SANTA BARBARA – The Fresno Pacific track & field programs competed in their first full meet of the 2018 season on Saturday, as the Sunbirds showed good form at Westmont's Sunshine Open.
 
FPU showed extremely great depth on the afternoon, especially in the women's relays. The 4x400 A and B relays both finished one and two, highlighted by Brie Courseault, Tatum Perez, Kyra Bailey and Sydney Rhoads wining with a time of 3:58.13. The team of Kala McClain, Alyssa Emerson, Danae Manibog and Cathrin Wicke was just behind at 3:59.91, meaning both teams broke the four-minute barrier.
 
The men's relay of Scott Hickam, Armon Plummer, Lawrence Cairo Jr. and Tamaj Johnson also won with a time of 3:19.87.
 
Individually, Plummer impressed in the 600m (1:21.29), Perez placed second in the 600m (1:39.11) and Cairo Jr. ran well in the 60m dash (6.98) with a personal best.
 
Other highlights on the afternoon included Annie Regier continuing her strong start to her season by winning the high jump (5-05.00), Bree Montoya placing third in the 3000m (11:06.82) and Chandler Maciel crossing the finish line in third in the 3000m (8:56.47).
 
Freshmen D.J. Maxwell-Garcia and Tamaj Johnson performed well in their first collegiate meets, which bodes well moving into the season. Maxwell-Garcia finished in third in the long jump (20-06.50) and Johnson took second in the 60m hurdles (8.62).
 
Veteran Gianna Cassinerio had a great series of jumps to win the triple jump (10.90m), while Andrew Morin continued to lead the men's pole vault crew with a solid effort (14-07.25) in second.
 
Transfer Grace Bruschi didn't waste any time in showing her ability, as the junior placed first in the shot put (34-10.25) and second in the discus (123-11). Fellow transfer Tim Holmes took fourth in the discus (127-11) and the weight throw (39-06.50) in the field events.
 
The meet was closed out by an impressive showing in the women's 200m dash. Manibog took third at 25.53, which is sixth all-time at FPU, Emerson was fourth with a time of 26.02, good for 10th all-time in program history, and Wicke was fifth with a time of 26.14, just outside of the record book.
 
The Sunbirds will next compete on Saturday, February 17 on their home track for the Sunbird Invitational.