IRVINE, Calif. -- The Big Red track and field teams opened up their outdoor campaign with very strong performances at the UC Irvine Spring Break Invitational on Saturday. The men IC4A qualifiers and had three event wins.

The Big Red got off to a very good start with an impressive win in the 4X100, as senior Josh Kirkpatrick, freshman Jedidiah Adarquah-Yiadom, sophomore Chase Aaronson and freshman Bruno Hortelano-Roig teamed up for the fifth best time in school history, running 41.07. In the very next event, freshman Nick wade won his first-ever 1500, closing strongly in the last lap to win in 3:51.70; junior Nate Edelman was sixth in 3:55.59 and freshman Will McFall was seventh in 3:56.85. The Big Red's other victory on the day came from senior Duane Teixeira, who took the long jump in an IC4A-qualifying 24-0 3/4 and then placed second in an IC4A-qualifying 49-5 1/2 in the triple jump. Senior Ola Williams also had a good day, placing fifth in the 110 hurdles in an IC4A-qualifying 14.79. Freshman Bruno Hortelano-Roig had two IC4A qualifiers, placing third in the 100 in 10.85 and second in the 200, in 21.78. There were several good performances in the 800, as seniors Marcel van Eeden (4th, 1:52.66) and Mike Kippins (5th, 1:52.80), junior Tommy Roy (7th, 1:53.59) and sophomore Brian Freitas ran well. The 4X400 closed out the IC4A qualifiers on the track with a run of 3:15.60 for second behind legs from van Eeden (48.7),Freitas (49.1), Kippins (48.3) and sophomore Dan Thomas (49.1).

The men had a number of IC4A qualifiers in the field as well: sophomore Bob Belden had a pair of second place efforts in the shot put (53-9 1/4) and discus (162-5), senior Scott Jaffee was third in the discus at 159-5, senior Rick Zamora cleared 15-11 to place fourth in the pole vault, and senior Gary Jones was fifth in the triple jump at 47-7. 

Complete results from the meet can be found at:
http://www.flashresults.com/flashwest/10Meets/10Classic/

Next up for the Big Red is a great week of training at the UC Irvine track and then the Cal State Fullerton Titan Twilight on Friday, March 26.