March 27, 2008

FRESNO, Calif. -

Complete Schedule in PDF Format

Track teams from 24 universities throughout California and Nevada will flood Warmerdam Field Friday morning for the first events of the Cal-Nevada Championships.

Fresno State, which has been home to the meet for the last few years, will play host to 24 track teams, ranging in size from NCAA powerhouse UCLA to local NAIA stronghold Fresno Pacific. The annual meet's variety provides some of the best track and field competition, making the meet a hotbed for national-qualifying marks.

The meet serves as the final home event for the Bulldogs. Fresno State's outdoor track and field team has put up big numbers so far this season, winning each of the team competitions by a large margin. The Cal-Nevada Championships will be the Bulldog's first real test as veteran NCAA and NAIA national competitors compete at Warmerdam Field.

The pole vault will be a hotly contested event for the women as All-Americans from each of the NCAA divisions clash. San Diego State's Stephanie Baga earned 2008 Indoor All-American status just last month, while Kristen Loftin of Cal State Stanislaus and Kera Bartlett of Occidental both with 2007 All-American honors will represent Division II and III, respectively. Bulldog freshman Sarah Savage, who qualified for the NCAA Regional, clearing 12-7.5, a personal best, at the Cal Poly Dual, will take on the veterans beginning at 4 p.m.

The jumps will be another highly-competitive event. Fresno Pacific's Natalie Friesen, who won the NAIA championship for triple jump in indoor competition and was the runner-up in the long jump, takes on NCAA's long jump champion, Rhonda Watkins of UCLA, and the triple jump runner-up, San Diego State's Decontee Kaye.

For the men, throwing events will be where the drama will take place. Greg Garza, a senior from UCLA, will face off against competitors such as Occidental's Chris Kyles, an all-conference performer in shot, discus, and hammer, and Fresno State's Oscar Rodriguez, Brian Vazquez and Chris Witscher, all of who are qualified for the NCAA Regional at the end of the season.

Other NAIA and NCAA Regional qualifiers and with long resumes will be competing at the meet.

The teams competing include: Cal Poly Pomona, Cal State LA, Cal Tech, Chico State, Claremont-Mudd, CS San Marcos, CS Stanislaus, CSU Bakersfield, CSU Dominguez Hills, CSU Northridge, Fresno Pacific, Fresno State, Nevada, Occidental, Pomona-Pitzer, San Diego State, Santa Clara, UCLA, UC Davis, UC San Diego, UC Santa Barbara, UNLV, Westmont, and Whittier.