TURLOCK, Calif. – The University of California, Merced outdoor track teams turned in solid performances at the Kim Duyst Invite on Saturday in the second meet of the season.
Five Bobcats turned in top 10 finishes, including four distance runners.
Freshman Leslie Aquino shined while running the 800m (2:25.25/10th) and 5000m (19:07.98/7th) events for the first time. Her 5000m time was also good for second in program history, while her 800m is the third fastest time ever by a Bobcat.
Three Bobcats placed top ten in the men's 800m: Alberto Guevara (2:00.57/7th), Kevin Pedroza (2:01.71/9th), and Joshua Riley (2:01.72/10th). All three Bobcats also achieved personal records and their times were also good for fifth, sixth, and seventh in program history. Pedroza won his heat.
Martel Fields headlined the Bobcats sprinters clocking a personal best time of 10.74 in the 100m dash and hitting 22.07 in the 200m dash. Fields is currently top two in program history in both events and he placed seventh in both events at Kim Duyst.
Naseem Hassaan also ran his fastest 100m dash time in his career clocking 10.93 and with it he jumped into the No. 3 spot in program history. The Richmond, Calif., native won his heat in the 200m in 22.18.
Staying with sprints, the women's 4X100 team set a program-record with a time of 50.41. The relay team featured Clarisel Lopez Obeso, Nneka Egbuziem, Julianna Luchsinger, and Joyce Nichet.
The men's 4X100 team of Fields, Hassaan, Drake Jackson, and Medard Idi posted a time of 42.53 which is the second fastest all-time for UC Merced.
Other notables on the day include Jalen Morales running a 51.67 in his 400m debut and Jorge Mandujano owning a 15:59.81 in his 5000m debut. Both times are top five in the Bobcats record book.
Lyra Barton bested her own program-record with a 9.72m mark in the triple-jump. She also completed the 400m hurdles in 1:12.81.
Medard Idi (100m/200m) and Elijah Lawrence (200m/400m) hit personal-best times.
Looking ahead, UC Merced will compete at Aggie Open in Davis, Calif., on March 15.
