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