Track & Field Hits Arkansas For National Championships

Links associated with this release:
2009 NCAA Championships Central

UC Riverside's Brenda Martinez looks to claim national honors in the 1500 at the NCAA Championships this week.

Polly Gnepa, along with teammate Jazz Trice, will compete in the 110 hurdles for UC Davis at the NCAA Championships.

Baseball isn't the only sport to hold its penultimate postseason extravaganza this week as track & field athletes from around the nation descend on Fayetteville, Ark., for the NCAA Championships June 10-13. The 88th edition national meet is being held at John McDonnell Field on the campus of the University of Arkansas.

This season, the NCAA Championships feature 18 Big West athletes (8 men, 10 women) in various individual events and one relay squad over the four-day competition. Included in that figure are Big West Men's Athlete of the Year De'Shawn Waters of Cal State Northridge, Big West Women's Athlete of the Year Brenda Martinez of UC Riverside and the 110 hurdles duo of Jazz Trice and Polly Gnepa who are the first UC Davis athletes to appear in the national championships in the programs' short DI history.

The NCAA Championships will also be viewed over the internet and airwaves as CBS College Sports will broadcast the action fro McDonnell Field. Each day of the meet will be broadcast live over the internet, while CBS College Sports Network will air the Friday and Saturday edition of the Championships live beginning at 4 pm (PDT) and 11 am (PDT), respectively.

The complete list of Big West competitors at the Championships is below and sorted by event:

MEN
100 Meters
De’Shawn Waters, CSUN (10.42)

200 Meters
De’Shawn Waters, CSUN (21.07)

1500 Meters
Chad Hall, UCR (3:44.12)

110 Hurdles
Jazz Trice, UCD (13.57)
Polly Gnepa, UCD (13.69)

400 Hurdles
Kenneth Medwood, LBSU (50.94)

High Jump
Jonathan Golden, CSF (2.16m)

Long Jump
Reindell Cole, CSUN (7.86m)

Triple Jump
Garrett Myers, CSF (15.48m)

WOMEN
100 Meters
Sherrina Lofton, CSUN (11.45)

1500 Meters
Brenda Martinez, UCR (4:13.58)

100 Hurdles
Lauren Williams, CSF (13.22)

4x100 Relay
Cal State Northridge – Precious Watkins, Sherrina Lofton, Dominique Calvin, Tara Prier (44.73)

High Jump
Lauren Collins, UCI (1.86m)

Triple Jump
Jasmine Picket, CP (13.00m)

Discus
Jameena Hunt, CSF (52.97m)

Shot Put
Julie Dufresne, CP (16.11m)
Alisha Misiaita, UCI (15.79m)

Javelin
Stephanie Ralls, CSUN (48.54m)

Heptathlon
Sherrina Lofton, CSUN (5420)