LA JOLLA, Calif. — The University of California San Diego men's 4x400 relay team was among the highlights from a spectacular day of action at the 2019 Triton Invitational on Saturday at Triton Track and Field Stadium.
The quartet of freshman Maximilian Halvax, junior Makhai Husband, junior Adam Winding and junior Josef Polk placed second among collegiate teams with an NCAA provisional-qualifying time of 3-minutes, 13.81-seconds, which ranks No. 2 all-time in UC San Diego program history.
Overall, both the Triton men's (55 points) and women's teams (36.5) took fifth place, as both were first among non-division 1 teams.
The Tritons finished ahead of division-1 competition Idaho (3:14.91) and Grand Canyon (3:18.34) in the 4x400 relay. Making the event even more intriguing is the Tritons were matched up against the Borlee brothers Kevin, Jonathan and Dylan, who make up three-fourths of the Belgium Olympic 4x400 relay team.
“That race running against the Borlee brothers was pretty special,” said UC San Diego men's head coach Tony Salerno.
In addition, sophomore Blake Walkowiak had a pro-qualifying mark in the discus for the second-consecutive meet behind a best toss of 163-feet, 9-inches (49.91-meters), senior Nicholas Rack placed third overall in the 110 hurdles with a pro-qualifying time of 14.08, while senior Nick Famolaro was also third in the 800 for the second week in a row behind a pro-qualifying time of 1:51.61.
Polk also posted a pro-qualifying time in the 400 hurdles at 53.09 to place sixth.
On the women's side, senior Esther Nofodji posted another provisional-qualifying mark in the discus on Friday afternoon with a best toss of 153'1” (46.66), while junior Gabby Eshiet had a pro-qualifying mark in the shot put on Saturday with a throw of 48'1.75” (14.67).
Senior Natalie Caraway placed third in the triple jump with a pro-qualifying mark of 39'7.25” (12.07), and also took third in the high jump with a pro mark of 5'7” (1.70).
In addition, junior Claudia Cox and senior Kelly Strand had pro-qualifying times in the 400 hurdles, as Cox crossed the finish line in 59.78 to finish fourth and Strand took fifth at 1:00.32.
UC San Diego resumes action this week with the California Decathlon/Heptathlon and Bryan Clay Invitational at Azusa Pacific, as well as Long Beach State's Beach Invitational and Mt. Sac Relays.
About UC San Diego Athletics
With 30 national team championships, nearly 150 individual titles and the top student-athlete graduation rate among Division II institutions in the United States, the UC San Diego intercollegiate athletics program annually ranks as one of the most successful in the country. The Tritons sponsor 23 intercollegiate sport programs that compete on the NCAA Division I and II levels and, in summer 2020, will transition into full Division I status as a member of the Big West Conference. UC San Diego student-athletes exemplify the academic ideals of one of the world's preeminent institutions, graduating at an average rate of 91 percent. A total of 80 Tritons have earned Academic All-America honors, while 36 have earned prestigious NCAA Post Graduate Scholarships. In competition, more than 1,300 UC San Diego student-athletes have earned All-America honors.
Follow The Tritons
For complete coverage and information regarding UC San Diego Athletics, follow the Tritons online at UCSDtritons.com and through social media on Twitter (@ucsdtritons), Instagram (@ucsdtritons) and Facebook (ucsdtritons).
