Scores improve for 49ers

The 49ers took home the gold at the California-Nevada State Championships held in Berkeley over the weekend.

"It went great. We were awesome," said track and field Head Coach Andy Sythe.

The team scores improved on both sides, with the men earning 77 points; ranking third up one place from last year's fourth place finish. The women placed ninth with 34 points, which was a 10-point increase from the last year.

"The real drama of the day was that Richard Christensen qualified as the second fastest time for the 200 meter run," Sythe said. "He had a really great shot at winning, however he pulled his hamstring about 80 meters into the race."
 

Christensen was scheduled to run the men's mile relay, but because of his injury, Brian Carson was substituted for him Sythe said. Carson started the race in seventh place with 49 seconds.

49er Jason Dolison moved up to fifth place on the second leg of the race, running 48.1. Wil Moore ran a third leg at a time of 47.3, which moved the team to third.

Anchor runner Tyrone Pearson took off during the last leg of the relay, and  passed up Cal State Fullerton and UC California-Berkeley in the last 50 meters in an unbelievable run to the finish line to win the event, Sythe said.

"It was very dramatic, it was a great win," Sythe said. "This was one of the greatest team performances I've ever seen."

The final time was for the team was 3:10.26 and Pearson's leg was 45.7.

Other big winners include Borya Celentano who won the pole vault competition (17 feet 10 1/2 inches).

Moore, who was chosen as the 1999 Cal-Nevada Athlete of the Meet, came back to defeat his No. 1 time in the 400 hurdles. He did just that and won the event a second time with his time 51.89.

Another dramatic race was the men's 1,500. Johann Appell started out slow, and was in first place until the last 10 meters, when he slipped to second (3:53.25).

49er Tayyiba Haneef scored first place in the high jump. This lifetime best mark of 6-1/2 qualifies her for the NCAA championships and the Olympic trials in July.

LBSU sprinter Marion Reneau placed first in the long jump 19-7.

Thursday's meet at the Titan Open in Fullerton was successful as well.

Hurdler LaShawn McNairy won the 100 hurdles with her conference leading mark of 14.01.

Christina Lee and Leslie Smith placed third and fifth respectively in the women's pole vault competition. They now are tied for second place on the Long Beach State all-time list with their mark of 12 feet even.