COLLEGE STATION, Texas – The UC Santa Barbara Men’s and Women’s Track & Field team has finished their competitions at NCAA West Regionals at Texas A&M University, where ten Gauchos put their skills to work in their respective events throughout the four-day meet. Over the course of the meet, the Gauchos took part in eleven total events.

FIELD

The men’s hammer throw saw the first Santa Barbara athlete of the day, where senior Andy Buttrell recorded a mark of 58.60m in the event. Later in the meet, senior Eitan Goore notched a 5.17m mark in the men’s pole vault. Senior Will Denning also impressed in the men’s triple jump as he posted a jump of 15.19m.

On the women’s side, Kennedy Johnson was the sole representative in the field, where she took on the triple jump and delivered a mark of 12.46m.

TRACK

For the women, freshman Mia Shepard recorded a time in the 400m that was just short of a nationals qualifying time. The two-time Big West Athlete of the Week came out of the race with a time of 53.62. Maddie Conte, the only Gaucho to compete in multiple events at West Regionals, also recorded 13.69 in the 100m hurdles and was six places away from qualifying in the 400m hurdles with a time of 59.09.

On the men’s side, the Gauchos had two competitors in the 200m, where senior Justin Steele ran 21.16 and Curtis Borden III was just hundredths of seconds away from a qualifying time in the event. Borden recorded a time of 21.01.

Sophomore distance specialist Parker Simmons took on the 3000m steeplechase on the third day of the meet, where he delivered a time of 8:53.52. Freshman Finn Andrews, who was the BIg West champion in the 400m hurdles a few weeks ago, recorded 52.07 in the event.

UP NEXT

At the NCAA Track & Field Championships, senior multis expert Brad Thomas will be representing the blue and gold. The four-day meet will take place at Eugene, Ore. on June 11-14.

2024: Played in nine matches, appearing in 24 sets … Finished the season with 44 digs (1.83/set) … Had seven digs in back-to-back matches against Yale (Sept. 28) and at Princeton (Oct. 4) … Finished with seven digs against High Point (Oct. 8) … Had a season-best nine digs against Columbia (Oct. 11).

2023: Played in two sets in the season with appearances against Cornell (Nov. 10) and Yale (Nov. 18).

2022: Played in three matches, appearing five sets … Finished the season with four kills, seven digs, a block and a service ace … Had her first-career kill against Rhode Island (Sept. 2) … Finished with an ace and a dig at UConn (Sept. 17) … Had three kills, six digs and a block against Lindenwood (Sept. 17).

Before Brown: Played at the Michigan Elite Volleyball Academy … Named All-Catholic, All-State, All-Region and All-League at Marian High School … Team captain and two time DI Michigan State Champion … Named to the All-Academic Team.

Why Brown?: “I chose Brown because of the opportunity to have a balance between high academic and competitive athletics. The community surrounding me feels like a family as they support me in many ways as well as push me to be the best version of myself.”

COLLEGE STATION, Texas – University of Missouri track and field’s Claudina Diaz and Kristi Perez-Snyman qualified for the women’s high jump final while Alicia Burnett punched her ticket to the women’s 100m semifinal of the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships on day four of the opening round at E.B. Cushing Stadium on Saturday.

Diaz and Perez-Snyman both recorded jumps of 1.84m (6-0.5) to take fifth and seventh place, respectively, while Burnett finished the 100m in eighth in 11.10, shaving another three hundredths of a second off her school record in the event. The three will look to claim the first women’s national title in their events in school history.

Burnett, Diaz and Perez-Snyman join Callan Saldutto, Valentina Barrios and Skylar Coffey as the Tigers’ representatives at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon, at the national championship meet for their respective events on June 11-15. 

Ames Burton opened the day for Mizzou in women’s discus, where she placed 30th after a throw of 52.03m (170-8). In the Tigers’ final event, the 5000m, Monica Wanjiku finished in 16:38.21 for 35th, while Rahel Broemmel took 41st in 16:44.49.

