Last weekend, a hundredth of a second would win a race and an inch would decide a field event.
The Big West Conference Track and Field Championship was just that sort of event, as both the men’s and women’s teams finished in the top-three.
“It was our most successful conference performance our teams have had since our transition to Division I,” said Byron Talley, interim director of track and field. “We didn’t hand the men’s title easily. Both teams competed very well.”
The Aggie men’s squad finished second with 156 points, a program-best for UC Davis. This score was boosted by their grounding-breaking performances in the triple jump and 400 meter hurdles on Saturday, a day that cumulatively earned them 93 points.
Standouts on the men’s side include 6-foot-5 senior Ray Green with his first place finish in the triple jump and senior Thomas Phillips, who earned the win in the 400-meter hurdles.
Additionally, senior Ethan Ostrom took second in the pole vault. Senior Jonathan Sees also had impressive races, taking second in both the 1500- and 5,000-meter runs.
In the end, Long Beach State edged UC Davis with a score of 177.5. In third came Cal Poly at 131, followed by UC Santa Barbara at 116.5 and defending champion Cal State Northridge at 80.
The Aggie women came in third place overall with 105 points after narrowly overtaking Long Beach State by 6.5 points. In first and second were Northridge (165.5) and Cal Poly (126).
Senior Chidinma Onyewuenyi placed first in the shot put while senior Ugo Eke and sophomore Melanise Chapman took second for the 400- and 100-meter races, respectively.
Though Talley was hoping for a win last weekend, he is aware of his team’s ability and will look to continue the current path of success when the group travels to the NCAA West Region Championships in two weeks.
The meet will be held in Eugene, Ore. – a three-day event beginning on May 26. After the West Region Championships, the Aggies will have only two potential meets remaining on the 2010-11 schedule.
CALEIGH GUOYNES can be reached at sports@theaggie.org.
