Santa Barbara Track Club Sends Three to USA Track & Field National Championships

Barbara Nwaba ranked second in Heptathlon; seven total athletes from Santa Barbara area competing at this weekend's national championships SANTA BARBARA, Calif- Celebrating its inaugural year, the Santa Barbara Track Club (SBTC) is sending three multi-event athletes to the USA Track & Field Outdoor Championships in Sacramento, CA. The five-day championships features the best athletes in the country beginning Wednesday, June 25 and ending Sunday, June 29.

Event Website

Leading Ladies: SBTC Qualify Two in Top Ten

Leading the way for the SBTC are heptathletes Barbara Nwaba and Lindsay Schwartz who begin the two-day Heptathlon competition on Friday. Nwaba, a UC-Santa Barbara alumni (2012) and Los Angeles, CA native, enters the national championships as the second ranked Heptathlete in the country off the heals of a personal best 6,043 points and title at the Mt. SAC Invitational in mid-April. Nwaba is behind another central coast star and Cal Poly SLO alumni, Sharon Day, who was a 2012 Olympian in the Heptathlon.

Schwartz, a University of South Alabama graduate (2012) from Watertown, WI has also had a stellar season, setting a personal best of 5,982 at the Sam Adams Combined Events Invitational, ranking her sixth entering the national championships. No other club has qualified two Heptathletes to the national championships.

“It’s difficult for many athletes, especially Heptathletes in the U.S., to continue competing at the highest level two years removed from college. Barbara and Lindsay have proven that with the right support structure and work ethic we can cultivate great talent right here in Santa Barbara,” commented SBTC’s Executive Director, Josh Priester.

A First for FitzSimons

In the Decathlon, Tom FitzSimons Jr., qualified for his first outdoor national championship after a gutsy late season performance at the San Diego Imperial Association Track & Field Championships on June 14. The Mount St. Mary’s (MD) graduate (2012) and Hamden, CT native, FitzSimons Jr. won the championships with 7,642 points and is currently ranked 13th heading into this weekend's Decathlon.

“Between being a Youth Track Club leader, a filmmaker and holding another job or two, it’s humbling to see a lot of hard work pay off for Tom,” stated Priester. “He will continue to surprise his competition in the years to come.”

Additional Santa Barbara Qualifiers

Other athletes qualifying for this weekend's national championships that train and live in Santa Barbara include:

• Becky Collier (Westmont), Junior Heptathlon; ranked 10th
• Ryan Martin (ASICS), 800m - UCSB, 2012; ranked 14th
• Derek Masterson (unattached), Decathlon - UCSB, 2012; ranked 14th
• Tommy Schmitz (Speed Factory Athletics), 1500m - Marquette (WI), 2007; ranked 19th

About the Santa Barbara Track Club

The Santa Barbara Track Club aims to create a progressive and cohesive Track & Field experience for members of our community from youth to masters as well as the development of Olympians and Olympic hopefuls alike. The professional athletes are composed of combined events athletes and middle distance athletes who also work within the community by serving as coaches and mentors to youth.  The coaching and personal training efforts of the athletes help to fund the continued growth of Santa Barbara as an international training hub as well as to promote cultural exchange and shared education.

Nwaba, Schwartz Lead Santa Barbara Track Club to USA West Region Championship Title

SBTC women win in first club championship appearance; men's team finish as runner-ups at Jim Bush Classic.  LOS ANGELES, Calif. - The Santa Barbara Track Club (SBTC) made its presence felt in the club's inaugural appearance at the Jim Bush Southern California & USATF West Region Championships on the campus of UCLA on Saturday at Drake Stadium. The SBTC women’s team captured the  championship title, while the men’s team finished the competition as runner ups.

A trio of SBTC women collected its points in five events - Long Jump, High Jump, Javelin Throw, 100m Hurdles and the 200m Dash.

Lindsay Schwartz placed second in the Long Jump with a 2014 season best of 5.96 meters (19’07ft.) and also added team points in the 100 Hurdles (14.24) and 200m (25.26).

Barbara Nwaba, currently ranked as the top heptathlete in the United States, enjoyed a solid day with a second place finish in the Javelin Throw (42.36m / 139’09 ft.), a surprise fourth place finish in the Long Jump with a new personal best of 5.79 meters (19’01 ft.) and snuck in for a third place finish in the 200m (24.52) into heavy headwinds at Drake Stadium.

The final SBTC women’s team member to factor into the scoring was high jumper, Megan Tice. Tice finished the competition in fourth place and a seasons best mark of 1.76 meters (5’09”¼ ft.). A native of Manhattan, New York, Tice is the newest member of the Santa Barbara Track Club and is coached by local high jump great, Kaylene Wagner.

The SBTC men finished as the runner up with Tom FitzSimons and Keegan Cooke garnering points for the club. FitzSimons contested the 110m Hurdles, Long Jump and Discus Throw as he prepares for the Imperial Championship Decathlon next weekend.

Cooke, SBTC’s most recent Decathlon addition, contested the High Jump and the 100 Meters Dash. Cooke tied his personal best in the high jump of 1.93 meters (6’04) in his first competition for the SBTC. Cooke is a native of Harari, Zimbabwe and holds the national record in the decathlon in his home country.

“Overall, today was a great day for us as we prepare for the upcoming USA Track & Field Championships in Sacramento," states SBTC Head Coach, Josh Priester. "This was a great measure of where we are currently at and I am looking forward to the next few weeks. Considering this is our first year as a formal track club, I couldn’t be more excited about the team. We have a tremendous group of elite athletes, our youth track program started this spring, and we have a great group of people in Santa Barbara who care about our mission within the community.  We competed well against a lot of great clubs today, including clubs that have been around for decades”.