SATURDAY, MAY 31 – NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS, ROUND ONE – DAY FOUR
Field Events	Place-Athlete-Mark | Notes (PR = personal record)
Discus (W)	30th – Ames Burton: 52.03m (170-8)
High Jump (W)	5th – Claudina Diaz: 1.84m (6-0.5) 7th – Kristi Perez-Snyman 1.84m (6-0.5)
Track Events	Place-Athlete-Mark | Notes (PR = personal record)
100m (W)	8th – Alicia Burnett: 11.10, PR
5000m (W)	35th – Monica Wanjiku: 16:28.21 41st – Rahel Broemmel: 16:44.49

UP NEXT

Barrios, Burnett, Coffey, Diaz, Perez-Snyman and Saldutto will travel to Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon, at the national championship meet for their respective finals on June 11-14.

FOLLOW THE TIGERS

For all the latest on Mizzou Cross Country and Track & Field, stay tuned to MUTigers.com and follow the teams on Facebook, Instagram and X (MizzouTFXC).

Victor Morais enters his second season as an assistant coach on the Morgan State volleyball staff. Hired prior to the 2024 season, Morais brings a wealth of international playing experience and coaching expertise to his new role at Morgan State University.

Before joining the Bears, Morais spent two years as an assistant coach at California University of Pennsylvania (VULCANS), where he played a crucial role in the team’s success.

Morais, a native of Brazil, has also served as a college assistant coach for both the men’s and women’s volleyball teams at Carlow, a NAIA program in Pittsburgh. He was an assistant coach for the inaugural season of men’s volleyball at Carlow in 2021 when the program played teams from seven different states. The following spring, the Celtics won their first intercollegiate match.

On the women’s side, Morais was a member of the coaching staff in 2021. Carlow earned seven victories at home before placing third at the United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA) Championship in Virginia Beach. The Celtics featured 12 players named to the River States Conference Scholar-Athlete Team last year.

Morais has also dedicated himself to coaching at various levels in the Pittsburgh area. His experience spans both club and scholastic settings, fostering the development of young players from 12 to 18 years old. Through his involvement with Pittsburgh Elite, Morais has guided and mentored aspiring athletes, helping them hone their skills and reach their potential.

Prior to his coaching career, Morais played for various club level teams in beach volleyball tournaments in his native Brazil. He then moved to South Africa and competed at the national club level while playing for Durban University of Technology.

Morais, who earned his degree from Durban (South Africa) in 2015, resides in Baltimore, Md.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Two Kent State student-athletes punched tickets to the 2025 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships during action at the NCAA East Preliminary Rounds at the University of North Florida’s Hodges Stadium.

Alexandre Malanda advanced in the men’s triple jump on Friday and Svenia De Coninck advanced in the women’s high jump on Saturday. The pair will join Shelby Grover, who previously qualified in the women’s heptathlon, at the national meet in Eugene, Oregon.

Malanda finished second in the triple jump but needed an outdoor personal-best on his final attempt to punch his ticket to the NCAA Championships. The Paris native soared 52′-9.25″ on his last jump of the meet to beat his previous outdoor PR by 0.5″ and remains at the No. 4 spot on the Golden Flashes’ all-time performance list in the event.

De Coninck cleared a personal-best height of 5′-10.50″ on her second attempt at the bar to finish 12th and secure the final qualifying spot for the national meet. Her PR puts her in a tie for the third highest mark in school history.

Jaheim Jones and Aliesha Shaw recorded top-30 finishes in both events in which they competed. Jones placed 25th in the men’s 200-meter dash in 21.04 seconds and 28th in the 100-meter dash with a time of 10.42 seconds. Shaw had a top mark of 158′-9″ for 27th in the women’s discus throw and placed 30th in the shot put with a top throw of 50′-2.5″.

Kristen Jay finished her freshman campaign with a top throw of 149′-0″ for 29th in the women’s javelin.

In men’s long jump action, Amare Hall soared 23′-6″ to finish 32nd and Ayden Bath placed 39th with a mark of 23′-3.25″. Bath also ran the 110-meter hurdles and finished 33rd with a time of 14.17 seconds.

In their NCAA prelims debuts, Keeli Dunaway placed 42nd in the women’s triple jump with a mark of 39′-10.75″ and Charles Pawlosky took 43rd in the men’s shot put with a throw of 54′-2″.

Donovan Crawford (men’s discus throw) and Malanda (men’s long jump) also competed but had fouls on all three attempts. Amryne Chilton was a qualifier in the women’s 200m dash but scratched prior to the start of the meet.

De Coninck, Grover and Malanda will represent the Golden Flashes at the NCAA Division I Men’s and Women’s Outdoor Track and Field Championships, which will be held June 11-14 in Eugene, Oregon.

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