Fresno State Outdoor Track & Field - Event #5
Event: West Coast Relays
Host: Fresno State
Date: March 30-31
Time: 12 p.m. (Thursday) / 10 a.m. (Friday)
Location: Fresno, Calif. (Warmerdam Field) / Clovis, Calif. (Veterans Memorial Stadium)
Live Results | Schedule | Meet Program
REACHING THE TOP 25
After a weekend that saw Cierra Jackson (No. 1 in discus) and Kaja Bins (No. 5 in heptathlon) register Top 5 national marks, the Bulldogs checked in at No. 25 on the USTFCCCA's Week 1 Team Rankings. It is the program's highest ranking during the 15 years of the organization's Top 25.
Fresno State's previous high was No. 29 during Week 4 of the 2016 season.
The Bulldogs have 12 marks that rank in the Top 50. The Bulldogs four in the javelin, two in the shot put, discus and heptathlon, and one in the triple jump and hammer.
CRACKING 60
Last week at the Aztec Invitational, Cierra Jackson won the discus with a mark of 60.77m/199-4, the second-best throw in Mountain West history. The mark tops the NCAA and is the first throw over 60 meters this season.
Jackson is the 16th athlete in the last decade to surpass 60 meters.
Her throw ranks No. 25 on the USTFCCCA's all-time best marks list and is second on Fresno State's list.
Jackson subsequently earned her second MW Track & Field Athlete of the Week honor, and fourth overall conference weekly award.
NO PLACE LIKE HOME
When March started, half of Fresno State's outdoor season was set to be spent in Fresno and Clovis competing at Warmerdam Field and Veterans Memorial.
Fresno State hosted the Bulldog Classic in mid-March with the West Coast Relays closing out the month. The end of April will see the Fresno State Invitational. That will lead into the Mountain West Outdoor Championships in Clovis in early May.
BREAKING INTO THE TOP 10
When the outdoor season began two weeks ago at the Kim Duyst Invite, 2022 Mountain West javelin gold medalist Rhiannon Genilla wasted little time moving into the program's Top 10. On her first attempt, the senior landed a mark of 50.47m/165-7 to move to sixth all-time at Fresno State in the event.
Genilla became just the second Bulldog woman in the last 15 years to surpass the 50-meter mark.
MAKING AN EARLY STATEMENT
At Kim Duyst, the Fresno State javelin group put their depth on display with all four throwing beyond 45 meters. Comparing to the last two Mountain West Championships, only former Bulldog Vanja Spaic had thrown farther than each of the four 'Dogs did two weeks ago.
Rhiannon Genilla is the lone returner who competed in 2022. Harriette Mortlock is a freshman while Cerah Moren is a graduate transfer from Arizona State. Chloe Wood redshirted the 2022 season after knee surgery.
After the Bulldog Classic, all four have thrown over 46 meters and sit inside the NCAA's Top 50.
BUILDING DEPTH IN THE SHOT
While throws coach Joe Riccio has quickly increased his depth in the javelin, he has managed to do the same thing in the shot put. That was shown at the Mountain West Indoor Championships when Fresno State became the third program in Mountain West history, and third since 2002, to have four athletes score in the shot put at an indoor championship.
The scorers included returners Amelia DiPaola and Cierra Jackson, along with transfers Jordyn Bryant (San Diego State) and Jocelynn Budwig (Auburn).
The group finished the indoor season ranked No. 10 in the USTFCCCA Event Squad Rankings with an average of 15.28m/50-1.5.
AMONG FRESNO STATE'S ELITE THROWERS
While only halfway through her sophomore season, Cierra Jackson has already shown to be one of top throwers in Fresno State's history. In one outdoor season, Jackson already ranks No. 3 in the discus (58.57m/192-2) and No. 4 in the shot put (15.81m/51-10.5). In her second indoor season, Jackson made big strides, moving to No. 3 in the weight throw (19.82m/65-0.5) while breaking the program's shot put record with a mark of 16.74m/54-11.25.
The indoor shot put record was the longest-standing indoor record at Fresno State which was held by Dot Jones since 1986.