2005-2006 Season Archive

Nine to Join UCR Track and Field and Cross Country Programs in 05-06

(May 31, 2005) - UC Riverside Track and Field and Cross Country Head Coach Irv Ray has announced that nine student-athletes, five women and four men, will join the UCR Track and Field and Cross Country program in the 2005-2006 season.

The UCR women’s Track and Field and Cross Country team will upgrade their roster with five outstanding Southern California student-athletes: Brenda Martinez (Rancho Cucamonga HS), Danielle Evans (Diamond Ranch HS), Cristina Olivas (Bloomington HS), Ashley Williams (St. Mary HS), and Jessica Hogan (Rialto HS) all signed National Letters of Intent during the Spring signing period.

The men’s Track and Field and Cross Country team also upgraded their roster with four student-athletes as Jose Melena (Antelope Valley HS) signed a National Letter of Intent and JC transfers Nate Giles (Mt. San Antonio College), Raphael Amey (Cerritos College), Travis Balough (Cerritos College) each agreed to attend the university in the Fall.

Women’s newcomers:

• Martinez from Rancho Cucamonga HS was an All-CIF athlete in the 400, 800, and 1600. She has a personal best of 57 seconds in the 400, 2:14 in the 800, 4:54 in the 1600, a state qualifying time. In cross country her career best time is 17:36. “Brenda is one of the best young distance runners I have ever signed. We believe her potential to reach national level will come over time,” Ray said.

• Evans from Diamond Ranch HS was an All-CIF athlete in the 800 and 1600 with personal bests of 2:15 in the 800, and 5:04 in the 1600. She has a cross country best time of 17:52. “Danielle also has great potential to make a big impact in her first season as a Highlander. The two (Martinez and Evans) will really make our women’s team move forward,” Ray said.

• Olivas from Bloomington HS was an All-San Bernardino County honoree with personal bests of 5:12 in the 1600, and 11:20 in the 3200. She has a career best of 17:26 in cross country. “She is an excellent strength runner who will contribute greatly to our distance crew.” Ray said.

• Williams from St. Mary HS has personal best of 57 seconds in the 400, 2:18 in the 800, 11:20 in the 3200, and 17:26 in cross country. “Ashley has potential to match the abilities and achievements of (2005 freshman sensation) Tajma Stephenson,” Ray said.

• Hogan from Rialto HS has personal bests of 2:19 in the 800, 5:13 in the1600, and 17:58 in cross country. “Excellent young lady with huge potential for improvement. She will contribute to our women’s program immediately.” Ray said.

Men’s newcomers:

• Melena from Antelope HS has personal bests 1:56 in the 800, 4:18 in the 1600, and 9:20 in the 5000. “He brings a lot to the table to our Track and Field and Cross Country teams,” Ray said.

• Giles from Mt. San Antonio College has personal bests of 10.71 seconds in the 100, 21.70 seconds in the 200, and 48.2 seconds in the 400. “He has a big heart and desire for greatness," Ray said. "Look for Nate to run some fast 400 times next season,”

• Amey from Cerritos College has personal bests of 10.60 seconds in the 100, 21.84 seconds in the 200, and 48.1 seconds in the 400.
“He knows he can run fast. He will help the 4x100 and 4x400 Relays,” Ray said.

• Balough from Cerritos College has personal bests of 10.90 seconds in the 100, 22.1 seconds in the 200, and 49.20 seconds in the 400. “Travis is another sprinter who will be a big contributor come conference time,” Ray said.

Nate Wiens Hired as Assistant Coach

(June 30, 2005) - Nate Wiens has been hired as an assistant track and field coach at UC Riverside, Head Coach Irv Ray announced Thursday. Wiens, who joins the Highlanders from the University of Nebraska, Kearney, will coach the sprinters and hurdlers and officially begins work on July 1.
Wiens replaces Mark Moyer, who retired from the university in June after 20 years of service.
"Nate is an outstanding young coach and we are excited to bring someone with his talents and experience into our program," Ray said.

Wiens has spent the last two years at UNK as the head assistant track and field coach, coaching sprinters, jumpers and multi-sport athletes. He coached five RMAC athletes of the year and eight All-Americans during the 2004 and 2005 seasons.

