The Big West Track & Field Championships have the spotlight this weekend as the league's eight programs descend on Matador Track in Northridge for the annual conference meet. Cal State Northridge will serve as the host for the second weekend of the 2010 Championships, following the multi-event meet last weekend.
The homestanding Matadors are the defending champion on both sides as the men are seeking their fourth title, while the women are in competition for their fifth consecutive and league-record tying seventh crown.
On the men's side, the CSUN men have been solid in the sprint events are they hold top three positions in the 100, 200, 110 hurdles and 4x100 relay, while Cal Poly has also been solid in the 100 and 200. In the middle and distance events, UC Santa Barbara have had great success so far this season and aim to continue that at the league meet. The field events have also had a Matador feel as they own top marks in the long jump, discus, shot put and hammer and the second-best mark in the javelin.
The women's competition has the potential to be tight as several teams are strong across the board. In the sprint events, Cal State Fullerton's Ciara Short has the top time in the 100, 200 and 400, but will be hard pressed to hold off CSUN's stable of strong sprinters. In the middle distance races, UC Riverside's Brenda Martinez has been world class in the 800 and 1500, leading the 800 by four seconds and the 1500 by nine ticks. Meanwhile in the distance races, UCSB's Danielle Domenichelli has been the headliner with a conference record in the 5000 and the top time in the 10K.
In the field events, the depth of the conference is as evident as four different programs have leaders amongst the events. UCSB has three leaders, while Cal State Northridge and UC Riverside each have two.
Live results and a live twitter feed will be available on the Big West Track & Field Championships website. The 2010 Big West meet actually began last weekend with the decathlon and heptathlon competitions as CSUN’s Robert Robinson and UC Santa Barbara’s Barbara Nwaba claimed the titles, respectively.
CSUN's Robinson, UCSB's Nwaba Claim Multi Titles: The leaders after day one of the 2010 Big West Multi Championship held on for the victories as Cal State Northridge’s Robert Robinson and UC Santa Barbara’s Barbara Nwaba claimed the decathlon and heptathlon titles, respectively. Robinson claimed the title with 7,526 points, shattering the Matador program record. On day two he came away with a first place finish in the 110 hurdles (14.59 - 900 pts.), second place finish in the discus (39.65m - 657 pts.), second place in the pole vault (4.46 - 746 pts.), seventh place in the javelin (45.59m - 524 pts.) and a sixth place showing in the 1500 meter run (4:45.35 - 629 pts.). Nwaba nabbed her championship with 5,552 points. Following her day one results, she was able to finish fifth in the long jump (5.54m - 712 pts.), third in the javelin (34.71m - 566 pts.) and third in the 800 (2:17.80 - 854 pts.).
O'Boyle Enters Mt. SAC Relays Hall of Fame: UC Irvine head track and field/cross country coach Vince O’Boyle has been inducted into the Mt. SAC Relays Hall of Fame. O’Boyle was inducted along with two-time Olympic medalist John Godina (throws) and Toby Stevenson, the 2004 Olympic silver medalist in the pole vault. The induction ceremony took place April 14 at the 52nd annual Mt. SAC Relays Banquet at the Pacific Palms Conference Resort in the City of Industry. O’Boyle has been involved with the Mt. SAC Relays for the past 47 years, first as a runner for Monrovia High School in 1963 and later for Citrus College and Cal Poly Pomona, and as a coach at Citrus College and UCI.
UCR's Martinez Lands on Bowerman List: UC Riverside's Brenda Martinez landed on the watch list for The Bowerman, the award handed out by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association recognizing the track athlete of the year on both the men’s and women’s side. Martinez finds herself on the also receiving mention portion of the preseason list, meaning she can move up to the primary watch list at any point in the season. Martinez is the Big West record holder in the 800 and 1500 and completed a whirlwind summer circuit which saw her compete in six races across Europe. She also ran what was the fastest 800 in the NCAA in her first race of the 2010 outdoor season.