College Track : UCI Men 2nd in PCAA Championships

The UC Irvine men’s track team placed second Saturday at the Pacific Coast Athletic Assn. track championships at Warmerdan Field in Fresno as the host Bulldogs won their fourth straight conference title.

Fresno State outscored UCI, 230-102. Cal State Long Beach was third with 98, San Jose State fourth with 76, UC Santa Barbara fifth with 68, Utah State sixth with 50 and New Mexico State seventh with 24.

Fresno State’s Red Estes was named the conference men’s Coach of the Year and Bulldog pole vaulter Doug Fraley, who went 18-6 1/2 in the meet, was named male Athlete of the Year.

UC Irvine’s top performer was Ralph Garibaldi, who won the 1,500 meters in 3:50.46 and the 5,000 meters in 14:29.88. Anteater Marc Goulet picked up two second places, in the 1,500 and the 800.

Nevada Las Vegas women’s team won its third straight title, scoring 134 points to 130 for second-place finisher San Diego State. The Rebels’ Al McDaniel was selected women’s Coach of the Year.

The Bulldogs were third with 114 points, UCI fourth with 90, Cal State Fullerton fifth with 48, UCSB sixth with 39 and Long Beach seventh with 34.

UCI’s Beth McGrann set a meet record of 16:59.30 on the way to defending her PCAA 5,000 meter title, and finished second in the 3,000 in 9.53.94, just behind teammate Jill Harrington (9:53.91). Teammate Keeley King took third (9:55.62). Harrington also took second in the 1,500, which was won by UNLV’s Trena Hull, the women’s Athlete of the Year.

Anteater high jumper Jennifer Linderman went 5-9 3/4, tying a meet record set by winner Tonya Mendonca of Fresno State.