Long Beach State University Athletics
49ers Sweep Track And Field Weekly Awards
4/3/2008 12:00:00 AM | Track and Field
April 3, 2008
Long Beach, Calif. - For the second week in a row, senior thrower Rob Jennings was honored by the Big West as the men's field athlete of the week, and was joined by three other 49ers as the Beach took all for awards for the week ending April 1. All four athletes have now qualified for the NCAA Regional Championships to be held May 30-31 in Northridge, Calif.
Jennings, who won the men's field athlete of the week award last week for passing a regional mark in the two events again was over the qualifier in the discus throw, finishing in fourth place with a throw of 171'9". His best throw on the year came last week however, where his mark of 181'0" is 15th nationally.
Paired up on the men's side was Brent Gray, who won two events while earning his way into the NCAA Championships. The 49ers' lone entry into the indoor national championships, Gray continued his success with a 10.41 in the 100m dash and a 21.13 in the 200m, qualifying for a trip to NCAA Regionals in both events. Gray's 100m time ranks sixth nationally, and is the best in the region.
On the women's side, the 49ers added two more regional qualifiers, bringing their total to three and earning two more Big West awards in the process. Javelin thrower Alex Shaw was the field athlete of the week after a second-place finish in her top event. Shaw threw a lifetime-best 167'5" to qualify and solidify her hold on the No. 2 spot all-time in Long Beach State history. Shaw's mark also places her fifth nationally on the year.
Jessica Branker posted the west region's second-fastest time in the dash so far this year in punching her ticket to Northridge. Her 100m time of 11.70 was good for second-place at the NIKE Elite Invitational, and was just shy of her PR in the event, a wind-aided 11.67.
Long Beach State will head to the Stanford Invitational this weekend, one of the premier track events on the west coast to try and add more qualifiers on the way to the Big West Championships and NCAA meets.
