riverside Highlanders competed at the first day of the NCAA West Regional Track and Field Championships Friday in Eugene, Oregon.

Junior Erica Cosby barely missed qualifying for the national championships in the hammer throw, surpassing her career-high with a mammoth throw of 180 feet, one inch. That was good enough for tenth place, with the top nine automatically qualifying.