Wiens started his coaching career in 2000 as he joined the MNU staff as a pole vault and jumps coach under Head Coach Curt Ammons. He then went to UMKC in 2001, where he coached throwers and multi-events under Ray.

Wiens attended Mid-America Nazarene University in Olathe, KS, earning a degree in health/physical education with a minor in business in 2000. He went on to receive a master's degree in higher education administration from the University of Missouri, Kansas City in 2003. He was a highly recognized athlete at MNU, earning an National Christian College Athletic Association National Championship in the decathlon and All-American honors in the high jump, decathlon, javelin and triple jump. He earned all-conference honors in the pentathlon, decathlon, high jump, long jump, triple jump and javelin.

Five More Join Highlander Track & Field Program

(June 30, 2005) - The UC Riverside Highlanders track and field program announced the signing of five more student-athletes to National Letters of Intent.

UCR has signed Jasmine Bell (Crenshaw HS), TreAna Hundley (Gahr HS), Pedro Ramos (Long Beach Poly HS), Gregory Lemon (Diamond Bar HS) and Andrew Jacobson (Vista Del Largo HS). Bell and Ramos will also run cross country for the Highlanders.

"These five athletes were all leaders on their high school programs and have the desire for greatness," Head Coach Irv Ray said.

• • •

Jasmine Bell - Ran the 400 and 800 for Crenshaw HS, recording a personal best of 57 seconds in the 400 and 2:16 in the 800. "She is very talented and as a freshman in high school was the LA City Cross-country champion as well so she has some range," Ray said.

TreAna Hundley – Competed in the 200 and 400 for Gahr HS. Has personal bests of 25.3 in the 200 and 56.7 in the 400. "She is a great addition to the team, adding more versatility she and will also take some shots at running the 800," Ray said. "TreAna has lots of potential and will be an instant leader on the team."

Pedro Ramos – Had a personal best of 1:54 in the 800 at Long Beach Poly HS.
"Pedro has a big future ahead of him. He is committed to becoming a top seven runner in cross-country as well," Ray said.

Gregory Lemon – A sprinter who competed in the 100, 200 and 400 at Diamond Bar HS. "His best event will be the 400 and is excited to show the Big West his real speed," Ray said. "He is a born leader and has lots of potential."

Andrew Jacobson – A native of nearby Moreno Valley, Jacobson was one of the fastest men in the city. He ran the 100 and 200 in high school and will likely compete in the 400 in college. "Andrew is a fast man, has shown leadership as a team captain," Ray said. "He has a work ethic that will take him to the next level."

Highlanders Compete at UW Indoor Preview

Washington Indoor Preview Results

(Jan. 15, 2006) - The UC Riverside Highlanders kicked off the 2006 spring season by competing at the University of Washington Indoor Preview at Dempsey Indoor Pavilion on Saturday.

The highlight of the afternoon was junior Myla Hollyfield's win in the women's weight throw with a throw of 50' 2", bettering the second place effort by more than two feet.

On the men's side, junior Staton Gibson was second in the triple jump at 46' 11 3/4".The men's 4x400 relay team of freshman Andrew Jacobson, junior Guillaume Mok, freshman Greg Lemon and senior Jeff Midgett was third in 3:25.45, just better than the B team of junior Raphael Amey, junior Jon Moore, freshman Antoine Murray and sophomore Nemo Simmons time of 3:25.98. Midgett finished third in the high jump at 6' 10 3/4".

For the women, sophomore Melissa Genisauski was fourth in the women's shot put with a 40' 5" effort.

Highlanders Split Teams, Compete at Boise State, Washington

Washington Results
Boise State Results

(Jan. 28, 2006) - The UC Riverside Highlanders track and field teams split up this weekend as half the squad competed at the Boise State Athletes Invitational in Nampa, ID, and the other half returned to the University of Washington Invitational at Dempsey Indoor Pavilion in Seattle.

In Nampa, senior Amy Walton placed second in triple jump at 37' 5.25" and fourth in the long jump at 17' 4". Sophomore Melissa Genisauski had the teams' other top three finish by placing third in shot put at 40' 2.25". She also finished eighth in the weight throw at 43' 10".

