| BEACH TO HOST 62ND ANNUAL JACK ROSE RELAYS
Six Universities and 13 Junior Colleges Slated to Compete
LONG BEACH, CA -- The track team will take a break from the indoor season as they host the 62nd Annual Jack Rose Relays Saturday at the Jack Rose Memorial Track. Opening Ceremonies will be held at 10:55 am just before the 4x100m relay race. Field events begin at 10:00 am with the women's shot put and men's discus. The 4x400m race will begin at 3:00 pm. This will be the first outdoor meet for the team this season. Universities slated to compete include Biola, Loyola Marymount, Occidental, and local USC. There will also be 13 junior colleges competing including local powerhouse Long Beach City College, and rising local programs El Camino College and Pasadena City College. Coach Sythe's Expectations for the Meet: "The Jack Rose Relays is one of the longest running meets in collegiate history (62 years) and is always an exciting and fun atmosphere to attend and compete in. With the extention of the collegiate season by nearly two weeks (regional qualifying) and an increased focus on indoor competition, less Division I teams will open up in a meet so early on. Luckily, junior colleges do not have that hinderance, and come to the Relays to add competition to the meet." Coach Sythe on His Team: "This is a chance to have fun and enjoy the team concept of the relays. We expect to do very well in this meet and plan on garnering several lifetime bests on Saturday, especially in the field events. We will have some athletes competing unattached as we decide on redshirt status for the outdoor season."
Nationally Ranked Athletes to Compete: Recent graduate Jon O'Neil will return to compete in the shot put and discus. O'Neil finished his collegiate season at The Beach ranked eighth in the nation for the discus. Cory Loebl (ranked 21st in the discus), Emily Forsythe (ranked 46th in the high jump), and Stephanie Sampson (ranked 37th in the hammer) will also compete. Rankings based on U.S. national lists compiled by Track and Field News, collegiate marks may be higher. |
