49ers begin Big West Championships with decathlon, heptathlon this weekend

49ers begin Big West Championships with decathlon, heptathlon this weekend

5/4/2011 12:00:00 AM | Track and Field

May 4, 2011

LONG BEACH - The Long Beach State track and field team begins its quest for a conference title this weekend as it opens the Big West Championships with the decathlon and heptathlon in Irvine, May 6-7.

49ER TIDBITS
-- In scored meets this season, the 49er men are 24-0 and the women are 17-8.
-- The men are ranked 58th in the nation, which is the second-highest ranking among Big West schools as they sit behind only UC Irvine (No. 54). The 49ers are also just two spots behind Duke and are ahead of a number of schools including Michigan, Tennessee, Notre Dame and Indiana.
-- Twenty-nine LBSU men have qualified for the Big West Championships in 54 events. On the women's side, 24 athletes have qualified in 38 events.
-- Long Beach State will be familiar with its surroundings at the conference championships as it returns to Anteater Stadium for the third time this season.

BIG WEST DECATHLON/HEPTATHLON
The Big West multi-events are set to run May 6-7 at Anteater Stadium. The decathlon kicks off the championship weekend on Friday at 2 p.m., while the heptathlon begins shortly after at 2:30 p.m. On Saturday, the decathlon is set to start at 11 a.m. and the heptathlon at 1 p.m. Admission for both days is free.

The 49ers have four athletes competing in the decathlon this weekend. Nicholas Armstrong, who enters the meet with the top ranking in the conference, is expected to lead the quartet. The Long Beach Poly and Cerritos College product compiled a lifetime-best 7,478 points, which is just over 100 points shy of the school record, at the Mt. SAC Decathlon in April. He was the Big West runner-up a year ago. Mark Horist, a junior transfer from Mt. San Antonio College, and freshmen Dillon Fox and Justin Fox will also look to have strong showings.

Phylicia Johnson and Kristen Kiefer will be competing in their second heptathlon. Both had solid performances at the Mt. SAC meet as Johnson posted the fifth-best mark (4,911 points) in school history, while Kiefer ranked 10th with 4,679 points. Sara Macey, who has shown rapid improvement, is also set to compete this weekend.

MEET REWIND
Nicholas Armstrong totaled 7,224 points to finish second in the decathlon at the 2010 Big West Championships. He finished in the top five in every event, winning the high jump and discus. Sara Macey also scored for the 49ers in the heptathlon last year with an eighth-place performance.

LAST TIME OUT
The 49er throwers were very successful at the Drake Relays with three top five finishes. Randi Hicks led the way, winning the women's javelin with a season-long 165-11. She became the third overall and first women's Drake Relays champion for LBSU. Tara Ross added a fourth-place showing (154-10). Colin Dunbar was also the runner-up in the men's hammer as he registered a season-best 219-01.

At the Steve Scott Invitational in Irvine, Ben Woodruff won the men's javelin with a lifetime-best 221-01. That mark ranks him third in school history and is the furthest throw by a Big West athlete this season. Heath Reedy also won the 5000-meter run, clocking in at 14:40.28.

AMONG THE NATION'S BEST
Long Beach State has a handful of athletes who have established marks that rank among the top 50 in all of NCAA Division I this season. Colin Dunbar has the eighth-best distance in the hammer throw at 219-01 and also ranks 44th in the discus. Nicholas Armstrong is 16th in the decathlon with 7,478 points and Tyler Wallace is 18th in the pole vault (17-03.75). Sam Jeter (21st, 400H), Cesar Puga (21st, Discus), Christopher Lawson (32nd, 400H) and Ben Woodruff (42nd, Javelin) are also among the top in the nation.

On the women's side, Randi Hicks sits at No. 14 in the javelin with a toss of 165-11. Tara Ross also ranks 16th at 163-08, while Katrina Graves-Johnson is 40th in the high jump (5-08.75).

49ERS RACK UP WEEKLY HONORS
Long Beach State has racked up 12 Big West Athlete of the Week honors in 2011. The 49ers have had at least one athlete recognized after each of its seven weekends of competition. Colin Dunbar leads the way with four field awards this season, while Tara Ross has three. Cesar Puga (field), Chris Sweeney (track), Tyler Wallace (field), Ben Woodruff (field), and Randi Hicks (field) have also been honored.

UP NEXT
Long Beach State returns to Irvine for the main events of the Big West Championships, May 13-14.