Rod Cummings was fifth in the triple jump at 42' 1.5" and freshman Uchechi Egeonuigwe was sixth in the 400 in 57.24 - setting a school record - and fifth in the 200 in 25.91. Freshman Molly Russell was sixth in the 200 in 26.32. Junior Shannon Toliver was fifth in the high jump at 5' 2.25".

In Seattle, the Highlanders went up against several Pac-10 teams, including Stanford, Oregon, Cal, Arizona and the host Huskies, as well as strong squads from Southern Utah, Portland, BYU and Simon Fraser.

Freshman Brenda Martinez was fifth in the 3000 meter run in 9:45.12, finishing behind a pair of NCAA automatic qualifying times and a pair of NCAA provisional times. Martinez was just over ten seconds shy of the provisional mark of 9:35 and set a school record by 59 seconds. Sophomore Nemo Simmons was seventh in the 1,000 in 2:34.53 and sophomore Joel Cota was ninth in 2:40.81.

Sophomore Tajma Stephenson set school records in the 800 in 2:14.23 and the mile in 5:03.37.

Highlanders Distance Medley Takes Second in Iowa

Day One Results

(Feb. 10, 2006) - The UC Riverside women's distance medley relay team set a school indoor record and placed second at day one of the Iowa State Classic Friday in Ames, IA.

The Highlander team of Lisa Lopez, Uchechi Egeonuigwe, Tajma Stephenson, and Brenda Martinez completed the circuit in 11:35.51 to beat 13 other teams. Kentucky won the race in 11:30.45.

The meet continues throughout the weekend.

Martinez Fifth, Midgett Sixth at ISU

Day One Results
Day Two Results

(Feb. 11, 2006) - Brenda Martinez finished fifth in the women's mile and Jeff Midgett placed sixth in the high jump as the UC Riverside Highlanders competed at day two the set a school indoor record and placed second at day one of the Iowa State Classic Saturday in Ames, IA.

Martinez had her hand in three new school records over the weekend. On Friday, she anchored the school-record breaking women's distance medley relay team. She followed that up Saturday with the UCR indoor record for the mile, lowering her lifetime best by six seconds. Her time of 4:49.87 shattered the previous school indoor record of 5:03.31, set by Melissa Stoll in 2004.

Martinez completed her hat-trick by once again teaming up with Lisa Lopez, Uchechi Egeonuigwe, and Tajma Stephenson in the 4x400m relay. The Highlanders completed the 1600m in 3:52.47

Midgett cleared 6 feet, 10.25 inches to claim sixth place in the high jump. He came two inches shy of the school record.

Redshirt freshman Raul Lara also set a new school record, running 1:54.55 in the 800m.

In total, sixteen other Highlanders set personal bests at the two-day meet. They are as follows:

The Highlanders return home to host the second UCR Open of the season this Saturday, February 18, at noon.

Women Fourth, Men Fifth at All-UC Meet

Meet Results

(Mar. 4, 2006) - Molly Russell, Shannon Toliver, Jeff Midgett, and the women's 4x400m relay team all took first place for UC Riverside as the Highlanders competed at the All-UC Meet Saturday at UC Irvine. The women's team finished fourth overall while the men placed fifth at the five-team meet.

Russell placed first overall in the 100m dash, winning her section in a time of 12.23. Teammate Whitney Leachman was third in the race in a time of 12.55. Toliver tied for first in the high jump with UCI's Danielle St. John, clearing 5-feet, 3-inches (1.60m). Midgett assured UCR of a sweep in the high jump by reaching 6-feet, 10.75-inches (2.10m). His effort put him amongst the NCAA Regional Qualifiers.

The 4x400m relay team of Ashley Williams, Danielle Evans, Tajma Stephenson, and Eche Egeonuigwe, also won their event, beating UC Santa Barbara by two seconds at 3:51.91.

Other notable performances by the Highlanders included second place finishes by Stephenson (women's 400m dash) and Celene Reyes (women's 3000m steeplechase). On the men's side, Greg Lemon finished third in the 400m, setting a personal best with a time of 49.69.

The Highlanders next compete at the Ben Brown Invitational in Fullerton on March 11.

