Niners Ready for Big West Championships

Beach Enter Push For Conference
49ers in Irvine to Try to Defeat the Rest of the Big West

May 13, 2002

NATIONAL MARKS
ATHLETE EVENT NAT. RANK
Serena Boykin Shot-50’7.25” 29th
Emily Forsythe H.Jump-- 5’10.50” 13th
Connie Jerz Pole Vault--13’5.25” (SR) 10th
Cory Loebl Discus--195’11” 16th
Jon O’Neil *Shot--63’4.75” 8th
Jon O'Neil *Discus--201’8.00” (SR) 2nd
Steph. Sampson Hammer--187’2.00” (SR) 30th
*-automatic qualifier for NCAA Championships

CONFERENCE MARKS
May 15-18, 2002 42 men, 42 women qualifying marks

WHERE THEY RANK
IN THE BIG WEST
MALE ATHLETES
1. O’Neil Discus (201’8.00”)
2. Johnson 400m (46.94)
2. Johnson 200m (21.33)
2. Camilo P.Vault (16’10.75”)
2. O’Neil Shot (63'4.75")
2. Loebl Dis (195’11.00”)
3. James 400m (47.50)
3. TEAM 4x400 (3:13.01)
3. Anderson H.Jump (6’9.75”)
3. Rodriguez Jav (214’01.00”)
4. Blanford Jav (208’2.00”)
5. Bates 800m (1:52.28)
5. Camilo 110H (14.67)

FEMALE ATHLETES
1. Forsythe H.Jump (5’10.50”)
1. Jerz P.Vault (13’4.25”)
2. Boykin Shot (50’7.25”)
2. Sampson Ham (187’2.00”)
3. Iwuaba TJ (40’7.75”)
3. Grubbs Hepthlon (4588)
4. Goldhammer Jav (141’11”)
5. Pequinot Dis (158’3.00”)

CHAMPIONSHIP RECAPS
INDOOR NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS
(Fayetteville, AR)
Jon O’Neil Shot Put 60’7.25” (14th)
Connie Jerz Pole Vault 12’11.50” (15th)

USATF INDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS
(NYC, NY)
Jon O’Neil Shot Put 59’0.25” (10th)
Jon O’Neil Weight Throw 58’7.25” (17th)
Connie Jerz Pole Vault 12’11.75” (5th)

TOP-5 AT MPSF
INDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS
(Flagstaff, AZ)
Emily Forsythe High Jump 5’8.75” (4th)
Connie Jerz Pole Vault 13’3.50” (5th)SR
Matt Bates 800m 1:54.83 (2nd)
Jon O’Neil Shot Put 60’11.50” (5th)SR
Jon O’Neil Weight Throw 66’11.25”(2nd)SR

SCHOOL-RECORDS
BROKEN IN 2002
Jon O’Neil Shot Put 60’11.50” (indoor)
Jon O’Neil Weight 66’11.25” (indoor)
Jon O’Neil Discus 201’8.00” (outd.)
Connie Jerz Pole Vault 13’3.50” (indoor)
Connie Jerz Pole Vault 13’5.25” (outd.)
Jennifer Yadon Steeple 11:36.74 (outd.)
Steph. Sampson Hammer 187’2.00” (outd.)
Gladys Iwuaba Triple Jump 40’7.75” (outd.)
Frank Rodriguez Javelin 214’1.00” (outd.)

Next Up: The Long Beach State track and field team will compete at the Big West Championships, hosted by UC Irvine, this Wednesday through Saturday. The Heptathlon and Decathlon take place on Wednesday and Thursday, with the full array of events beginning on Friday. Full session passes are $14 for adults and $6 for students. One-day passes are $8 and $4.

FULL RESULTS FROM BIG WEST CHAMPS

Last Year at Big West: Idaho won both the men’s and women’s team titles as The Beach men finished fifth and the women finished sixth. Last year six women and three men were all-BWC. Nina Grubbs (Heptathlon) and Connie Jerz (pole vault) are each returning to defend their titles.

The Coach: Director Andy Sythe is in his 13th season as director of both the track and field and cross country programs. During Sythe’s tenure, track athletes have achieved 73 NCAA qualifying performances, 55 conference champions, had 18 All-Americans, three Big West Athletes of-the-year, one NCAA national champion and another NCAA runner-up.

Conference Highlights: Forty-two men and 42 women have put forth conference qualifying marks. Of those, 13 men and eight women rank in the top-five in the Big West. Senior Jon O’Neil (discus), freshman Emily Forsythe (high jump) and sophomore Connie Jerz (pole vault) own the confrence’s top marks, while nine other men and four women from The Beach rank in the top-three. To earn all-conference honors, an athlete must finish one, two or three at the Conference Championships.

Athletes of the Week: Senior Jon O’Neil (Fountain Valley) continued his monopoly of Big West Athlete of the Week honors, earning his third accolade on May 1. O’Neil previously was honored during back-to-back weeks on April 10 and 17. Also earning weekly honors this season are: freshman high jumper Emily Forsythe (Montrose, March 19), and sophomore pole vaulter Connie Jerz (Tucson, AZ, March 26).

National Leader Board: Six 49ers have scored NCAA provisional marks this season. Sixteen automatic qualifiers and between two to six at-large selections will be invited to the NCAAs. Senior Jon O’Neil (Fountain Valley) has already qualified for two throwing events in Baton Rouge (May 29-June 1) heaving the second-best discus toss in the nation (201’8.00”) and the eighth-best shot put (63’4.75”). Sophomore Connie Jerz (Tucson, AZ) has the 10th-best pole vault (13’5.25”), freshman Emily Forsythe (Montrose) has the 13th-best high jump (5’10.25”) and junior Cory Loebl (Portland, OR) has the 16th-best discus mark (195’11”). Other provisional qualifiers include: sophomores Stephanie Sampson (hammer) and Serena Boykin (shot put).

Breaking the Bank: So far this season, nine school-records have fallen, three indoor and six outdoor. The most recent entrant and maybe most impressive markcame from junior Frank Rodriguez (San Pedro) who tossed the javelin 214’1.00” at Irvine on May 5. Rodriguez is in his FIRST-EVER season in track and field, after playing baseball in high school. Glady Iwuaba (San Diego) broke her own record at Irvine bettering her triple jump to 40’7.75”. Earlier this season, sophomore Stephanie Sampson (Yorba Linda) broke the hammer record (187’2.00”) while Jennifer Yadon (Lancaster) set the new LBSU mark in the steeple (11:36.74). Senior Jon O’Neil (Fountain Valley) has set three school-records in the throws, while sophomore Connie Jerz (Tucson, AZ) holds both the indoor and outdoor records in the pole vault.

Hitting the Books: Eight women and two men were named to the Indoor Academic All-MPSF team. For The Beach, triple jumper Kenya Jimerson (4.00 grad school), thrower Samy Meredith (3.714) and jumper Connie Jerz (3.575) each have cum GPAs over 3.5.

Long Beach State University Athletics

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