Track and field: Five UCI athletes at junior nationals
Steve Virgen
PALO ALTO - UC Irvine freshman Erin Curtis, one of five Anteaters
who will compete in the USA Junior National Track and Field Championships
at Stanford today and Saturday, has received huge inspiration to achieve
her personal best in the pole vault.
Jenny Liou, Kelli Vanderburg, Mike Beerer and David Santos will also
represent the Anteaters in the junior nationals.
Curtis, who owns the school record in the pole vault (12-9 1/2), was
seven centimeters away from qualifying for the NCAA Championships, which
now serves as motivation. She wants to clear 13-0 at Stanford.
“I’m really competitive. I’m really aggressive and I’m really hard on
myself,” said Curtis, who has improved 14 inches in the pole vault this
season and finished second at the Big West Conference Championships. “But
(pole vault coach) Greg (Charles) is always positive and he’s good for my
personality.”
Liou, who set the UCI record when she won the 3,000-meter steeplechase
(10:57.0) at the Big West Championships May 17, is new to her event,
having just started in March.
Vanderburg will compete in the 5,000. She completed a personal-best
18:17.60 at the Big West Championships.
On the men’s side, Beerer will attempt to improve on his 174-10 mark
in the hammer throw. And, Santos will try to do the same in the 1,500,
hoping to run faster than 3:56.06.
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