IRVINE, Calif. – Vanguard men's track and field saw two medal winners at the Vince O'Boyle Track and Field Classic at UC Irvine this weekend. They also left the two-day event with a cluster of top 10 program performances, with eight marks heading into the VU record books.
Andre Hackett had a personal best 10.75 in 100m to stake a podium spot for the first time in his collegiate career, coming as the runner-up in second. It was also the seventh fastest 100m time in program history to usurp Elvis Whitelow's 10.78 time in April 2010.
Lenier Pitts Jr. and
Deyton Ford were the other two Lions to take a top 10 finish at the Classic, with Pitts Jr. speeding in 10.93, finishing eighth, and Ford moving into 10th with an 11.18 race.
Hackett was also VU's frontrunner in the 200m dash, flashing in at 21.91 to stamp fifth. It was the eighth fastest run in program history to top Jermiah Lewis's 21.92 race in 2019.
Jonathan Krynicki came in at 22.42 in his 10th-place trek.
Brandon Pereria was the only Lion to compete in the 400m. That didn't stop the freshman rock in at 52.69, a new personal best.
The 800m race was paced by
Cooper Anderson's 1:57.91, locking him into fifth. His teammate,
Jayden Sanchez, was five seconds off the trail, crossing over at 2:02.58.
Jesse O'Campo led the Lion pack in the 1500m, with a 4:03.83 time.
Ommar Arroyo was right behind his fellow junior in ninth, wheeling in at 4:05.29.
Caleb Dickerson (4:22.13) and
Rylan Starnes (4:35.00) were 17th and 19th to round out the VU competitors.
Onto the hurdles, freshman
Joab Vela represented VU well with a 14.77 sprint in the 110 hurdles, cracking open the fifth fastest Lion run all-time in the event. The 400m hurdles were featured far more Blue and Gold members, with the trio of
Landon Torres,
Cohen Swift, and Robert Torezz penciling in top-10 spots. Torres was in fifth place, with a 57.19 to pass the third fastest time in program history. Swift sped in at 58.39 to notch seventh and, coincidentally, seventh fastest 400m hurdle time in the VU record book. Torrez was ninth, a second off splitting sub-one minute with a 1:01.61 to plant in ninth place.
The long jump squad saw Ford leap into sixth, peeling past 21' 4" on his first attempt.
Beau Swett's 20' 7¼" effort pushed him into seventh, and came on his final attempt.
Addison Altermatt was 10th with his second try, 17' 11 ¾", standing out as his best.
Blake Bazaldua was third in the hammer throw on his sixth and final attempt, launching a 37.22m (122' 1") throw to issue the second-longest throw in the program's history. He was also eighth and ninth respectively in the discus and shot put, bolting a 38.75m (127' 1") for discus and 12.04m (39' 6") in shot put. His discus was a new personal best and fifth-best in program history. His shot-put haul was also a career-best mark, taking him to sixth in the Lion books.
What's Next? The Lions will head to the Moorpark Open next Friday, April 3.
