LONG BEACH, Calif. (May 16) – UC Santa Barbara closed out the 2026 Big West Championships with both the men's and women's teams placing sixth overall. The Gauchos were highlighted by Finn Andrews claiming the Big West title in the 400m hurdles with a school record 49.88, Pyrce Edwards earning second place in the 110m hurdles after running a personal best 13.87, and the men's 4x100m relay squad securing a podium finish.
TRACK
Andrews continued his dominant postseason run in the men's 400m hurdles, winning the Big West championship in a school record 49.88. Freshman Mac Lamkin also scored in the event with a personal-best 50.97 to place fourth overall.
Edwards delivered one of the top sprint hurdle performances in program history, placing second in the men's 110m hurdles after crossing in a personal best 13.87, while Miles Paris added points with a sixth place finish in 14.35.
The Gauchos earned another podium finish in the men's 4x100m relay, where Sean Beihoffer, Kendal Handy, Edwards and Matt Staples ran 40.29 for third overall. Staples also broke his own school record in the men's 100m with a 10.31 performance to place sixth before later adding another scoring finish in the 200m at 21.07.
On the women's side, Maddie Conte scored in both hurdle events, placing seventh in the 100m hurdles at 13.68 before later taking fourth in the 400m hurdles with a 59.75 performance. Anna Josephson added a personal best in the 400m hurdles to finish fifth overall, while Alison Tjoe placed eighth.
Mattheo Lacasia placed fifth in the men's 400m at 47.29, while Kenna Bradley added points in the women's 800m with a fifth place finish in 2:10.88.
The Gauchos also scored in both 4x400m relays, with the men's squad of Andrews, David Slaughter, Kendal Handy and Lamkin placing fourth overall, while Conte, Josephson, Bradley and Svea Wickelgren combined for sixth on the women's side.
FIELD
Kennedy Johnson tied her own school record in the women's triple jump after placing fourth overall with a mark of 12.79m to lead the Gaucho field performances.
In the women's javelin, Madison Rust scored with a fifth place throw of 45.25m, while Jess Mackenzie followed closely behind in seventh at 44.68m.
Hudson Shaver added scoring performances in both the men's javelin and discus, highlighted by an eighth place finish in the discus at 47.91m. Ethan Nuttall also scored for the Gauchos in the men's pole vault after clearing 4.84m for seventh overall.
NEXT UP
The Gauchos that qualify will have the opportunity to compete at NCAA West Regionals hosted by the University of Arkansas May 23-27.
