FRESNO, Calif. – The University of California, Merced outdoor track teams had a great start to the 2025 season on Saturday at the Sunbird Invitational, as it tallied five program-records and four additional top-two times in program history.
Martel Fields highlighted the Bobcats sprinters, while freshman Leslie Aquino shined for the distance team in her outdoor track debut.
Fields placed top ten in the field in both of his events, including taking fifth overall and breaking the program-record with a time of 21.55 in the 200m. He ran the 100m in 10.84 seconds which was good for ninth place and the No. 2 spot on the program's all-time list.
Aquino ran a program-record time of 10:42.33 in the 3000m and ran the program's second fastest time in the 1500m (4:57.66).
Joshua Riley set the program-record in the men's 3000m in 8:44.85. He took tenth place.
Naseem Hassaan added a program-record with a 400m time of 51.47. Later in the day, he ran the 200m in 22.15 seconds.
Clarisel Lopez Obeso hit a program-record time of 12.34 in the 100m which was also good for tenth at the meet.
Freshman Jalen Morales and Joyce Nichet turned in a strong collegiate debut. Morales finished runner-up in the 800m with a top-two program time of 1:56.91. Earlier in the day, he was the Bobcats top finisher in the 1500m running 4:13.31. Nichet ran the second fastest 100m (12.60) and 200m (26.88) time in program history.
Freshman Lyra Barton set UC Merced's first ever mark in the triple jump at 9.67m.
Other notables include a 13.13 100m time for Nneka Egbuziem and a 1:04.26 400m time for Julianna Luchsinger in their debut collegiate outdoor track meet. Both times were good for third in program history. Jaydah Aguilar hit 2:31.14 in her first 800m of the year.
Noel Simon (100m/23.64), Alberto Guevara (800m/2:01.56), Sharvin Manjrekar (3000m/9:06.28), and Jorge Mandujano (3000m/9:21.86) put together top five program times. Justin Noble hit 54.14 in his first 400m of the season.
Up next, the Bobcats will be back in action at the Kim Duyst Invitational in Turlock, Calif., on Saturday, March 1.
