Women’s indoor track and field: Ready to run
Amara Aguilar
This isn’t a practice run. The women’s indoor track and field
season is finally here for UC Irvine.
After months of preparation, the Anteaters kicked off their inaugural
season at the Northern Arizona University Invitational in Flagstaff,
Ariz. Saturday.
The Anteaters lost to Northern Arizona, 84-51, and fell to Fresno
State, 96-49, but did have some solid individual performances that gave a
glimpse of key athletes on the squad.
Sophomore Annmarie Turpin placed first in the high jump at 5-5 3/4.
Turpin is rebounding from ACL reconstruction, UCI Coach Ben Cesar said,
but will be a crucial contributer for the Anteaters.
Also looking to bring experience to UCI’s squad is junior Jessica
Stafford, who was third in the long jump at the NAU Invitational with a
mark of 17-2 3/4.
Turpin and Stafford will be contributing in the high jump event and
hurdles.
“It’s a young team and they are the elder statesmen of the group,”
Cesar said.
He’s not exaggerating. UCI’s team includes only three seniors. There
are six freshmen out of 21 competitors on the roster for the new UCI
sport that features a 60-meter dash and 60-meter hurdles, both unique to
indoor track.
“We have a group of freshmen that came in who will make an impact,”
Cesar said. “One is Amber Nefas, a 400-meter runner who will surprise the
conference in what she will do this indoor season.”
Nefas, a product of Crescenta Valley High, took second in the 400 in
Arizona.
Another newcomer Cesar has high hopes for is Erin Curtis, who won the
pole vault at the NAU Invitational, with a school-record 12-0 1/2.
Curtis, out of Archbishop Mitty High in San Jose, broke her own mark of
11-7, set at a meet during the winter.
“She is a rare combination of pole vaulter and sprinter,” Cesar said.
“She made it to the state meet in high school in both events.”
Another key newcomer is Camellia Carroll, a junior thrower who
transferred to UCI from the College of San Mateo.
“She was a state champion in the hammer throw outdoors,” Cesar said.
“She’ll come in and be a huge impact because we’ve never had a thrower of
that caliber come to UCI. With the class I was able to recruit last year,
it will be a tremendous asset to the team.”
The Anteaters began training in late September and have three major
meets this season: The NAU Invitational, the Husky Invitational in
Seattle Saturday and the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Indoor
Championships Feb. 22-23, also at NAU.
“Now there’s a season to compete for and there’s that added incentive
to get themselves in shape,” Cesar said. “They are excited. I think being
a young team, there is that nervousness. I told them in a team meeting
that there’s no reason to be nervous. As long as when you look in the
mirror you know you’ve done the work, you are going to be OK.”
Cesar is in his first year as a UCI associate head coach, heading up
the indoor program under Vince O’Boyle, the director of track and field.
Cesar joined the UCI staff as an assistant coach in the fall of 1998. He
was an assistant track coach at Concordia University for one year
previously and a member of the Philippine National Track team from
1993-97. Cesar was the Philippine national champion in the 100 and 200
meters from 1995-97. He ran track at UCI from 1991-92 before finishing
his career at UCLA from 1993-94.
“I’m excited to have indoor track here,” Cesar said. “I think it’s
important for a college athlete to get both an indoor and outdoor
experience because that’s what track and field is all about -- being able
to compete indoors and take what you do indoors and transfer that
outdoors once spring rolls around. Now, with more schools competing
indoors, for Irvine to see it as a sport we need to compete in is an
added bonus.”
UCI women’s indoor track and field roster
Lauren Adams So. SprintsJulia Bregand Jr. Throws
Camellia Carroll Jr. Throws
Jessica Crow So. Sprints
Erin Curtis Fr. Sprints/Vault
Tynisia Edwards Jr. Jumps
Nicole Hansen Sr. Pole Vault
Erin Hill Fr. Sprints
Randi Houston Fr. Sprints
Erin Kupka Jr. Mid-Distance
Jenny Liou So. Distance
Angela Lotito Fr. Sprints
Amber Nefas Fr. Sprints
Kareen Nilsson Sr. Distance
Danielle Petersen Jr. Pole Vault
Cathy Picha Jr. Mid-Distance
Linda Pimentel Jr. Hurdles
Suzanne Purmort Fr. Hurdles
Carmen Schmidt Sr. Throws
Jessica Stafford Jr. Multi-events
Annmarie Turpin So. Multi-events
Associate Head Coach: Ben Cesar
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