Brenda Martinez In Search Of Additional Hardware For Her Trophy Case
5/28/2009 9:08:16 AM | Men's Track and Field, Women's Track and Field
UCR Track & Field Heads To Eugene, Oregon For NCAA West Regional
The awards continue to pile up for UC Riverside cross country and track and field athlete Brenda Martinez. Two weeks ago, following the Big West Track & Field Championships, she was honored as the conference's 2009 Female Track Athlete of the Year. This week, the Rancho Cucamonga native was named the UC Riverside Female Student-Athlete of the Year for the second consecutive season.
Now, she and 10 of her teammates are off to Eugene, Oregon for the NCAA West Regional on May 29-30 - the precursor to the NCAA Championships scheduled for June 10-12 in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Martinez qualified for the NCAA Regional in multiple events, but will compete in the 1,500m and as a member of the Highlanders 4x400 relay team. The schedule of events for the NCAA West Regional is available for download at the University of Oregon athletics website. Results will also be available from the Ducks website throughout the two-day event.
Martinez's selection as the Highlanders Female Student-Athlete of the Year was an easy one. She turned in an all-conference cross country performance in the fall which helped the Highlanders to their first-ever Big West Cross Country Championship, and became the Highlanders’ first-ever female All-American as she finished in seventh place in the Indoor Mile at the NCAA Championship.
That she finally added the title of All-American to her already impressive résumé came as no surprise to those who have been following her career at UC Riverside. Wherever she runs, records seem to fall and firsts seem to follow.
Martinez arrived on the UCR campus in the fall of 2005 and months later became the first Highlanders athlete to finish in the top 10 at the Big West Cross Country Championship. In 2007 she bettered that performance finishing in fourth place, earning a spot at the NCAA Championship.
Her track and field results are even more spectacular. After a serious illness almost ended her athletics career and kept her from competing for most of the 2006 season, she returned with a vengeance in 2007 picking up her first conference title in the 1500m. For her efforts, she was named Big West Freshman of the Year – another Highlanders first.
In 2008, she became UCR’s first multiple track and field champion by taking the 800m and 1500m. Her times in both of those events, as well as the 5000m were good enough to qualify her for the NCAA Regional. Martinez finished in third place in the 1500m at the Regional, qualifying her for the NCAAs – yet another first for a Highlanders track athlete. (Watch Martinez set the UCR and Big West Conference record in the 800m)
She wasn’t done, however, as her time in the 800m earlier in the season earned her a place among the best runners in the country at the US Olympic Trials. Following the NCAAs, Martinez will head back to Eugene, Oregon for the United States Track & Field Championships.
Martinez isn't the only member of the UC Riverside Track & Field program looking to advance beyond this weekend's NCAA Regional, however. Ten other Highlanders are competing in events this weekend having bettered the Regional qualifying marks during the 2009 season.
On the men's side, Chad Hall and Pedro Ramos are competing in the 1,500m, and Ulices Pina is running in the 5,000m. For the women, Lauren Reid and Allison Wilder will look to advance to the NCAAs in the triple jump (watch Wilder set the UCR record in the triple jump), while Uchechi Egeonuigwe runs the 400m hurdles, Danielle Evans joins Martinez in the 1,500m and Ashley Williams run in the 800m. Egeonuigwe, Williams, Ashley Young and Martinez also make up the Highlanders 4x400m relay team.
Now, she and 10 of her teammates are off to Eugene, Oregon for the NCAA West Regional on May 29-30 - the precursor to the NCAA Championships scheduled for June 10-12 in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Martinez qualified for the NCAA Regional in multiple events, but will compete in the 1,500m and as a member of the Highlanders 4x400 relay team. The schedule of events for the NCAA West Regional is available for download at the University of Oregon athletics website. Results will also be available from the Ducks website throughout the two-day event.
Martinez's selection as the Highlanders Female Student-Athlete of the Year was an easy one. She turned in an all-conference cross country performance in the fall which helped the Highlanders to their first-ever Big West Cross Country Championship, and became the Highlanders’ first-ever female All-American as she finished in seventh place in the Indoor Mile at the NCAA Championship.
That she finally added the title of All-American to her already impressive résumé came as no surprise to those who have been following her career at UC Riverside. Wherever she runs, records seem to fall and firsts seem to follow.
Martinez arrived on the UCR campus in the fall of 2005 and months later became the first Highlanders athlete to finish in the top 10 at the Big West Cross Country Championship. In 2007 she bettered that performance finishing in fourth place, earning a spot at the NCAA Championship.
Her track and field results are even more spectacular. After a serious illness almost ended her athletics career and kept her from competing for most of the 2006 season, she returned with a vengeance in 2007 picking up her first conference title in the 1500m. For her efforts, she was named Big West Freshman of the Year – another Highlanders first.
In 2008, she became UCR’s first multiple track and field champion by taking the 800m and 1500m. Her times in both of those events, as well as the 5000m were good enough to qualify her for the NCAA Regional. Martinez finished in third place in the 1500m at the Regional, qualifying her for the NCAAs – yet another first for a Highlanders track athlete. (Watch Martinez set the UCR and Big West Conference record in the 800m)
She wasn’t done, however, as her time in the 800m earlier in the season earned her a place among the best runners in the country at the US Olympic Trials. Following the NCAAs, Martinez will head back to Eugene, Oregon for the United States Track & Field Championships.
Martinez isn't the only member of the UC Riverside Track & Field program looking to advance beyond this weekend's NCAA Regional, however. Ten other Highlanders are competing in events this weekend having bettered the Regional qualifying marks during the 2009 season.
On the men's side, Chad Hall and Pedro Ramos are competing in the 1,500m, and Ulices Pina is running in the 5,000m. For the women, Lauren Reid and Allison Wilder will look to advance to the NCAAs in the triple jump (watch Wilder set the UCR record in the triple jump), while Uchechi Egeonuigwe runs the 400m hurdles, Danielle Evans joins Martinez in the 1,500m and Ashley Williams run in the 800m. Egeonuigwe, Williams, Ashley Young and Martinez also make up the Highlanders 4x400m relay team.
Thursday, May 21
Monday, May 04
Friday, May 01
Tuesday, March 24
