49ers
head to UCLA, then Big West Championship
By Toby Lewis
On-line Forty-Niner
The
Long Beach State track and field team will
travel to UCLA for the first time in several
years this weekend to compete at the UCLA
track and field invitational at Drake Stadium.
The Beach will be looking to use this meet
to gain more conference and regional qualifiers
for the Big West Conference championships,
which are less than three weeks away.
Eight 49er athletes are already ranked in
the top five in the conference, including
senior Cory Loebl, who is ranked number
one for the discuss (186’02.00”).
Junior Stephanie Sampson is also ranked
number one in conference for the hammer
throw (190’02”).
Loebl also is ranked number two in the Big
West Conference for the shot put (56’08.00”)
and the hammer throw (202’07.00”).
Both Loebl and Sampson have each earned
top 25 national rankings in both events.
 Loebl
holds the ranking of 19th in the nation
for the discuss (187’01”) and 21st for the
hammer. Sampson is also ranked 21st in the
nation for the hammer.
So far this season, eight Long Beach State
track and field athletes have qualified
for the NCAA regionals.
 In
addition to Sampson and Loebl, freshman
Steve Holland (hammer), senior Frank Rodriguez
(javelin), freshman Adrian Ruark (pole vault),
senior Gladys Iwuaba (triple jump), senior
Christina Lee (pole vault) and sophomore
Jennifer Yadon (3000m steeplechase) have
all qualified for the NCAA regionals.
The Big West Conference Championships will
be held at Cal State Northridge from May
14-17 and the NCAA West Regional Championships
will be held May 30-31 in Palo Alto.
The hammer throw will kick off the UCLA
Invitational this Saturday at 8 a.m. with
the running events starting at 10 a.m.
In
addition to the potential of gaining more
qualifiers for the conference championships
and the NCAA regionals, The Beach will be
competing against some of the best track
and field athletes in the nation at the
UCLA meet.
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