SPOKANE, Wash. – UC San Diego track and field opened the season at the Riverfront Invitational with eight personal records and nine top 10 finishes. Zeno Castiglioni led the Tritons with a first-place finish in the 3000m.
 
ON THE WOMEN'S SIDE
In the 60m, Idara Ibekwe snagged the first PR of the day with a time of 7.79. With six Tritons representing in the 200m, Maxine Schultz led the group finishing 12th with a time of 24.67. Lauren Schiele and Kate MacNaughton each earned a PR in the event.
 
Schultz led the women again in the 400m with a time of 56.17 for 12th place. Snagging 13th in the same event, Schiele earned another PR with the same time at 56.17. Posting a third-place finish, Sylvana Northrop ran a 10:08.33 in the 3000m for another Triton PR. Norah Dulaney followed close in fourth place with a time of 10:11.22.
 
Three Tritons competed in the women's high jump with MacNaughton earning a PR and second place finish at 1.71 meters. Tia Stapleton took fourth with a height of 1.66 meters. In the open pole vault, Sky Kezmoh finished third with a height of 3.60 meters. Taking sixth place, Tamara Aimufia posted a distance of 12.23 meters in the triple jump. Schiele, Ibekwe, MacNaughton, and Schultz earned a fourth-place finish in the 4x400.
 
ON THE MEN'S SIDE
Five Tritons took on the 200m with Anthony Flowers leading the group with a time of 21.73 for a 14th-place finish. Jake Heinlein took 10th place in the 400m with a time of 49.23. In the mile, Ian Gerth posted a PR time at 4:15.30 and earned another 10th place finish for the gold and blue.
 
Earning the first win of the season, Zeno Castiglioni came from behind to finish first in the 3000m at 8:21.75 and earning a PR. In the pole vault, Kyle Gibbs finished eighth at 4.81 meters. In the shot put, Matthew Amankonah earned a fifth-place finish with a throw at 16.38 meters and Nathan Tripp finished ninth with a throw of 14.92 meters. Earning a second-place finish in the triple jump, Nathan Yoder jumped a distance of 14.57 meters. Frank McGowan, Heinlein, Nathan Crespo, and Blake Armstrong finished fourth in the 4x400.


Zeno Castiglioni's First Place Finish - 3000m 

QUOTABLE
After two days of competition to open the indoor season, head coach Kimberly Graham-Miller commented, "it was two great days for our teams, it's amazing what a year difference can make."

Over the two days, the Tritons recorded 11 personal bests with some Tritons posting more than one. "This event was the first indoor meet ever for many of our Tritons and they stepped up; we are off to a really great start in 2024!"
 
TRITON TIDBITS

• Zeno Castiglioni earned the first Triton win of the season in the 3000m.
• Personal Records:
  • Idara Ibekwe – 60m – 7.79
  • Lauren Schiele – 200m – 25.07
  • Kate MacNaughton – 200m – 25.95
  • Ian Gerth – 1 Mile – 4:15.30
  • Sylvana Northrop – 3000m – 10:08.33
  • Zeno Castiglioni – 3000m – 8:21.75
  • Kate MacNaughton – High Jump – 1.71 m

UP NEXT
UC San Diego heads to Albuquerque, N.M. on Feb. 9 and 10 for the Don Kirby Elite Invitational hosted by New Mexico.
 
About UC San Diego Athletics
After two decades as one of the most successful programs in NCAA Division II, the UC San Diego intercollegiate athletics program has begun a new era as a member of the Big West Conference in NCAA Division I. The 23-sport Tritons earned 30 team and nearly 150 individual national championships during its time in Divisions II and III and helped guide 1,400 scholar-athletes to All-America honors. A total of 83 Tritons have earned Academic All-America honors, while 38 have garnered prestigious NCAA Post Graduate Scholarships. UC San Diego scholar-athletes exemplify the academic ideals of one of the world's preeminent institutions, graduating at an average rate of 90 percent, the highest rate among public institutions in Division I or II. For more information on the Tritons, visit UCSDtritons.com or follow UC San Diego Athletics on social media @UCSDtritons.