Long Beach State Host PCI Thursday; Beach Invitational This Weekend

Thursday, April 11

Long Beach, Calif.

8:00 a.m.

Long Beach State University

Pacific Coast Invitational

Photo by: @jimwolf9426

Long Beach State Host PCI Thursday; Beach Invitational This Weekend

4/10/2024 4:29:00 PM | Track and Field

The Beach Also Sends Entries To Bryan Clay Invitational

By: Matt Turk, Associate Athletic Communications Director

WHAT'S COMING UP FOR THE BEACH
Thursday, Apr. 11 • Pacific Coast Invitational • Jack Rose Track • Long Beach, Calif.
Throws • 8 a.m. • Track • 9 a.m. • Jumps • 9:30 a.m. •
Live Stats • Meet Website

Friday, Apr. 12 • Beach Invitational • Jack Rose Track • Long Beach, Calif.
Track • 8:15 a.m. Field • Noon
Live Stats • Meet Website

Saturday, Apr. 13 • Beach Invitational • Jack Rose Track • Long Beach, Calif.
Track • 10 a.m. • Field • 10 a.m.
Live Stats • Meet Website

Twitter updates: @ LBSUTrackXC

Long Beach State hosts a pair of meets this week. On Thursday, the action begins with the Pacific Coast Invitational. The PCI will feature 72 schools, 135 teams, 1,506 athletes, and 2,188 entries from all levels of NCAA and NAIA competition.

Notable entries for the PCI include Erica Bougard and Annie Kunz. Bougard finished ninth in the Heptathlon at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games. She is a two-time USTAF Indoor Champion in the Pentathlon and a two-time USTAF Outdoor Champion in the Heptathlon and won three junior championships. Bougard is entered in the high jump at the PCI.

Kunz finished sixth at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games and 13th in the 2023 World Athletics Rankings in the Heptathlon. She was the 2019 Pan American Games runner-up in the Heptathlon and 13th at the 2019 World Championships event. Kunz is scheduled to compete in the PCI's long jump.

On Friday and Saturday, LBSU hosts the 28th Beach Invitational. The Beach Invitational has 100 schools and 236 teams entered, comprised of 2,008 athletes and 2,004 entries.

At 9:40 a.m., the Hall of Honor Ceremony will be held. At 11:32 a.m., the Long Beach State men's senior athletes will be honored. At 12:18 p.m., the Long Beach State women's senior athletes will be honored.

The Beach Invitational has several notable entries scheduled to compete. Deajah Stevens leads the track list. Stevens qualified for the 2016 Rio Olympics, finishing seventh in the 200m. She returned to the University of Oregon in 2017, where she won the NCAA Outdoor Championship in the 200m and was second in the 100m for the Ducks. Stevens was fifth in the 200m at the 2017 IAAF World Championships. Stevens is set to run the 200m at the Beach Invitational.

The women's shot put at the Beach Invitational is shaping up to be one of the most competitive regular season events of the season. The newly crowned collegiate record holder, Jaida Ross, leads the field. Ross broke collegiate record in the shot last week at UC San Diego's Triton Invitational when she posted a toss of 64-5 1/2. Ross, who was the national runner-up in the shot at the 2024 NCAA Division I Indoor Championships, faces the women who defeated her for the national title in Colorado State's Mya Lesnar. Lesnar edged Ross in Boston by two inches for the championship. This weekend is scheduled to be Lesnar's first outdoor shot competition of the season as she has concentrated on the hammer throw (which she is also entered in at the Beach Invitational) so far in 2024.

The women's pole vault at the Beach Invitational features 2023 Canadian Indoor National Champion Robin Bone.

On the men's side, the Division I leader in the hammer throw, CSUN's Trey Knight, sits atop the entry list. Knight threw the hammer 250-6 at the Trojan Invite on Mar. 22. Knight earned All-American honors at the 2024 NCAA Division I Indoor Championships in the weight throw with a second-place finish.

David Carreon, a six-time national champion in the javelin, is among the leaders in the javelin field at the Beach Invitational.

Great Britain's 2023 national champion in the triple jump, Efe Uwaifo, paces a field of 53 triple jumpers on the preliminary performance list at the Beach Invitational. Uwalfo will also compete in the long jump this weekend.

Brian Williams, the 2016 NACAC U23 discus champion, should be featured in the field of 108 on the preliminary performance list at the Beach Invitational.

The Beach Invitational will feature the Division III leader in the 100m (10.36), UW-La Crosse's Sam Blaskowski. Blaskowski is coming off an indoor campaign in which he won the 60m and the 200m at the 2024 Division III National Championships.

Tickets are $10 for general admission, with $8 tickets for seniors (60+) and youth (3-12). To purchase, click here.

Long Beach State will also send limited entries to the Bryan Clay Invitational in Azusa this week. Maddie Franco is scheduled to run the 3000m steeplechase on Thursday at 4:45 p.m. Kash Powell and Kyle Reden are entered in the 800m, which begins on Friday at 3:10 p.m. Alex Kalmar, Cristian Martinez, and Cameron Rhone are scheduled to compete in Saturday's 1500m, which starts at 5 p.m.

DENNESS-LAMONT HONORED FOR THE SECOND TIME
Long Beach State thrower Rori Denness-Lamont was selected Big West Field Athlete of the Week for the second time on Apr. 9.

Denness-Lamont tied her school record in the javelin, 174-5, with her second throw of the day at the Apr. 5 UC San Diego Triton Invitational. Denness-Lamont previously threw 174-5 at the Challenge Cup on Mar. 15. She would win the event by almost 10 feet against the second-place competitor, Marian Castro (Unattached).

Her mark is first in The Big West, 12th in the West region, and 14th in the nation.

LOOKING BACK
Last weekend, Long Beach State competed in UC San Diego's Triton Invitational last weekend. Here are the recaps;
Day 1
Day 2

THE RANKINGS
Long Beach State can be found among the Big West and national and regional individual leaders. Here are links to the peformances;
Big West Women
Big West Men

NCAA West Men
NCAA West Women

NCAA National Women
NCAA National Men

USTFCCA REGIONAL RANKINGS
This week, the Long Beach State men are 10th in the USTFCCA Regional Rankings, while the Beach women are 17th.

The full rankings for the USTFCCA can be found here;

~#GoBeach~