SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (Mar. 13) – UC Santa Barbara Track and Field stayed local this weekend for a dual meet at Westmont College. This rare one-on-one match up against the Warriors signals the depth of the Gauchos this season, as they swept numerous events and recorded several marks that moved into the program's all time top 10.
FIELD
The Gauchos opened the day strong in the field events with several event victories and podium sweeps.
On the women's side, senior Layanna Green – a multi-sport athlete who also competes for the Gaucho's volleyball team – made her track debut in high jump, clearing 1.73m to win the event and move into eighth all time at UCSB. In the pole vault, freshman Sydni Harden cleared 3.80m to finish first, while freshman Claudia Turner added a third place finish for her season debut.
Aly Tito won the long jump with a mark of 5.80m, narrowly edging teammate Jess Mackenzie, who finished second at 5.79m. In the triple jump, Kenni Johnson landed with a mark of 12.16m to take first.
The Gauchos also dominated the women's throws. Jess Mackenzie led the shot put with a throw of 13.16m, followed by Bella Vally and Dimitra Vitogiannis, who placed second and third. In the discus, Angela Ayozie won the event with a throw of 45.82m, while Vitogiannis and Kayla Yap rounded out the top three. Yap later secured another victory in the hammer throw with a mark of 54.37m.
On the men's side, Jared Nunnemaker won the pole vault with a clearance of 4.90m, followed closely by Ethan Nuttallat 4.80m. In the throws, Emmanuel Fitzgerald led discus with a mark of 47.53m, while Chris Nora and Braylon Noble placed second and third. Hudson Shaver finished second in the shot put with a throw of 15.50m, and later added another second place finish in the javelin at 47.80m.
TRACK
The Gauchos were just as much of a force on the track – securing wins across sprints, hurdles, distance events and relays.
In the men's sprints, Matt Staples led a strong showing in the 100m, winning in 10.53, with Finn Andrews finishing second. Andrews returned later in the day to run 21.16 in the 200m, moving into sixth all time at UCSB, while freshman Mattheo Lacasia also secured a program top 10 with a 21.43. Lacasia continues to impress in his freshman season, winning the 400m in 46.47, ranking fourth in program history.
The distance squad also delivered multiple victories. Carson Hedlund won the 2000m, while Parker Stickney captured the 3000m in 8:35.29. In the 2000m steeplechase, Manny Correia and Parker Simmons finished first and second to secure another Gaucho sweep.
Santa Barbara also found success in the hurdles, as Miles Paris won the 110m hurdles in 14.66, followed by Zach Galvez in second.
On the women's side, the Gauchos showcased equally strong performances. Parker Halgren won the 100m in 12.01, moving into eighth all time at UCSB, while Madison Rust and Amor Jones followed in second and third. In the 200m, Maddie Conte took first in 24.85, just ahead of Halgren.
Freshman Kenna Bradley won the 400m in 55.51, with Briana Bartone finishing second. Isabel Ross captured the 600m, while Sierra Gill, Addie Oversmith, and Danielle Hollander swept the 2000m.
In distance races, Lexi Darley led a podium finish in the 3000m, while the 4x800 relay team of Jana Barron, Lexi Darley, Jordin Lieberman and Emily Reed secured another victory for Santa Barbara.
Jess Mackenzie won the 100m hurdles in 14.08, while Anna Josephson captured the 400m hurdles after just three weeks of hurdle training. Santa Barbara added wins in both the 4x100 relay and 4x400 relay to close out the meet.
UP NEXT
A select crew of qualifying Gauchos will have the opportunity to compete in the annual Jim Bush Legends meet, hosted by UCLA on March, 28