Weather Hinders Athletes at Ben Brown Invite

Men's Meet Results
Women's Meet Results

(Mar. 13, 2006) - The UC Riverside Highlanders faced severe weather Saturday at the Ben Brown Invitational in Fullerton Saturday. Rain, wind, hail and temperatures in the 40's hindered the athletes, as did a one hour lighting delay. Several events were cancelled, while others featured small fields due to teams pulling their athletes due to cold and windy conditions.

The lone highlight on the day was sophomore Tajma Stephenson won the women's 1,500, running a slow, tactical race in a time of 4:42.37.

The women's 4x100 relay team finished second in 49.4. On the men's side, the 4x100 team was third at 42.54.

UCR competes next at the Northridge Invitational on Saturday, March 18 at Cal State Northridge.

Highlanders Compete at UCI Classic

Men's Meet Results
Women's Meet Results

(Mar. 26, 2006) - The UC Riverside Highlanders turned in several top finishes over the weekend at the Collegiate Track and Field Classic hosted by UC Irvine at Anteater Stadium. Uchechi Egeonuigwe was the lone Highlander to win an event, taking first in the 400m hurdles with a time of 61.39.

Four Highlanders finished second overall in their events. On the men's side, Jeff Midgett took second in the high jump with a leap of 2.05m (6' 8.75") while Raul Lara ran the 1500m in 3:52.37.

For the women, Tajma Stephenson became a regional qualifier, finishing second in the 800m at 2:08.64. Molly Russell also placed second in the 100m dash in 12.15 seconds. Danielle Evans also competed in the 800m, winning her section in 2:16.08, which is a personal best and a Big West qualifying mark.

UCR finished third and fourth in the men's hammer throw. Tom Caballero threw 47.22 meters (154' 11") for third while James Banuelos was just behind in fourth at 46.12 meters (151' 4"). Also in the field events, Melissa Genisauski tossed the discus 41.52 meters (136' 3"), good enough for third place.

Other section winners were Guillaume Mok (400m - 49.84), Pedro Ramos (800m - 1:57.39), and Ulices Pina (1500m - 4:04.97).

Complete meet results are available above.

UCR competes next at the Stanford Invitational on Friday and Saturday, March 31 and April 1.

Highlanders Compete at Stanford Invitational

Meet Results

(Apr. 2, 2006) - The UC Riverside Highlanders were among the top 4,000 collegiate and high school individuals who competed over the weekend at the 32rd annual Stanford Track & Field Invitational at Cobb Track & Angell Field in Palo Alto, CA.

The Stanford Invitational is the top elite distance invitational in the nation.

UCR turned in two top-10 finishes, the first by Tajma Stephenson, who was third in her race and seventh among 65 runners in the women's 1500m collegiate section run with a personal-best time of 4:30.13, snapping a school record that had stood since 1991. Amy Walton placed ninth in the women's long jump collegiate section with a leap of 5.16m (16' 11.25").

Raul Lara was the top men's finisher, placing 13th in the 5000m run in a time of 14:27.43, with freshman Jose Melina just seconds behind at 14:30.13. Both times are among the top 10 performances in UCR history.

In the women's 5000m, UCR had three runners better the previous school record. Freshman Cristina Olivas set the new mark at 17:29.54, finishing in 18th place. Sophomores Ashley Zamora and Lisa Lopez each finished under the old record, at 17:37.90 and 17:39.97, respectively.

UCR next competes at the Jackie Joyner Invitational April 8 at UCLA's Drake Stadium.

Highlanders Have Standout Meet at UCLA

Meet Results

(Apr. 8, 2006) - The UC Riverside Track and Field team continued its exceptional 2006 season Saturday at the Rafer Johnson/Jackie Joyner-Kersee Invitational at UCLA's Drake Stadium in Westwood.

The Highlanders had stand out performances in the invitational field on Saturday against a field consisting of post-collegiate athletes and some of the West's best collegiate athletes.

Senior Jeff Midgett won the high jump by leaping 6' 10.75", while freshman Uchechi Egeonuigwe won the 400 hurdles with a personal record and shattering her current school record with a time of 1:00.45, qualifying her for the NCAA Regional meet in Provo, Utah.

