Day 1 Results

NORTHRIDGE, Calif. – The University of Hawai'i women's track and field team grabbed four medals at the Big West Championships Friday at Cal State Northridge's Matador Complex. The meet concludes on Saturday with most event finals.
 
Senior Samantha Balentine won her second event of the championships with gold in the high jump. One week after winning gold in the heptathlon, the Lodi, Calif., native easily won the high jump with a clearance of 5-10.75 (1.80m).
 
In the first event of the day, junior Joanna Franke-Kuhn took silver in the hammer throw with a personal-best 189-2 (57.66m) just missing gold by two and a half feet. Her mark will qualify her for the NCAA Preliminary Round. UC Santa Barbara's Irene Kujore captured the title with a throw of 191-8 (58.42m). Moments later, UH picked up bronze medals in the shot put as sophomore Alex Porlier Langlois threw 49-1.5 (14.97m) and in the long jump where junior Amanda Alvarez leaped a PR 19-6.75 (5.96m).
 
Three Rainbow Wahine advanced to Saturday's 100-meter hurdle finals as Samantha Esperanza (14.23), Zhane Santiago (14.27), and Alvarez (14.37) were among the top eight qualifiers. Esperanza's time was a new personal best. In addition, freshman Morgan Struble qualified for the 400-meter hurdles finals with a time of 1:01.76.
 
Among the other UH athletes in action included junior Kaleigh Morrison, who tied for eighth in the high jump at 5-5 (1.65m). In addition to the 100-meter hurdles, Santiago competed in the long jump and placed ninth with a personal best 18-7.25 (5.67m). In the hammer throw, Jane Marie McDonald threw a PR 146-0 (44.51m) to place 17^th. Esperanza and Daphne Cobbs ran PR times of 1:03.88 and 1:06.55, respectively, in the 400-meter hurdles.