DMR Sweep highlights Day one of C2C Indoor Championships
2/17/2023 4:56:00 PM | Men's Track and Field
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Banana Slugs in second place behind hosts Christopher Newport
NEWPORT NEWS - UC Santa Cruz's depth in the distance events paid off at the first day of the 2023 Coast-To-Coast Indoor Track and Field Championships.
The Banana Slugs repeated in both the Distance Medley Relays and 5000m individual events.
The double sweep showed off that both squads have had no dropoff since Fall when the Cross Country program had a historic double team appearance at the NCAAs.
The day began with Cross Country veterans Eric Jackson and Sean Riedel finishing 1-2 in the 5000m. Jackson crossed the line in 15:07.45 with Riedel just 0.82 after him as the duo finished over 30 seconds ahead of the next closest challenger. It was an Indoor Title repeat for Jackson, who is also the two-time Conference Outdoor 6K champion.
The women also went 1-2 in the 5000m. Iris Abegglen won her first-ever Conference title finishing the 25 lap event in 18:55.6. Sage Simms was second in 19:01.25.
The men and women closed the day by sweeping the Distance Medley Relay, the second-straight year the program has done so. The men's quartet of Brett Bailey, Carson Nagel, Vance Byer and Luke Holland finished in 10:33.93, over 20 seconds ahead of second-place Mary Washington. For the women, Hanna Hekkanen, Caroleene Block, Arabella Edler and Helena Janku finished in a new Conference record of 12:39.94. It was the second DMR title that Hekkanen and Edler have won in their careers.
Janku (L) takes baton from Edler in the women's DMR win
Other Day One standouts included:
Jeremy Miller was sixth in the Men's High Jump after clearing a school-record 1.81m (5ft 11.25 in.)
Shea Wissler was runner-up in the Men's Pole Vault with 4.26m (13ft 11.75in.). Armon Gorgani was third with a height of 4.06m (13ft 3.75 in.)
Whitney Porter bettered her previous best in the Women's Weight Throw with a toss of 8.93m (29ft 3.75in.), good for sixth.
Both Banana Slug teams ended the day in second place behind hosts and defending champions Christopher Newport. The Championships conclude tomorrow starting at 7:00am Pacific with the Mile runs and the Women's High Jump.