Both the women's and men's 4X400m teams performed well. The men's team consisting of Greg Lemon, Jeff Midgett, Rafael Amey, and Akinyemi Ajayi ran a season best 3:17.44. The women's team consisting of Ashley Williams, Whitney Leachman, Tajma Stephenson, and Egeonuigwe won the invitational running a 3:44.69 and recording a season best time.

In addition, freshman Molly Russell took second place in the 100m dash with a 12.23.

The Highlanders had a pair of runners set personal records and earn berths into the Big West meet in the 1,500 Friday. Sophomore Raul Lara finished in 3:52.15 to place fourth. Redshirt freshman Andrew Tachias followed with a 3:55.44, good for eighth.

In the women's 1,500, Ashley Zamora also ran a personal best and qualified for the Big West with a time 4:40.01 qualifying her for Big West and finishing 14th. Sophomore Lisa Lopez was ninth in 4:35.26.

Also qualifying for the Big West meet were junior thrower Melissa Genisauski, who recorded a personal record with 141-00 in the discus, Lemon, who set a new personal record running a 48.48 in the 400, Amey, who posted a 49.84 in the 400 and Ajayi, who ran 49.95 in the 400. Both marks were also personal records.

Egeonuigwe Named Big West Track Athlete of the Week

(April 11, 2006) - UC Riverside’s Uchechi Egeonuigwe was named the Big West Women’s Track Athlete of the Week Tuesday.

A redshirt freshman, Egeonuigwe (Cerritos,CA/Mayfair HS) won first place in the 400 intermediate hurdles at the UCLA/Jackie Joyner Invitational with a time of 60.45. In the process she broke UC Riverside’s school record, while currently leading the Big West and ranking second in the west region.

Egeonuigwe was also a member the 4x400 relay team that won the invitational in a season-best time 3:44.69.

UCR Competes at Mt. Sac, Pomona

Mt. Sac Results
Pomona Results

(April 15, 2006) - The UC Riverside track and field teams competed at a variety of events over the weekend. On Friday, the Highlanders traveled to Claremont to participate in the Pomona Invitational while they faced off against elite collegiate and international competition Saturday at the prestigious Mt. San Antonio College Relays.

On Friday at Pomona, Shannon Tolliver tied for first in the high jump, clearing 1.65m (5'5"). Tajma Stephenson placed third in the 800m in 2:09.90. Molly Russell had a sixth place finish in the 100m dash in a time of 12.39 seconds. She finished fourth among collegiate participants. Celene Reyes also finished sixth in the 3000m steeplechase in 11:19.58.

On the men's side, Elvin Tabah tied for first in the high jump with a leap of 1.86m (6'1.25"). Patrick O'Neil finished eighth in the 3000m steeplechase at 9:22.47 while the 4x100m "A" team of Jon Moore, Greg Lemon, Antoine Murry, and Raphael Amey finished fourth in a time of 41.97.

At Mt. SAC, Jeff Midgett placed 12th in the men's high jump with a leap of 2.07m (6' 9.5"). Uchechi Egeonuigwe also competed, finishing fourth in the 400m dash in a time of 55.94 seconds.

UCR next competes Saturday, April 22 at UC San Diego.

UCR's 4x400 Relay Team Wins at Triton Invitational

UCSD Results

(April 22, 2006) - UC Riverside's 4x400 relay team of Ashley Williams, Whitney Leachman, Tajma Stephenson, and Uchechi Egeonuigwe won the Triton Invitational in San Diego with a Big West Conference leading time of 3:43.42, leading an exciting weekend for the Highlanders.

In the 400 dash, Stephenson placed fifth in 56.05, Egeonuigwe placed sixth in 56.35, and Williams ran an all-time personal best (56.49) placing eighth.

Other top marks at the meet saw the Highlanders' Molly Russell improve her seasonal best in the 200 and improved her standing in the Big West Conference by running an all-time personal record of 24.75. Russell also won her section in the 100 in 12.09.

Antoine Murry also improved his personal best to 22.43 winning his heat in the 200. Ray Amey qualified for the Big West Championships by running an all-time personal best of 48.96 in the 400. In the 800, Raul Lara ran an all-time best and placed fourth in the meet running a 1:53.25 and Nathan Wolack placed seventh running personal best of 1:54.61. Other personal bests in the event include Andrew Tachias (1:55.96), Patrick O'Neil (1:56.54), and Pedro Ramos with a seasonal best (1:56.19). O'Neil also had anther personal best on the day running a 3:59.02 in the 1500.

