Pearce and Fleming Capture Second Career Big West Championships
5/11/2018 9:48:00 PM | Men's Track and Field, Women's Track and Field
NORTHRIDGE, Calif. – Seniors Weslie Pearce and Tayler Fleming captured the second individual Big West Championships of their careers on Friday, with Pearce taking first in the 3000m steeplechase and Fleming doing so in the long jump.
With four combined titles over the past three seasons, they become the fourth and fifth student-athletes in program history to be crowned Big West champs multiple times in the same event.
Women's
Pearce – who entered this year's competition not only as the No. 1 seed, but also as its defending champion – would cross the finish line with a time of 10:32.94, nearly six seconds faster than any other competitor. She becomes the fourth person in Big West history to win the 3000m steeplechase in back-to-back years. She also joins Brenda Martinez (800m, 2008-10; 1500m, 2007-10) and Ashley Gatewood (Javelin, 2011-12) as the program's only repeat champions.
Also taking home gold for the second time in her career was Fleming, whose long jump of 20-3.75 was good for the top Big West Championship mark in the last 11 years. Fleming was the only athlete to surpass the 20-foot mark, besting her 2016-winning leap of 20-2.50. This marks the fourth time in the last six years that a Highlander has been crowned the long jump champ, and the fifth time ever.
Senior Faith Makau had the fastest preliminary time in the 1500m (4:36.58), earning an automatic spot in tomorrow's finals. She also had the second-best mark in the 800m (2:14.36), qualifying alongside Cydney Branch (8th, 2:14.70) for the finals.
Sophomore Kenady Jackson qualified for her first conference final after setting a new lifetime best in the 400m with a time of 55.89. Her previous best had been 56.92.
After a slow start, junior Emily Sanchez stormed back over the second half of the women's 10000m to take second place, recording an impressive mark of 36:58.36.
The Highlander women head into Saturday in third-place with 39 team points.
Men's
Throwers Lawrence O'Hara and Wesley Braddock finished second and third in the shot put, as O'Hara unleashed a lifetime best 16.98 on his sixth throw, while Braddock's best throw went 16.73.
In the long jump, junior Ricky Wright Jr. took fifth with a leap of 24-3.50.
Senior Michael Kojin qualified for the finals in both the 200m (21.46) and the 100m (10.73).
Middle distance runners Heinrich Van Niekerk (1:53.90) and Ethan Van Setten (1:54.51) both qualified for the 800m finals.
Freshman Quinn Williams qualified for the finals in the 400m hurdles with a time of 54.62.
The UCR men ended the day with 18 team points, good for seventh overall.
With four combined titles over the past three seasons, they become the fourth and fifth student-athletes in program history to be crowned Big West champs multiple times in the same event.
Women's
Pearce – who entered this year's competition not only as the No. 1 seed, but also as its defending champion – would cross the finish line with a time of 10:32.94, nearly six seconds faster than any other competitor. She becomes the fourth person in Big West history to win the 3000m steeplechase in back-to-back years. She also joins Brenda Martinez (800m, 2008-10; 1500m, 2007-10) and Ashley Gatewood (Javelin, 2011-12) as the program's only repeat champions.
Also taking home gold for the second time in her career was Fleming, whose long jump of 20-3.75 was good for the top Big West Championship mark in the last 11 years. Fleming was the only athlete to surpass the 20-foot mark, besting her 2016-winning leap of 20-2.50. This marks the fourth time in the last six years that a Highlander has been crowned the long jump champ, and the fifth time ever.
Senior Faith Makau had the fastest preliminary time in the 1500m (4:36.58), earning an automatic spot in tomorrow's finals. She also had the second-best mark in the 800m (2:14.36), qualifying alongside Cydney Branch (8th, 2:14.70) for the finals.
Sophomore Kenady Jackson qualified for her first conference final after setting a new lifetime best in the 400m with a time of 55.89. Her previous best had been 56.92.
After a slow start, junior Emily Sanchez stormed back over the second half of the women's 10000m to take second place, recording an impressive mark of 36:58.36.
The Highlander women head into Saturday in third-place with 39 team points.
Men's
Throwers Lawrence O'Hara and Wesley Braddock finished second and third in the shot put, as O'Hara unleashed a lifetime best 16.98 on his sixth throw, while Braddock's best throw went 16.73.
In the long jump, junior Ricky Wright Jr. took fifth with a leap of 24-3.50.
Senior Michael Kojin qualified for the finals in both the 200m (21.46) and the 100m (10.73).
Middle distance runners Heinrich Van Niekerk (1:53.90) and Ethan Van Setten (1:54.51) both qualified for the 800m finals.
Freshman Quinn Williams qualified for the finals in the 400m hurdles with a time of 54.62.
The UCR men ended the day with 18 team points, good for seventh overall.
Players Mentioned
Throws
/ Men's Track and Field
Mid-Distance
/ Women's Track and Field
Hurdles
/ Women's Track and Field
Sprints
/ Women's Track and Field
Sprints/Relays
/ Men's Track and Field
Distance
/ Women's Track and Field
Throws
/ Men's Track and Field
Distance
/ Women's Track and FieldMid-Distance
/ Men's Track and Field
Mid-Distance
/ Men's Track and Field
Hurdles
/ Men's Track and FieldDay in the Life: Leilani Juan
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