NEW ORLEANS - The University of California San Diego collected 16 awards, 12 for the men and four for the women, on the 2017 U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Division II All-West Region Team.
To be recognized for the honor, student-athletes must finish in the top five of their individual events or in the top three for a relay event, all within the respective region.
Junior sprinter Paul Doan received all-region recognition in three different events, the 100, 200 and the 4x100 relay. He also earned all-region honors in all three events last season. The San Diego native lowered his own school record in the 100 at the Pomona-Pitzer Invitational, finishing the race with a time of 10.53. He also ran the second fastest time in school history in the 200 with a time of 21.46 at the Bryan Clay Invitational.
Sophomore Andrew Dirks, junior Justin Hunter and freshman Adam Winding joined Doan as all-region honorees as part of the 4x100 relay team. The quartet combined for a first place effort, running a time of 41.20 at the Pomona-Pitzer Invitational.
The 2017 California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) triple jump champion, senior Khalil Flemister received his first all-region honor. Flemister recorded a winning leap of 49'2.25” on his sixth and final attempt at the championships, good for third all-time at UCSD. Also earning all-region recognition in the triple jump is sophomore Arik Nesbit who finished runner-up to Flemister in the event at the CCAA Championships. Nesbit recorded a season-best jump of 48'2.5” at the All-UC Challenge to grab his first all-region award.
Junior Brett Molster is a first time all-region honoree in the high jump after recording a mark of 6'8.75” in a third place effort at the Bryan Clay Invitational.
Freshman Josef Polk was honored in the 400 hurdles after finishing with a time of 52.84 at the Triton Invitational and the Bryan Clay Invitational. In the 110 hurdles, sophomore Nicholas Rack grabbed all-region recognition with a time of 14.38 in the prelims at the CCAA Championships. Rack went on to place third in the event in the finals.
After finishing runner-up in the pole vault, senior Tim Schmidt secured all-region honors with a mark of 16'1.25”.
Senior Chrissi Carr earned her third-straight USTFCCCA award after an NCAA automatic qualifying performance of 13'1.5” in the pole vault at the All-UC Challenge.
Also grabbing the award for the third year in a row is senior Savanna Forry. The two-time All-American received the honor after posting an effort of 5'8.75” in the high jump at the Mangrum Invitational.
Freshman Claudia Cox was recognized as an all-region selection in the 400 hurdles after finishing with a first place effort and a time of 1:00.54 at the Pomona-Pitzer Invitational.
Sophomore Esther Nofodji received the award for the first time after finishing second with a personal-best mark of 148'9” in the discus at the Triton Invitational.
Carr, Forry and Cox will conclude their 2017 campaigns at the NCAA Championships, Thursday through Saturday, May 25-27 at IMG Academy Stadium in Bradenton, Fla.
#AllForOne
