Jan. 24, 2012

Complete Release in PDF Format

LONG BEACH - The Long Beach State track and field team is gearing up for a busy week as it will send a majority of its squad to USAF Academy, Colo., for the Air Force Indoor Combined Events (Jan. 26-27) and the Air Force Team Challenge (Jan. 28). Eleven athletes will also travel to Seattle, Wash., for the UW Invitational (Jan. 27-28).

AIR FORCE MEET INFO
The Air Force Indoor Combined Events will be held Thursday and Friday at Cadet Field House. The meet gets underway on Thursday afternoon with the first four events of the men's heptathlon (60-meter dash, long jump, shot put, high jump).

The women's pentathlon (60m hurdles, high jump, long jump, shot put and 800m) is set to take place on Friday, beginning with the 60m hurdles at 9:30 a.m. (PST). The men's heptathlon also concludes with the 60m hurdles, pole vault and 1000m run.

Long Beach State will then return to Cadet Field House for the Air Force Team Challenge (formerly known as the Don Barrett Duals) on Saturday. In addition to the 49ers, the scored meet will feature host Air Force, BYU, Colorado, Colorado State, Northern Colorado, San Diego State (women only), Utah Valley and Wyoming. The field events are slated for a 7:30 a.m. (PST) start with the men's weight throw, while the track events kick off with the women's mile run at 11 a.m. (PST).

UW INVITATIONAL INFO
LBSU will also send 11 athletes to compete in nine events at the UW Invitational at Dempsey Indoor, Jan. 27-28. The 49ers open the meet on Friday with the women's and men's distance medley relay at 7:10 p.m. and 7:40 p.m., respectively. Long Beach State is back on the track on Saturday to compete in the women's 400m (Chelsea Hairanian), men's 800m (Gabriel Hilbert, Connor Naasz, Bryce Van Boxtel), women's 800m (Jessica Barnard, Kylee Martin), men's mile run (Matt Maldonado), women's mile run (Rosa Del Toro), men's 3000m (Steven DeCastro) and the women's 3000m (Prism Garcia, Catherine Martinez).

AND THEY'RE OFF
Long Beach State had a successful start to the 2012 indoor season with 23 top-five finishes, including five first-place performances, at the Run for the Dream meet in Fresno. Jacob Weintraub won the men's shot put with a meet-record and career-long 58-09.25. Manny Nezier took top honors in the long jump (22-04.25), while Bryce Van Boxtel came in ahead of the pack in the 600-yard run (76.45).

On the women's side, Katrina Graves-Johnson matched her lifetime-best in the high jump, clearing 5-08 to win the event. Phylicia Johnson was also victorious in the long jump with a leap of 18-08.

RECORD SETTERS
The 49ers made 13 additions to the program's indoor top-10 record book last weekend. Leading the way was Phylicia Johnson, who bettered her own school record in the 60-meter hurdles by 0.18 seconds as she clocked in at 8.51. Emily Cooper tied the fourth-best 60-meter dash mark in school history at 7.64 seconds, while Chelsea Hairanian (7th, 800m), Stephanie Armstrong (8th, High Jump), Kristen Kiefer (9th, Long Jump) and Kayla Goosby (10th, 60m) also made their way into the top 10 in their respective events.

Jacob Weintraub paced the men with the second-longest shot put mark in LBSU history (58-09.25). Koree Hines came in at No. 4 with a time of 8.23 seconds in the 60m hurdles. Manny Nezier also moved up to the fourth slot in the triple jump with a leap of 49-08.25, while Michael Vaughan wasn't far behind in sixth (48-03.50). Nathan Alade (7th) and Jahmani Lockett (T10th) both entered the all-time list in the 60m dash and Josh Villalobos posted the eighth-best distance in the weight throw (54-05.25).

UP NEXT
Long Beach State will take next weekend off before returning to Seattle, Wash., for the Husky Classic (Feb. 10-11) and the UW Open Meet (Feb. 12).