Saturday, April 24
Clovis, Calif.
Fresno State
vs
Fresno State Invitational
'Dogs post 43 collegiate bests at Fresno State Invitational
4/24/2021 11:25:00 PM | Track & Field
CLOVIS, Calif. – The hammer throwers may have set the tone in Friday's lone event but the rest of the Fresno State track and field team built on the momentum with 38 more collegiate personal-best marks set on Saturday in the Fresno State Invitational at Veterans Memorial Stadium. In total, the Bulldogs racked up 43 on the weekend as they prepare for the return of the West Coast Relays in just six days.
Stealing the show on Saturday was the senior Breanna Covington who not only grabbed another win in the triple jump but vaulted three spots on the Fresno State all-time list. Now No. 2 on the list, the Fresno native registered three jumps that would have put her there but her best of the competition came in at 12.86m/42-2.25. While Covington won the event, she was followed by teammates Tijana Antic (12.29m/40-4) and Haley Abirached (12.21m/40-0.75) as the 'Dogs swept the top three spots.
Also in the jumps, Kaja Bins won the high jump with a clearance of 1.61m/5-3.25. Teammate Kaitlynn Perez finished second (1.56m/5-1.25.).
On the track, freshman Ceonna Pipion and senior Raphael Adedigba each dropped a pair of personal bests in their doubles. Pipion clocked times of 54.64 in the 400 meters to place second and 24.45 for third in the 200 meters. The freshman moved up eight spots to seventh in the Mountain West in the 400. Adedigba started with the 100 meters, posting a time of 10.76 and closed his double with a 21.90 in the 200 meters.
The day opened with Vanja Spaic continuing her run of wins in the javelin as her top throw of the competition came in at 51.23m/168-1. It was her third straight win this season and 12th during her last 19 meets.
Quotes
Jason Drake, Director of Track & Field and Cross Country
On his team's performance…
"What a great day for our team, and track and field in the Valley. We had so many seasonal bests, and personal records today. For many of our athletes it finally clicked this weekend, and to do it at our first home meet is always special."
On Fresno State's first home meet since he took over in 2019…
"My vision when coming to Fresno State was to host some great meets, and today was what I was hoping for. I'm just really thankful for the facilities crew at Fresno State, and the wonderful people at CUSD that really make Veterans Memorial shine. It was a busy weekend for Fresno State athletics and we are appreciative for the wonderful support we received. Seeing the fans in the stands, and for the athletes to finally have friends and family there to support them felt really good!"
On the throwers…
"The throwers continue to keep rolling. Yesterday in the hammer, Tahj'nee and Amelia had nice PRs. Today, Morgan Johnson had wonderful PRs in the shot and disc. Also our redshirting athletes who competed have us very excited for what is to come next season!"
On the Ceonna Pipion and Raphael Adedigba…
"Ceonna Pipion had her best day to date in a Bulldog uniform in the 400 and 200 today. She looked so good coming down the homestretch in the 400. I can see sub 54 coming soon! Raph had a great 100/200 double today. Nice PRs for him, and he continues to compete extremely well every time out."
On Nathan Burd…
"Nate had a great run today with nearly a PR in the 800."
On Breanna Covington's performance…
"Bre Covington had another amazing performance today in the triple. Big PR, moved up on the conference list, and into the top 32 for one of those coveted NCAA First Round spots. She just killed it today with the best series of her career. So great to see the smile on her face when she hit her 12.86 today, and her friends and family in the crowd. That is what this is all about!
On the coming weeks…
"Each week from now has better competition, and the West Coast Relays next week will be a great transition into the championship portion of our schedule. The return of the relays will have some of the top track programs in the country coming to Veterans Stadium for some great competition."
"Fresno State Athletics: The Pride of the Valley" – The Bulldog Foundation creates championship experiences for Fresno State student-athletes as they strive for excellence in the classroom, in competition, and in life. To become a BDF member, please call 559-278-7160.
