Aggie men take first, women third at UC Davis track meet
The men’s track team took first and the women finished third at the University of California Davis Saturday in Davis, Calif., against three other teams.
The men’s victory included nine individual first-place finishes against Chico State University, the University of Berkley and host UC Davis. The women took home three individual wins.
“I just wanted us to keep improving, and this was a very good success,” Head Coach Gregg Gensel said. “It was very different than the first meet. The difference was the individual improvements.”
Josh Sides won both the hammer throw (188’5.0″) and the shot put (57’0.25″) while Tim Sparks earned fourth in the hammer (179’8.0″). Sparks also took third in the discus (155’10.0″), and Sides finished fourth in the same event (150’2.0″).
The men swept the 1500-meter run as Dave Kunnas won the event (3:55.61), Mike Nielson took second (3:56.66) and Mitch Zundel earned third (3:57.62). Dwayne Foster won the 100-meter (10.64 seconds), Justin Wickard took first in the 110 hurdles (14.18), Brett Guymon led in the 400 hurdles (51.22) and Neal Warr won the javelin (202’1.0″).
Wickard also took fourth in the 100 (11.08), and Guymon earned third in the 110 hurdles (14.68).
In addition, Utah State’s 4×100 and 4×400 relays both took first at the meet for the men.
“It’s said that the better athletes will do the best, and they did,” Gensel said. “I felt really good about it.”
Other top-finishers on the men’s side were Demario Franklin, who earned second in the high jump (6’8.0″) and third in the long jump (21’4.25″); Robert Crockett, who took fourth in the high jump (6’6.0″); Brad Bair, who finished second in the long jump (21’11.5″); and Chris Fogt, who earned third in the 200 (22.16).
In addition, Maurice Jenkins, and Jake Johnson finished second (16’5.5″) and fourth (15’0.0″), respectively, in the pole vault. Nick Seedall took third in the 400 hurdles (53.27), and Taylor Howe took fifth in the open 400 (50.69).
“Not all of the improvements were better times, throws or the like,” Gensel said. “But a lot were better efforts.”
On the women’s side, Sandra Reategui and Kristi Connors won individual events. Reategui won the 200 (24.74) and finished second in the 400 (55.82) while Connors did the opposite, taking first in the 400 (54.86) and second in the 200 (25.04). The women’s 4×100 won the event (47.64), and its 4×400 took third (3:50.55).
Other top-finishers for the women were Kristen Coombs, who took second in the 1500 (4:34.91); Heather Smith, who finished second in the 100 hurdles (15.21); Kathleen Hobbs, who earned third in the 100 (12.48); Emily Jensen, who took fifth in the 800 (2:18.32); and Amber Bagby, who finished fifth in the long jump (16’8.0″).
Both the men’s and women’s teams will next compete at the Weber State University Invitational in Ogden on April 13.
“A lot of people improved this week, and we hope to build on that next week at Weber,” Gensel said.