Lisa Lopez ran a seasonal best of 2:13.44 in the 800 to increase her standing in the Big West. Cristina Olivas improved her personal best time in the 1500 to 4:37.06.

In the discus, Melissa Genisauski threw a personal best of 148'09" and Myla Hollyfield also gained a new personal best of 129'03". Tom Caballero also threw a lifetime best of 157'00". Personal records came for the men in the hammer throw with Caballero throwing 160-11, and David Rosenblatt throwing 142'01".

UCR next competes at the Drake Relays in Iowa on April 28-29 and the Steve Scott Invitational in Irvine on April 29.

UCR's Distance Medley Relay Team Finishes Fifth at Drake Relays

Complete Results

(April 28, 2006) - UC Riverside's distance medley relay team turned in a fine performance at the prestigious Drake Relays in Des Moines, IA, on Friday, placing fifth out of 14 schools and setting a school record in the procss. Later in the day on Friday, the 4x800m team finished seventh out of 11 schools.

Competing against many of the top programs in the nation, the Highlander relay team, comprised of two sophomores (Tajma Stephenson and Lisa Lopez) and two freshmen (Ashley Williams and Christina Olivas) turned in a school-record time of 11:38.28, besting the previous mark of 11:40.02. They trailed only Michigan, Minnesota, Baylor and Missouri while defeating the likes of Tulsa, Kansas, Drake, and Iowa.

Stephenson opened up running her fastest 1200 M leg to date and gave the Lady Highlanders a great start handing off the baton in third place. Freshman Ashley Williams ran the 400 M leg matching her previous personal record only giving up one spot to Baylor. Freshman Cristina Olivas ran the 800m leg and Sophomore Lisa Lopez the 1600m leg where both ran personal bests in their respective parts of the race leading to their 5th place finish.

Stephenson, Lopez, and Williams returned later in the day to run the 4x800m, along with freshman Danielle Evans. This time, the quartet ran the course in 9:00.43, edging out Drake, Mississippi, Alabama, and Indiana State.

The rest of the Highlander squad competes Saturday at the Steve Scott Invitational at UC Irvine.

Egeonuigwe First, Genisauski Qualifies for Big West at UCI

Complete Results

(April 29, 2006) - Five members of the UC Riversde track and field team set personal best marks while Melissa Genisauski qualified for the Big West Conference Championships as the Highlanders competed Saturday at the Steve Scott Invitational at UC Irvine.

Genisauski placed fourth in the shot put with a conference qualifying mark of 43 feet-1.75 inches, setting a new season best. In the 400m hurdles, Uchechi Egeonuigwe placed first among collegiate competition, running a time of 61.12. Also on the women's side, Whitney Leachman opened up with a personal best time of 24.38 in the 200m. She placed second among all collegiate competitors and her time puts her fourth in the Big West standings this season. Molly Russell also ran well in the 200m, placing third among collegiate competition with the mark of 24.92 and placed fourth among collegiate competitors in the 100m running a season best of 12.13.

For the men, Ulices Pina ran a personal best in the steeplechase of 10:34.30 and also qualified for the Big West Championships. Antoine Murry ran a personal best in the 200m at 22.37, while Guillaume Mok ran a season best in the 400m, placing fifth among collegiate competitors running a 49.21. Nemo Simmons was third collegiately in a season best in the 800m with a 1:55.24, and Patrick O'Neil ran a 1:56.71. Andrew Tachias ran a personal best 3:55.11 in the 1500m and placed third overall and second among collegiate runners. Patrick O'Neil also ran a personal best in the 1500m with a time of 3:56.90.

The Highlanders compete at the Occidental College Invitiational next Saturday, May 6, in the final tune-up before the Big West Championships.

Small Group Looks for Big West Qualifying Marks and Personal Records at Claremont Classic

Complete Results

(May 6, 2006) - The UC Riverside Highlanders, preparing for next week's Big West Track and Field Championships, sent a small group of athletes to the Claremont Classic meet Saturday. The group was looking to reach Big West qualifying marks or better their personal marks for this season.

