Track and field
There’s unstoppable, and then there’s Sirena Williams unstoppable.
After being denied a new UC Davis record in the 100-meter hurdles twice since her record-setter at the Woody Wilson Classic on Apr. 19 due to illegal wind readings, the junior hurdler finally topped herself in the history books Saturday at the Aggie Twilight Open on Woody Wilson Track.
The Fresno, Calif. native ran the event in 13.93 seconds to break her previous UC Davis record mark of 13.96. Williams has run the 100-meter hurdles as fast as 13.75, a time she established May 4, but Saturday’s mark was her best with record-qualifying winds.
In the Aggies‘ final tune-up before the program’s first-ever Big West Conference Championships, an impressive hurdles performance also came from the men’s side.
Junior Polly Gnepa, who has already punched himself a ticket to the NCAA Division I West Region Championships later this month, won the 110-meter hurdles in a school-record time of 14.01 seconds.
The mark breaks the previous school record of 14.02 set by current assistant coach Byron Talley at the 2002 NCAA Division II Championships. Gnepa’s previous best was a 14.08 finish at the Cal-Nevada meet on Mar. 29.
In the same 110-meter hurdles, sophomore Jazz Trice earned a NCAA regional-qualifying time of 14.30, which was just enough for the regional standard.
Junior Micah Grant won the 400-meters event in 48.30 to take the eighth spot on the program’s career list. Other men’s winners included freshman Ray Green in the triple jump (49 feet, 4.5 inches, No. 10 position all-time) and junior Matt Swarbrick, whose shot put effort of 52-8 moved him up to No. 8 on the all-time list.
Aside from Williams, other wins on the women’s side came from freshman Kiara Reed in the 400 (career-best 55.93, No. 6 all-time), junior Nicole Theus in the 100 (12.08) and junior Lorin Scott in the 1500-meter run (4:40.58).
Senior Natalie Russell finished second in the 400 hurdles with a 1:01.93 to climb to No. 6 on the all-time list. Freshman Ashley Hearn and senior Kirsten Phillips both made marks on the all-time hammer throw list with 154-09 and 153-11, respectively.
Freshman Alexia Burton took second place in the 3,000-meter steeplechase in the last event of the Open with a time of 12:13.40 to improve to No. 9 on the all-time list.
In all, the men’s team totaled five event wins while the women took four. Both teams will return to action at Matador Track on Friday beginning at 10 a.m. for the two-day Big West Conference Championships.
