TURLOCK, Calif. – The University of California, Merced outdoor track team's sprinters highlighted the Bobcats performances at the Kim Duyst Invitational on Saturday at Al Brenda Track at Warrior Stadium.
Martel Fields was the Bobcats standout performer. The junior broke his own 100m and 200m program-records, and anchored the 4x100 and 4x400 relay teams to program-records. All four times were also good for top five times in both the CCAA and NCAA West Region this year. His 21.14 time in the 200m marked the fastest time in the CCAA this season.
The 4x100 relay team of Naseem Hassaan, Fields, Medard Idi, and Nyj Joiner was the first program-record of the day, clocking 40.84 to win the race. That time is second in the CCAA entering the new week.
Later in the day Fields broke the 100m program-record in 10.56 and the 200m program-record in 21.14. He took second out of over 40 sprinters in both races. He closed out his day joining Hassaan, Joiner, and Seneca Ybarra turning in a 4X400 program-record time of 3:20.64, good for third in the race.
Hassaan and Joiner delivered impressive individuals times as well, including in the 200m where they finished fourth and fifth with times of 21.63 and 21.84, respectively. Those times also marked the second and third fastest times in program history. Hassaan rounded out his day with a fifth place finish in the 400m (50.26) and Joiner with an eighth place finish in the 100m (10.88). Joiner's 100m time is third fastest in program history.
Clarisel Lopez Obeso, UC Merced's women's 100m and 200m record-holder, made her season debut on Saturday and dashed to a tenth place finish in 12.56 in the 100m. Chelsea Anyanwu continued her strong start to her career and clocked the third fastest 100m (12.76) time and 200m (26.44) times in program history.
Leslie Aquino kicked the day off overall for the Bobcats with a time of 18:58.87 in the 5000m. She improved the third fastest time in program history and ran the second fastest 5000m time in the CCAA this year. She finished fifth in the race.
The men's 5000m was up next for Sharvin Manjrekar and Riki Moscoso, and the duo turned in the second and third fastest 5000m times in program history. Manjrekar hit 15:11.60 for sixth in the field and second in the CCAA this year, while Moscoso took eighth in 15:17.48.
Cole Rommelfanger delivered a personal-best 800m run in 1:55.23, finishing fifth in the field and earning the third fastest time in program history. His mark is tied for second in the CCAA.
Seneca Ybarra broke his own program-record with a time of 58.87 in the 400m hurdles.
The Bobcats will continue their season on Saturday, March 14, at the Wildcat Invitational in Chico, Calif.