Senior Shannon Toliver won the high jump witha 5'4.5".

Freshman Treana Hundley had PRs in the 200 and the 400, finishing 12th in the 200 in 26.12 and eighth in the 400 in 59.37.

Junior Akinyemi Ajayi set a PR in in the 200 with a time of 22.5, good for 13th. Senior Jeff Midgett was third in the high jump at 6'8" and freshman Elvin Tabah finished fifth, setting a personal record with a 6'6" effort.

Freshman David Rosenblatt was 15th in the shot put with a personal record toss of 42' 9.75", 14th in the discus with a PR of 140'3" and 18th in the hammer with a PR of 151'8".

In the discus, junior Tom Caballero was fifth in the discus with a PR throw of 166'10", and 10th in the hammer with a PR of 170'3".

The Highlanders will compete in the Big West Championships at UC Irvine next weekend.

Stephenson, 4x400 Relay Team Win Big West Titles

Complete Men Results
Complete Women Results

(May 13, 2006) - Sophomore Tajma Stephenson won the Big West Championship in the 800, as did the 4x400 relay team at the Big West Championships in Northridge Saturday.

Overall, women's team finished in sixth place with 63 points. Cal State Northridge won the championship meet with 207 points. The men finished seventh with 31 points. Long Beach State won the meet at 195.50.

Stephenson set a school record with a time of 2:08.00 in the event. She is UCR's first ever champion in any running event for the women.

The 4x400 relay team of Uchechi Egeonuigwe, Ashley Williams, Whitney Leachman and Stephenson won the event with a regional qualifying time of 3:40.53, bettering the school record of 3:42.10.

Pat O'Neil was the first runner in UCR's history to receive an all-conference honor placing top three in a running event. He ran a lifetime best of 9:17.19 in the steeple chase to place third.

Other top finishes included:

Molly Russell finished fourth in the 100 in 12.03 in a personal best time. Whitney Leachman was fifth in the 200 at 24.49, a personal record. Lisa Lopez was fourth in the 800 in a personal best time of 2:11.66. Celene Reyes was fifth in the steeplechase in a personal best time of 11:17.57. Amy Walton was fourth in the triple jump with a career-best 39' 5" effort. Melissa Genisauski was eighth in the shotput at 41' 9.25" and fourth in the discus at 149'8", a personal best.

Greg Lemon was eighth in the 400 in 48.48, tying his career best. Pedro Ramos ran a lifetime best to get into the final with a time of 1:52.12 which was the second fastest time in school history.Raul Lara was fifth in the 1500m in 3:53.56 placing fifth. Andrew Tachias, also a freshman, ran a time of 15:00.35 in the 5000m to place 7th overall. Jose Melina ran a lifetime best in the 10000m placing 8th with a time of 31.27.56. Jon Moore finished his season running 54.74 in the 400m hurdles to place 4th in the competition. The men's 4X100m (Moore, Lemon, Murry, Amey) and 4X400m (Mok, Akinyemi, Amey, Lemon) ran a season best times and the second fastest times in school history with marks of 41.42 placing fourth in the 4X100m and 3:14.83 in the 4X400m placing fifth. Tom Caballero had a lifetime best in the hammer throw with a mark of 171'3" placing fourth. Jeff Midgett placed seventh in the high hump with a mark of 6'8.75".

Highlanders Send Six Athletes To NCAA Regional at Provo

(May 22, 2006) - A total of six UC Riverside track and field athletes will travel to Provo, Utah, to compete in three events at the NCAA West Regional Track and Field Meet at Brigham Young University this weekend.

Sophomore sprinter Tajma Stephenson will compete in the 800 meters, freshman Uchechi Egeonuigwe will compete in the 400 hurdles, senior Jeff Midgett will compete in the high jump, and freshman Ashley Williams, and sophomore Whitney Leachman will team up with Stephenson and Egeonuigwe to compete in the 4x400 relay. Sophomore Lisa Lopez will serve as an alternate in the relay.

Stephenson (Los Angeles, CA/St. Bernard HS) set a school record with a time of 2:08.00 in the 800 to win the Big West Championship on May 13, becoming the first woman to win a Big West running championship.

