IRVINE, Calif. - The UC San Diego track and field teams had another strong showing at the annual All-Cal Challenge on Saturday, posting a pair of top three finishes against three other Division I UC schools.
Competing against UC Santa Barbara, UC Irvine and UC Riverside, UCSD finished second on the men's side, while the women placed third. The Tritons won a total of three events on the day and registered a pair of NCAA National qualifiers in the process.
"We really competed well against our sister schools today," men's head coach Tony Salerno said. "The men's second place finish was a real surprise and we managed to pull it off with only one event winner on the men's side. That's a pretty remarkable accomplishment at this level."
The one win came from senior standout Nick Howe, who turned in a dominant performance in the javelin. A two-time defending national champion in the event, Howe hit 201'8" to best UCSB's Michael Guerra by nearly eight feet. His toss was good enough for an NCAA provisional qualifier as well.
Other notable performances for the Triton men came from Kellen Levy, who finished second in the 3,000 meters (8:31.0) and Quentin McWhorter, who placed second in the triple jump (46'.5"). Benjamin Berthet and Zach Nagengast finished third in the pole vault (15'1") and discus throw (159'), respectively.
Senior Jacqueline Rose had the biggest performance for the Tritons on the women's side, winning the 400-meter dash with an impressive time of 54.90. Her time set a new meet record and ranks No. 2 all-time at UCSD behind only Christine Merrill's 2010 time of 54.76. Rose, who also finished second in the 200, took home an NCAA provisional qualifier with the performance.
Senior Deyna Roberson had UCSD's other victory on the day, winning the 400-meter hurdles at 63.82. Teammate Lauren Irish finished second at 64.00.
Aaryn Kobayashi (3,000-meter steeplechase; 11:29.72), Veronica Bradley (high jump; 5'5") and Erin Langford (long jump; 18'2.5" and triple jump; 37'11.25") all finished second in their respective events, as well.
"We had a solid performance against some good Divisions I teams today," women's head coach Darcy Ahner said. "The highlight was definitely watching Jackie find another level and race with confidence in the women's 400."
UCSD finished with 145.5 points in 19 events on the men's side, while the Triton women racked up 153.5 points. UC Santa Barbara swept the meet, tallying 224 and 185 points in the men and women's competitions, respectively.
The Tritons will be back in action next weekend when they host the 2012 San Diego Collegiate Challenge on Saturday, March 10, beginning at 11:00 a.m.
