Feb. 23, 2012

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LONG BEACH - The Long Beach State track and field team makes its way back to Seattle, Wash., this weekend for the 2012 Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Indoor Championships, Feb. 24-25.

The 49ers will be in familiar territory as they were previously in Seattle for the UW Invitational (Jan. 27-28), Flotrack Husky Classic (Feb. 10-11) and the UW Open Meet (Feb. 12).

A GLANCE AT THE MPSF INDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS
The 2012 MPSF Indoor Track & Field Championships will be held at the University of Washington's Dempsey Indoor for the 10th consecutive year. The two-day meet gets underway on Friday, Feb. 24, with the men's weight throw at 12:30 p.m. After a full day of events that run through the evening, the 49ers will return to action on Saturday, Feb., 25, beginning with the men's 60-meter hurdles (heptathlon), men's shot put and men's high jump at 10:30 a.m. The final event of the competition is the women's 4x400 relay, which is scheduled for a 2:40 p.m. start.

Thirteen of the West's top track & field programs participate in the MPSF Indoor Championships. The group is comprised of members of the Big West, Pac-12, and West Coast Conferences.

AND THEY'RE OFF
Long Beach State has had a short but very successful indoor season so far. Two weeks ago, LBSU notched eight top-10 finishes, including three individual victories, at the UW Open Meet (Feb. 12). The 49ers swept the men's and women's 60-meter hurdles as Koree Hines and Phylicia Johnson both won their respective races. Jacob Weintraub also took top honors in the shot put.

LBSU claimed six individual titles at the Air Force Team Challenge on Jan. 28, with Jahmani Lockett (400m), Tyler Wallace (Pole Vault), Jacob Weintraub (Shot Put), Emily Cooper (60m), Phylicia Johnson (60m Hurdles) and Katrina Graves-Johnson (High Jump) finishing ahead of the pack in their events. At the UW Invitational (Jan. 27-28), Long Beach State also established three school records and posted four other marks that cracked the 49er all-time top 10 list.

In their opener at the Run for the Dream meet in Fresno, the 49ers had 23 top-five finishes, including five first-place performances. 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 cleared 5-08 to win the high jump. Phylicia Johnson was also victorious in the long jump with a leap of 18-08.

RECORD SETTERS
Overall, the 49ers have made 41 additions, including eight school records, to the program's indoor top-10 list. Katrina Graves-Johnson tied a 12-year old LBSU record in the women's high jump, clearing a lifetime-best 5-11.50 at the Husky Classic. At the same meet, Rosa Del Toro established a program-best 9:34.81 in the 3000m, while Matt Maldonado (Mile Run, 4:00.70) and Phylicia Johnson (60m Hurdles, 8.46) both bettered their own school records for the second time this season.

The women's distance medley relay squad of Rosa Del Toro, Chelsea Hairanian, Catherine Martinez and Jessica Barnard registered Long Beach State's top mark of 11:48.81 at the UW Invitational. Del Toro also crossed the finish line in a school-record 4:50.75 in the mile run, while Matt Maldonado beat his own mile record with a mark of 4:03.39. During the first weekend of the season, Phylicia Johnson also topped her own school record in the 60-meter hurdles by 0.21 seconds as she clocked in at 8.48 at the Run for the Dream meet.

Also cracking the the program's top five this year are Kristen Kiefer (2nd, Long Jump), Jessica Barnard (2nd, 800m), Emily Cooper (T3rd, 60m), Kiefer (4th, 60m hurdles), Jacob Weintraub (2nd, Shot Put), Koree Hines (2nd, 60m Hurdles), Manny Neizer (4th, Triple Jump), Gabe Hilbert (5th, Mile Run) and Tyler Wallace (5th, Pole Vault).

UP NEXT
Long Beach State officially begins the 2012 outdoor season next weekend when it hosts the Beach Classic at Cerritos College, March 2-3.