With the first half of the academic year coming to its end, CUI’s track team is gearing up to run circles around the competition. After coming off last year with some notable performances such as Paige Johnson's finishes at the NCAA Outdoor Championships in the 100-meter hurdle dash, the 100-meter dash and long jump. Johnson finished  ninth overall, earning her a second team all-American title. 

Johnson is only the second CUI Eagle to ever compete in multiple events at a NCAA D2 Outdoor Nationals. Coach DeAndrae Woods, previous head coach at Chapman University, said, “There are many returning school record holders that have high hopes for this season.” 

In the previous 2021 track and field season there have been a multitude of school records broken on both the men’s and women’s side. For the women the 60-meter, 100-meter, long jump, 400 meter and 40 meter hurdles school records have all been broken, as for the men the 4x400 meter indoor, and high jump school records have been broken. 

Woods said, “We have school record holders returning: Sammie Gomes, Madison Hergert, Bailey Wade, Paige Johnson, men’s 4x400 relay (Michael Ervin, Gunnar Ashmon, Miguel Ayala and Kessler O’Brien) who are all competing in individual events as well.” Another notable returning athlete for CUI is Makayla Butler, a junior, who has greatly improved her times since last year. 

Butler has improved her 60-meter hurdle time from a 9.71 to a blazing 9.37, and her 100-meter hurdle time from 16.07 to 14.84. Ryann Beveridge, a senior competing for CUI’s women’s track, has also set her sights high with notable improvements in her 100-meter hurdle by taking her 15.79 down to a 15.02 and her 400-meter hurdle time from a 1:12 to a 1:06.48. On the men’s side of the track with Michael Ervin, senior, current high jump school record holder, and Jaedyn Oliver, sophomore,who scored points for the men at the 2021 conference meet as a freshman. 

With the return of these great athletes and under the eye of an experienced coaching staff, the track team looks to take on the PacWest conference with great hopes. “The Pacific West Conference is extremely competitive,” said Woods, adding, “Two of our conference teams have captured a national title and that proves that we compete against the best. My hope for this outdoor season is that we execute at a high level. Podium finishes are the goals.” 

With the indoor season coming very soon followed by the 2022 outdoor season, follow CUI’s track teams’ records, awards and  schedule at cuieagles.com.

Tags: Men's Athletics, women's athletics, team, Track and Field

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About Mihuver Reyes

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