Long Beach State University Athletics
Long Beach State Heads to UCR Spring Break Invitational
3/22/2017 12:00:00 AM | Track and Field
Long Beach State Heads to UCR Spring Break Invitational
The Long Beach State track and field team looks to continue its solid start to the outdoor season as they travel to Riverside, Calif., for the UCR Spring Break Invitational. The three-day competition begins Thursday, March 23 with the multi-events and concludes Saturday, March 25. The Beach will continue to go up against top competition as they face Azusa Pacific, Cal State Fullerton, North Dakota State, Southern Utah, UC Irvine, UC Riverside, UNLV, Utah, Utah Valley, and Wisconsin this weekend.
Schedule of Events
The UCR Spring Break Invitational kicks off on Thursday, March 23 at 11 a.m. with the decathlon 100-meter dash. The multi-events will take place on Thursday and Friday, while the field events begin on Friday at 3 p.m. with the women's hammer throw. Saturday morning will start with the women's shot put at 10 a.m., while the field events will begin at 1 p.m. with the women's steeplechase. The meet will conclude with the men's 200-meter dash at 4:55 p.m.
The Outdoor Schedule
This season, Long Beach State will host four different events at Jack Rose Track beginning with the LBSU-UCLA Dual Meet on March 4. After hitting the road for the rest of the month of March, the Beach return home to host the Big West Challenge on Friday, April 7, followed by the Pacific Coast Intercollegiate on Thursday, April 13, and the Beach Invitational from Friday, April 14 through Saturday, April 15.
In addition to hosting some of the top competition in the country, Long Beach State will also be traveling to highly competitive meets and going up against some of the best teams in the nation. LBSU will see action at the USC Trojan Invite and the Baldy Castillo Invitational - two of the top Pac-12 hosted meets in the country. The Beach will also head to the state of Texas to compete at the Texas Relays and the Texas State Bobcat Invitational.
"We have a number of meets on our schedule against Pac-12 opponents," Sythe said. "Competition and facilities against quality opponents and in quality facilities are key to us building a very competitive schedule."
About Long Beach State
The Beach continue to post top-notch performances that have placed them among some of the best in the country. Eight total 49ers (six men and two women) rank in the top 10 in the nation.
Sophomore Kemonie Briggs still leads the country with his 7.99m (26-02.75) distance in the men's long jump. His mark, which was set during the first week of the outdoor season, has sustained that last several weeks and leads the second place finisher by one foot.
In addition to Briggs' nation-leading mark, the Beach's Robert Marlow is second in the country with a hammer throw toss of 66.94m (219-07.00). Marlow's new PR was set last weekend at the USC Trojan Invitational and earned him a Big West Field Athlete of the Week nod.
Josh Carr is third in the nation in the discus throw after recording a mark of 56.70m (186-00.00) during LBSU's season opener.
Rounding out the men's Top 10 in the nation are Vincent Calhoun, whose 2.14m (7-00.25) tally in the high jump ranks him fifth in the country, Jason, who is eighth with a 7.45m (24-05.50) distance in the long jump, and Kevin Ramirez, whose time of 14:27.40 in the 5,000-meter run is good for ninth in the nation. Ramirez is also the only track student-athlete to represent LBSU in the country's top 10.
On the women's side, Bria Palmer is tied for fifth in the nation in the high jump with a mark of 1.76m (5-09.25) after turning in a solid effort at the USC Invitational.
De'Ondra Young remains in the top 10 with a heave of 60.57m (198-09.00) in the women's hammer throw after earning that mark at the Ben Brown Invitational
Athlete of the Week
For the third consecutive week, at least one member of the Long Beach State track & field team garnered Big West Conference Athlete of the Week honors. This week, senior thrower Robert Marlow took home the Field Athlete of the Week award after recording a new personal best mark in the men's hammer throw last weekend at the USC Trojan Invitational. His heave of 66.94m (219-07.00) was a new personal-best, earned him first place in the event, and moved him into third all-time at Long Beach State.
Up Next
Long Beach State closes out the month of March in the state of Texas as the Beach will send squads to Austin, Texas, for the Texas Relays and to San Marcos, Texas, for the Texas State Bobcat Invitational. The Texas Relays run from March 29 - April 1, while the Bobcat Invite goes from March 30 - April 1.
Players Mentioned
