Long Beach State University
Big West Championships
49ers Positioned For Success After Day One
5/16/2008 12:00:00 AM | Track and Field
May 16, 2008
Northirdge, Calif. - Phylicia Johnson was among a number of top performers for Long Beach State on the first day of the two-day Big West Championships held this weekend in Northridge. Johnson was the top qualifier in the 100m hurdles with a time of 13.85, and set a lifetime best in the long jump with a 19'6" jump to take the bronze on the opening day.
Johnson's effort helped the women to a third-place standing after the opening day. Other top finishers for the 49ers included Alex Shaw, who took the gold in the javelin by six feet with a mark of 160'4," and Jill Reynolds, who also finished on the podium with a third place finish in the pole vault after topping 12'1.50."
Katelyn Ciarelli set a season-high in the hammer with a throw of 163'6", picking up three points for the women, and Kristen Kiefer set a season-best in the 100 hurdles, joining Johnson in the finals with a time of 13.99. Jessica Branker also was among a number of finals qualifiers for the sprinters, earning the top seed in the 100m dash with a 11.52.
On the men's side, the 49ers trail Cal State Northridge by just seven points heading into the final day of competition. Rob Jennings was the first men's champion on the day, winning the men's hammer with a throw of 192'7."
Also on the field, Chris Richardson continued his strong showing for the 49ers. The winner of the decathlon a week ago, Richardson continued his winning streak by leading a 1-2 LBSU finish in the javelin, tossing a 217'3" to win the event, while Tyson Gray was the only other competitor to pass 200 feet with a 203'8."
The javelin held more surprises. Colin Cram took last in the event, but in unusual circumstances. Unable to throw regularly, Cram would have been disqualified from his other events without participating in the javelin, so the righty Cram's lefthanded 92'11" throw kept him in the meet. That would work out to his advantage, as the third-place finisher in the decathlon picked up a fifth-place finish in the long jump with a mark of 23'2.5."
Out on the track, the 49ers moved runners on the finals as expected, led by Brent Gray and Austin Fowler. Gray finished ahead of Fowler in the 100m with the top time of 10.24 seconds, but Fowler paid back the favor in the 200m, capping a second 1-2 finish from the duo with a 21.25.
The Big West Championship Meet concludes tomorrow, with events continuing throughout the day.
