April 28, 2017
Day One Results | Heat Sheets | Schedule | Live Results
IRVINE, Calif. (UNLVRebels.com) - The UNLV track & field team registered four top-eight finishes on the first day of UC Irvine's adidas/Steve Scott Invitational. Ayana Gales captured third place in the long jump with a personal-best measurement of 21-0.25 (6.41m), which placed her third overall in the program's all-time outdoor performance list.
Jaela Williams (sixth: 19-6/5.95m) and Tenia Landrum (20th: 18-0.5/5.50m) also competed in the long jump alongside Gales.
Four other Rebels participated Friday in the Golden State. Nikki Regalado took sixth in the 5000m (17:39.34). In the field events, Stella Clemens and Gabby Whetstone were seventh (127-6.5/38.88m) and 15th (97-10.25/29.83m), respectively, in the javelin throw, while Whetstone also took 20th (143-4/43.71m) in the hammer while Vanessa Sierra was 14th (156-6.5/47.72m).
Saturday kicks off at high noon with the men's 4x100m relay while the women's 4x100m relay will commence five minutes later at 12:05 p.m. The meet will conclude with the men's 4x400m relay (5:30 pm) and women's 4x400m relay (5:35 pm).
Overall, UNLV has at least one entrant in four field events and nine track events Saturday.
Heading into the meet, the Rebels are led by junior Najia Hudspeth, who is coming off a great week after she registered four first-place finishes in all of her events at the Fresno State Bulldog Invite, earning her Outstanding Rebel of the Week presented by Air Force Reserve. She currently sits third in the MW in the 200m, fifth in the 100m and eighth in the 400m. Also leading the team into this weekend's meet is long jumper Gales, who is first in the MW, seventh in the West Region and 19th in the nation in the event.
Six more individuals rank within the top four in Conference standings with Destiny Smith-Barnett, Taylor Pegram and Kaysee Pilgrim sitting second in the 100m (11.21), 100m hurdles (13.37) and high jump (5-10.75/1.80m), respectively. Najia Hudspeth (23.24) and Smith-Barnett (23.50) are third and fourth in the 200m, respectively, while Mandy Chitwood ranks third in the 800m (2:07.55) and Hannah Davis sits fourth in the 400m hurdles (1:01.01).
