The Sacramento State Hornets defeated the UC Davis Aggies in the Track and Field Causeway Classic, held Friday night in a rainy Hornet Stadium. The meet ended in a curious fashion when UC Davis scratched on the final event of the evening, the men’s 4X400 relay. Going into the event the men’s score was tied 94-94 and the winner would take the meet. However, the weather conditions grew worse before the 4X400 relays began and the Aggies chose not to field either the men’s or women’s teams for the final event.

The impact of the weather was clear as it reduced the scores one would typically expect from these athletes.

“It felt good, the point was to win. But we could have done better; we could have run faster if it hadn’t been for the conditions of the rain,” said distance runner sophomore Renisha Robinson.

The Hornets would wrap up the event with a score of 103.5-81.5, improving Sacramento States margin of victory in the Causeway Cup to 66.67-43.33.

Stand out performance started early, freshman/sophomore Taylor Weldon won both the Hammer Throw and the Discus with scores of 157-10 and 143-30 respectively. In the women’s throws the Hornets dominated the Shot Put when they swept the top three spots. Senior Nicole McClure who finished second in that event also posted the top score in the Hammer Throw with a 164-60.

The Hornets also offered standout performances in the men’s horizontal jumps. Sophomore Ronald Brookins took the top spot in the Long Jump with a 23-02.75, followed by teammate freshman Philip Burks who posted a 23-03.50. Burks also places first in the Triple Jump with a score of 44-10.25 as Hornet senior David Houghton with a score of 41-11.50 claimed second place.

On the track junior Erica Violett placed first in the 100-Hurdles with a time of 14.72 making her victorious by just a tenth of a second, and she also won the women’s Long Jump scoring an 18-09.25. Sophomore Victoria Humphrey also recorded two first place finishes with a 12.48 in the 100 and a 24.99 in the 200. On the men’s side, junior Jason Nelson placed first in two events as well. He ran am 11.28 in the 100 and a 21.8 in the 200.

Other first place finishes came from Renisha Robinson in the women’s 800 who ran a 2:10.39, Nicole Jackson in the women’s 400-Hurdles with a time of 1:02.77, Kristina Holtz in the Steeplechase with a time of 10:34.10, Morinsola Keshinro had a 5-00.25 in the women’s High Jump, Natalia Wright won the women’s Triple Jump by posting a 37-06.75, and Nick Mills won the men’s Javelin Throw with a distance of 199-06.

Following the event Brookins said, “The rain made it difficult, but I’m glad that we won and that we won the Causeway. The fact that they are our neighbors means we have to see them at every meet we’re at. People talk about our schools a lot but we have the better athletic program and we try to prove it every year.”

Andrew McFadden can be reached at [email protected]