Long Beach State University Athletics
49ers Outdoor Season Resumes At USC
3/21/2008 12:00:00 AM | Track and Field
March 21, 2008
Long Beach, Calif. - After opening the season at the Ben Brown Invitational two weeks ago, Long Beach State returns to outdoor season at the USC Invitational this weekend. The 49ers will face off against 16 other teams in a meet including three other Big West schools.
"The development of our athletes comes from the preparation we get against top talent," said head coach Andy Sythe. "This weekend will bring many opportunities for our team to get tested and get insight into what we will face at the championships.
The 49ers are bringing a full contingent of athletes into this event, holding off just a few athletes. Brent Gray will get the week off after participating in the NCAA Indoor Championships last weekend, and javelin throwers Tyson Gray and Alex Shaw will also both get a rest on the weekend.
Chris Richardson will be competing in the javelin throw for the Beach. One of the top athletes nationally in the decathlon, Richardson currently leads the Big West in the javelin coming into this event after posting a throw of 221'10.25" at the Ben Brown Invitational two weeks ago. Jessica Branker also comes into the weekend with a top mark among Big West competitors this season in two events, leading both the 100 and 200 meter dashes on the season.
Freshman Kelsey Caesar currently holds the #2 time in the 400 in the early part of the year for the conference at 47.86 seconds, and Chris Lawson joins him with a second-place time in the 400m hurdles at 53.28. Also among the sprinters, Erricka Feazell currently has a season-best of 14.28 seconds in the 100m hurdles for the women, a third-place time in the conference this year.
Out on the field, Collin Cram has the second-best Big West mark in the javelin, trailing only Richardson in the Big West standings, and Rob Jennings holds two top three marks in the discus and the hammer throw, joining Branker as the only member of the LBSU track team to hold two top-three Big West marks.
Following competition at the USC Invitational, the 49ers continue the outdoor season at the Nike Invitational at Sacramento State, home of the NCAA outdoor track and field championships numerous times. The 49ers will face a number of Pac-10 opponents at that meet along with the host hornets.
