Jock earns honor

UC Irvine sophomore Charles Jock has been named the Big West Conference Athlete of the Year in men’s track.

Jock broke his own school record in winning the 800 meters with a time of 1 minute, 46.93 seconds in the Big West Championships Saturday at Northridge.

On March 28, he broke the 32-year-old record of three-time Olympian Steve Scott with a time of 1:47.46 in winning the 800 at the Cal/Nevada Championships at UCLA’s Drake Stadium. Jock was named the Athlete of the Meet.

He anchored UCI’s winning 4x400 relay at the Big West Championships as the Anteaters’ quartet of Jacob Yowell, Tim Murphy, George Hernandez and Jock finished in 3:09.43. Jock ran the final leg in an unofficial 44.9 seconds.

Jock, who won the 800 at the 52nd annual Mt. SAC Relays in April, took first in the 400 meters at the Asics/Steve Scott Invitational earlier this month in 46.72, the fifth-fastest time in UCI history. He is undefeated this season in four 800 and two 400-meter races.

Jock’s 800 time (1:46.93) ranks first in the Big West, second in the West Region and fourth in NCAA Division I. His 400 mark (46.72) leads the Big West, is 23rd in the West and 54th nationally.

Jock will compete in the NCAA Preliminary Round meet May 27-29 in Austin, Texas.

He is UCI’s first Big West Athlete of the Year in men’s track since Gus Quinonez won the award in 1987.

— From staff reports