KINGSVILLE, Texas — University of California San Diego standouts Matt Bowen and Claudia Cox earned All-America Second-Team honors on Day 1 of the 2019 NCAA Track and Field Championships Thursday at Texas A&M Kingsville's Javelina Stadium.
Bowen placed 10th overall in the long jump with a best leap of 24-feet, 9.25-inches (7.55-meters) to earn All-America Second-Team honors in the event for the third time in his career. Meanwhile, Cox received All-America Second-Team accolades after finishing 11th overall in the 400 hurdle prelims with a time of 1-minute, 1.12-seconds.
In addition, senior Kelly Strand placed 14th overall in Thursday's 400 hurdle prelims after crossing the finish line in 1:01.79. Sophomore Evan Shimasaki also competed in the pole vault on Thursday, but didn't record a mark. It was the second-career appearance in the national meet for Cox, and first for both Strand and Shimasaki.
Bowen, UC San Diego's all-time record holder in the long jump, will be back in action competing in the triple jump on Friday beginning at approximately 2:45 p.m. PT. The Fresno, Calif., native enters Friday ranked third nationally in the event.
Four other Tritons will compete on Day 2 on Friday, including senior Esther Nofodji in the discus at 11:30 a.m. PT, sophomore Blake Walkowiak in the discus at 2:30 p.m. PT, senior Natalie Caraway in the high jump at 3:05 p.m. PT and senior Nicholas Rack in the 110 hurdle prelims at 4:55 p.m. PT.
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.
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