• SCHEDULE
Big West Championships
May 13-14, 2022
Woody Wilson Track - Davis, Calif.
Meet Info | Schedule | Heat Sheets | Live Results | Flip Card

• BIG WEST CHAMPIONSHIP PREVIEW
The UCSB track and field team heads out to UC Davis this weekend to compete in the Big West Conference Track and Field Championships at Woody Wilson Track. The Championships are set to begin this Friday, May 13th and will conclude on Saturday.

"We have a pretty balanced attack on both sides," track and field director Cody Fleming said. "Long Beach and Fullerton are the favorites, but we're a part of the chase pack trying to chip away at them. We have a lot of individuals that are going to have success."

The Gauchos are fresh off a successful opening weekend of championship action, when they took up half the spots on the podium of the Big West Multis Championships. Jessica Swalve took the crown in the women's heptathlon, while Sofia Bailey took third. In the decathlon, Joshua Godfrey also placed third.

• SOME GAUCHOS TO WATCH

• Nick Randazzo will be defending his title in the men's steeplechase, looking to win his third Big West championship overall. In 2021, he ran away with the win with a time of 9:01.86. Two years prior, he claimed first in the 10k by just over half a second with a time of 30:49.22. This year, Randazzo ranks first in the conference in both events, thanks to his 8:58.50 steeplechase at the Fresno St. Invitational and 28:52.01 10k at the Stanford Invitational.
• Brian Schulz will be competing in both the 5k and 10k. He recently ran the second-fastest 5K in school history at the Bryan Clay Invitational of 13:55.19, which remains the Big West's top time. He also ranks fourth in the 10k with a 29:31.60 at the Stanford Invite.
• In the javelin, both Kendall Martin and Chase Tarr will both be looking to make some noise. Martin's top score of 43.64m came at the Steve Scott Invitational, ranking fourth-best in the Big West. Tarr is another Gaucho defending a 2021 championship, having won last year with a 66.74m throw. So far this season, he owns the conference's second-best mark (64.73m).
• In the women's discus, Amanda Spear will be in the discus. Her 50.58m mark at the Aztec Invitational ranks third.
• True freshman Jessica Boyd is a top runner for the 100m dash. She set a new personal-best time of 11.98s at the Steve Scott Invite.
• Shelby Nelson had an impressive fourth-place finish in the 1500m at last year's championships and will be a challenger to watch.
• Last year, junior Shelby Nelson had an impressive fourth place finish in the 1500m and is likely to be a big challenger this weekend.
• To round out his season, senior Jimmy Chahal will run in the 800m which has been established as his specialty. He had a great effort the 2019 Big West Championship and just recently broke his personal record in the 400m, making himself a multifaceted runner competing in numerous events.

• LAST YEAR'S CHAMPIONSHIPS
In 2021, Cal Poly captured its first Big West women's track and field title, scoring a total of 181.5 points, the highest of the championship since 2015. The Mustangs won six of 21 events overall en route to the crown. Cal State Fullerton captured the men's track and field trophy for the third time in four years, sending out retiring 33-year head coach John Elders in celebration. The Titans won in dramatic fashion with a final total of 163 points. Trailing Cal Poly by one point entering the 4x400 relay, Cal State Fullerton turned in a season-best time of 3:11.93 for 10 points and the winning tally. (via The Big West)

• RECENT MEETS
- Jessica Swalve Wins Big West Multis Championship, Three Gauchos Reach Podium
- UCSB Gets Final Pre-Big West Championship Tune-Up at OXY Invite
- Gauchos Take Second on Both Sides at Long Beach's Challenge Cup
- Brian Schulz runs second-fastest 5K in school history at Bryan Clay Invitational
- Gauchos Put Together Strong Weekend at Steve Scott and Fresno Invites

• RANDAZZO DAZZLES
Nick Randazzo once again etched his name in the Gaucho history books at the Stanford Invitational last week running the program's second fastest 10K ever. He came in at a time of 28:52.01 that earned him second place. His time breaks down to a 4:39 mile splits.

• VINCE O'BOYLE CLASSIC RECAP
The Gauchos got a number of podiums at UCI's Vince O'Boyle Invite in early April as the men took third place and the women finished fifth.

• Ryan Spear took home the 100m dash title (10.89) and Brendan Fong took third (10.97).
• Deonne McCrary topped the 400m dash (48.98).
• Anthony Victa won the triple jump (14.17m).
• The Trimble bros topped the hammer throw with Jackson winning the event with a 52.66m mark and Anthony taking second at 52.23m.
• Gabby Sanchez took second in the shot put (12.79m) and discus (47.54m) while taking third in the hammer (49.48m), and Amanda Spear win the discus (48.77) and placed second in the hammer (50.34m).

• MEN TAKE AZTEC INVITE
The first team win of the season came Saturday afternoon for the men's team as the Gauchos placed first in a field of 13 teams at SDSU's Aztec Invite. The men compiled 177.5 points as a team to take home the victory outscoring the second place team in Cal by over 28 points.

Several Gauchos contributed to the win with Jimmy Chahal (1:51.49) taking first in the 800m and Jarett Chinn (3:48.70) winning the 1500m. Deonne McCary (48.41) and Brendan Fong (48.52) took third and fourth in the 400m, Chase Tarr (63.52m) tied for third in the javelin, and Jared Freeman scored some points with a second place finish in the hammer and a seventh place finish in the discus.

• SPEAR SENDS IT
At the Aztec Invite Amanda Spear etched her name into the Gaucho record books achieving the third-best discus mark in program history. Her toss went 50.58m and was good for seventh place.

• SCHULZ MAKES HISTORY
Senior Brian Schulz final run at Pauley Track during the UCSB Invite was an epic one that saw him come in at a time of 13:59, which is the third best mark in the Gaucho record books. He was neck and neck with Cal Poly's Xian Shively as the two raced under the lights with the rest of the field 15 seconds behind them. In the end Schulz would take second in a battle that was separated by 1.24 seconds.

• UCSB INVITE RECAP
Aside from Schulz's run, there were several strong performances out at the UCSB Invite. Senior Nick Randazzo took first place in the 3000m steeplechase with a time of 9:04.22 and sophomore Brendan Fong would complete a single lap in 48.65 to place first in the 400m. In a trifecta of events, junior Gabby Sanchez would place second in the discus, shot put and hammer throw. Finally junior Chase Tarr would dominate in the javelin, throwing an astounding 64.73m on his third attempt.

• LONG BEACH OPENER
UCSB opened up the outdoor season at the Long Beach Opener and had a great showing getting a number of solid performances in the two-day meet. In the 800m, junior Jimmy Chahal and senior Jarett Chinn, hot on his teammate's heels, raced to earn times of 1:53.50 and 1:53.84 for fourth and fifth place in their main events. 

Two sophomore Gauchos established themselves in the hammer throw, Jared Freeman throwing 59.25m followed by a 52.73m mark for Gabriela Sanchez. She would go on to shoot 45.58 in the discus the next morning.

• LANZ ETCHES HER NAME
Sophomore Mariana Lanz got the 2021-22 season off on the right foot in UCSB's first meet back in early January, the Cougar Classic, breaking the all-time program record in the 200-meter dash. Lanz finished with a time of 24.78 coming in second and nearly breaking the Podium facility record.