Follow us on:
Twitter: @FS_TracknField
Instagram: FS_TracknField
Stealing the show on Saturday was the senior Breanna Covington who not only grabbed another win in the triple jump but vaulted three spots on the Fresno State all-time list. Now No. 2 on the list, the Fresno native registered three jumps that would have put her there but her best of the competition came in at 12.86m/42-2.25. While Covington won the event, she was followed by teammates Tijana Antic (12.29m/40-4) and Haley Abirached (12.21m/40-0.75) as the 'Dogs swept the top three spots.
Also in the jumps, Kaja Bins won the high jump with a clearance of 1.61m/5-3.25. Teammate Kaitlynn Perez finished second (1.56m/5-1.25.).
On the track, freshman Ceonna Pipion and senior Raphael Adedigba each dropped a pair of personal bests in their doubles. Pipion clocked times of 54.64 in the 400 meters to place second and 24.45 for third in the 200 meters. The freshman moved up eight spots to seventh in the Mountain West in the 400. Adedigba started with the 100 meters, posting a time of 10.76 and closed his double with a 21.90 in the 200 meters.
The day opened with Vanja Spaic continuing her run of wins in the javelin as her top throw of the competition came in at 51.23m/168-1. It was her third straight win this season and 12th during her last 19 meets.
Quotes
Jason Drake, Director of Track & Field and Cross Country
On his team's performance…
"What a great day for our team, and track and field in the Valley. We had so many seasonal bests, and personal records today. For many of our athletes it finally clicked this weekend, and to do it at our first home meet is always special."
On Fresno State's first home meet since he took over in 2019…
"My vision when coming to Fresno State was to host some great meets, and today was what I was hoping for. I'm just really thankful for the facilities crew at Fresno State, and the wonderful people at CUSD that really make Veterans Memorial shine. It was a busy weekend for Fresno State athletics and we are appreciative for the wonderful support we received. Seeing the fans in the stands, and for the athletes to finally have friends and family there to support them felt really good!"
On the throwers…
"The throwers continue to keep rolling. Yesterday in the hammer, Tahj'nee and Amelia had nice PRs. Today, Morgan Johnson had wonderful PRs in the shot and disc. Also our redshirting athletes who competed have us very excited for what is to come next season!"
On the Ceonna Pipion and Raphael Adedigba…
"Ceonna Pipion had her best day to date in a Bulldog uniform in the 400 and 200 today. She looked so good coming down the homestretch in the 400. I can see sub 54 coming soon! Raph had a great 100/200 double today. Nice PRs for him, and he continues to compete extremely well every time out."
On Nathan Burd…
"Nate had a great run today with nearly a PR in the 800."
On Breanna Covington's performance…
"Bre Covington had another amazing performance today in the triple. Big PR, moved up on the conference list, and into the top 32 for one of those coveted NCAA First Round spots. She just killed it today with the best series of her career. So great to see the smile on her face when she hit her 12.86 today, and her friends and family in the crowd. That is what this is all about!
On the coming weeks…
"Each week from now has better competition, and the West Coast Relays next week will be a great transition into the championship portion of our schedule. The return of the relays will have some of the top track programs in the country coming to Veterans Stadium for some great competition."
"Fresno State Athletics: The Pride of the Valley" – The Bulldog Foundation creates championship experiences for Fresno State student-athletes as they strive for excellence in the classroom, in competition, and in life. To become a BDF member, please call 559-278-7160.
Follow us on:
Twitter: @FS_TracknField
Instagram: FS_TracknField
Players Mentioned
Jumps
/ Track & Field
Sprints
/ Track & Field
Hurdles/Jumps
/ Track & Field
Multis/High Jump
/ Track & Field
Distance
/ Track & Field
Jumps
/ Track & Field
Throws
/ Track & Field
Multis
/ Track & Field
Sprints
/ Track & Field
Throws
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