UCI’s Jock captures Big West honor

UC Irvine senior Charles Jock has been named the Big West Conference Men’s Track Athlete of the Year for the third consecutive season.

Jock, who was named to The Bowerman Watch List earlier Wednesday, won the 800 meters at Saturday’s Big West Championships in 1 minute, 44.75 seconds, that leads the U.S. list this season.

He also ran the second leg of UCI’s 4x400 relay Saturday as the ‘Eaters won the event for the fourth straight year. Jock ran his leg in 45.8 with other team members Dominic Jester, Chris Carson and Jacob Yowell joining forces to record a first-place time of 3:11.17.

Jock leads the Big West this season in the 400 with a time of 46.78 that he ran in winning the event at the Cal/Nevada Championships in Claremont April 1.

He posted a personal-best time in the 1,500 in 3:49.66 at the Ben Brown Invitational March 10.

Next on the schedule for Jock is the NCAA West Preliminary Round in Austin, Texas, May 24-26.

The Bowerman, which debuted in 2009, is presented annually by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Assn. to the most outstanding male and female collegiate track & field athletes in the nation.

— From staff reports