Egeonuigwe (Cerritos, CA/Mayfair HS), a redshirt freshman, earned her berth at the regionals when she ran a school record 60.45 time in the 400 hurdles at UCLA on April 8, 2006.

The 4x400 relay team of Egeonuigwe, Williams (Los Angeles, CA/St. Mary's HS), Leachman (Santa Rosa, CA/Elsie Allen HS) and Stephenson won the Big West Championship on May 13 with a regional qualifying time of 3:40.53, bettering the school record of 3:42.10. Lopez (Victorville, CA/Hesperia HS), who has run in the event at times this season, will serve as the alternate in the race if one of the four cannot compete due to event conflicts or injury.

Midgett (Riverside, CA/La Sierra HS), who set the school record in the high jump at 7' 2 1/4" in 2002, earned his way into the regionals when he jumped 6'10 3/4" at UC Irvine on March 4, 2006.

Brigham Young University will play host to the 2006 NCAA West Regional Track & Field Championships on May 26-27 at Clarence F. Robison Track in Provo, Utah.

Egeonuigwe Leads UCR at NCAA Regionals

Complete Results

(May 27, 2006) - Redshirt freshman Uchechi Egeonuigwe had the best showing of any UC Riverside athlete, finishing seventh in the 400m hurdles on Saturday at the NCAA Division I West Regional Track and Field Championships in Provo, UT.

Egeonuigwe won her heat, one of three contested, in a time of 1:00.69, narrowly missing her own school record of 1:00.45. Her time was the fifth-fastest overall and she followed that up with a finals time of 1:00.81, placing seventh.

Sophomore Tajma Stephenson missed out on a chance to move on from the preliminaries by finishing sixth in her 800m heat, and 12th overall, in a time of 2:13.82.

The other Highlander athletes did not fair as well. The only UCR male athlete to qualify for regionals, senior Jeff Midgett failed to clear any of his attempts in the high jump. It was a disappointing end to a fine career for Midgett, who set the school record in the high jump at 7' 2 1/4" in 2002, before missing last season due to injury.

The high hopes of the 4x400m relay team also fell short. Stephenson and Egeonuigwe teamed up with freshman Ashley Williams and sophomore Whitney Leachman but were disqualified.

Stephenson Sets New School Record in 800 at Jim Bush Southern Cal USATF Championships

Complete Results

(June 5, 2006) - Sophomore Tajma Stephenson finished off the 2006 track season in fine fashion Sunday, finishing in fourth place in the 800 in a school-record time of 2:05.92 at the Jim Bush Southern Cal USATF Championships at Occidental College on Sunday.

Running unattached against outstanding competition, including 2002 NCAA outdoor champion Alice Schmidt and athletes from the Nike Farm Team and Arizona Elite Track Club, Stephenson bettered the previous school record by over two seconds. The previous mark was 2:08.00, set by Stephenson at the Big West Championships on May 13.

Egeonuigwe Named All-West Region, Stephenson Sets New School Record in 800m at Jim Bush Southern Cal USATF Championships

Complete SoCal USATF Championship Results

(June 12, 2006) - UC Riverside redshirt freshman Uchechi Egeonuigwe and sophomore Tajma Stephenson capped successful track and field seasons as Egeonuigwe was named to the NCAA Division I All-West Region Track and Field Team for the 400 meter hurdles while Stephenson set a new Riverside County Record in the 800 meters at the Southern California USA Track and Field Championships.

Egeonuigwe (Cerritos, CA/Mayfair HS) earned her place on the All-West Region team by finishing seventh in the 400m hurdles at the NCAA Division I West Regional Championships held May 25-27 in Salt Lake City, UT. On April 8, she set the school record in the event with a time of 60.45 seconds.

Last Sunday, June 4, Stephenson (Los Angeles, CA/St. Bernard HS) finished in fourth place in the 800m in a school-record time of 2:05.92 at the Jim Bush Southern Cal USATF Championships at Occidental College. Running unattached against outstanding competition, including 2002 NCAA outdoor champion Alice Schmidt and athletes from the Nike Farm Team and Arizona Elite Track Club, Stephenson bettered the previous school record by over two seconds and established a new Riverside County Record. Her time ranks her in the top-15 among all collegiate runners in 2006 and is in the top-20 among all US runners.