The SBTC will travel next to the Imperial Championship Decathlon next weekend, while the USA Track & Field Championships begin on June 26 in Sacramento, CA. For more information on the USA Track & Field Championships, please visit www.usatf.org.

About the Santa Barbara Track Club

The Santa Barbara Track Club aims to create a progressive and cohesive Track & Field experience for members of our community from youth to masters as well as the development of Olympians and Olympic hopefuls alike. The professional athletes are composed of combined events athletes and middle distance athletes who also work within the community by serving as coaches and mentors to youth.  The coaching and personal training efforts of the athletes help to fund the continued growth of Santa Barbara as an international training hub as well as to promote cultural exchange and shared education.

Barbara Nwaba Wins Prestigious Mt. SAC Relays Heptathlon

Santa Barbara Track Club athlete and UC-Santa Barbara alum scores a major early season win off an up and down two days of competition; breaks 6000 point barrier for first time; ranked 1st in U.S. and 2nd in world for 2014 Complete Results

Azusa, Calif. - Santa Barbara Track Club's (SBTC) Barbara Nwaba (USA) won the prestigious Mt. SAC Relays Heptathlon competition with a score of 6043 points, breaking the 6000 point barrier for the first time in her career. Nwaba edged out Angela Whyte's (CAN) 6018 point performance. Whyte, a two-time Olympian in the 100m Hurdles, is in her first season of competition in the combined events. For Nwaba, the mark currently ranks her number one in the U.S. and second in the world for 2014.

The win and personal best was filled with some high moments and also some low ones over the two day Heptathlon competition at Azusa Pacific University. Her 100m Hurdle race, which kicked off the competition, was one of her slowest in the last seven years and a full second off her best, crossing the line in 14.65 seconds. However, she capped off the day with a blazing 23.91 second 200m Dash; a personal best. After day one Nwaba found herself in second place, only four points behind Whyte.

On Day 2, in a reverse of fortunes not only from Day 1, but also from the Sam Adams Combined Events Invitational where she fouled out of the competition, Nwaba began the day with a 19 foot leap in the Long Jump; another personal best. Unfortunately, her next event, the Javelin, set her back yet again with a toss of 130'3"; over fifteen feet shy of her personal best.

Entering the 800m Run, the final event of the day, Nwaba was 145 points back of Whyte and would need to run 2:14.4, a mere .09 seconds off her best 800m time to break the 6000 point barrier. Determined, yet composed, Nwaba notched a three second personal best, winning the final event of the competition in 2:11.42, catapulting her to the Mt. SAC Relays title and across the coveted 6000 point milestone.

The mark qualifies Nwaba for the 2014 USA Track & Field Championships in Sacramento, CA from June 26-29.

Schwartz and Smith Win Sam Adams Combined Events Festival

Santa Barbara Track Club's Lindsay Schwartz and Chico State's J. Patrick Smith, a Santa Barbara native, take home titles; two more meet records fall on a windy day two of the combined events invitational. Complete Results Day 1 Recap

Santa Barbara, Calif. - It was a day of gusting winds coming off the picturesque Santa Yynez Mountains at the Sam Adams Combined Events Invitational presented by the Santa Barbara Track Club (SBTC) and Westmont College.  Today's events concluded the two day international competition.

Schwartz Shines on Day 2

SBTC's Lindsay Schwartz (USA) took home the Heptathlon title finishing with 5942 points; her second best total ever. Schwartz got off to a good start in the Long Jump with a leap of 5.95m (19'06.25") and capped off her day with a strong 2:16.71 in the 800m. The mark qualifies her for the 2014 USA Track & Field Championships in Sacramento, CA from June 26-29. Schwartz is currently ranked number one in the U.S. and third in the world.

Lindsay Lettow (USA), a four-time NCAA Division II Champion at Central Missouri, finished second in 5674 and Shana Woods rounded out the top three with 5668 points after leaping to a meet record 6.26m (20'06.50) in the Long Jump. Fellow SBTC teammate, Barbara Nwaba (USA), who led after day one, fouled out of the competition in the Long Jump.

Santa Barbara's Smith Brings Home Win

As the afternoon in the Decathlon went on, sustained winds of 15-20mph and gusts over 40mph created a challenging environment for the athletes, especially in the final three events - Pole Vault, Javelin and 1500m Run. That did not stop J. Patrick Smith from sustaining consistent performances of his own over the two days winning with 7351 points. His efforts included a 15.39 in the 110m Hurdles, a personal best 42.44m (139'03") in the Discus and a 4:47.68 in the howling wind to cap off the day in the 1500m. Smith, a local Dos Pueblos High School standout, is the two-time reigning NCAA Division II national champion for Chico State. Smith currently leads all NCAA Division II competitors and is ranked fifth in the U.S.

Reinis Kregers of Kansas State finished second with 7304 points and John Brunk of Chico State rounded out the top three with 7262 points.

Guest athlete, Gunnar Nixon, the U.S. High School and Junior record holder in the Decathlon, started off day two with a 14.66 win in the 110m Hurdles. Mathias Ako Bienes, a member of the French National team for L’Union Sportive Athletisme Haut Bugey, won the Discus in a meet record 47.32 (155'03"). A french contingency competed throughout the weekend as part of SBTC's ongoing international training camp.

Complete Results and information: http://santabarbaratc.com/sam-adams-combined-events-invitational/

Day 2 Photos

Santa Barbara Locals, Barbara Nwaba & Patrick Smith, Lead Sam Adams Combined Events Invitational

Olympic Champion & world record holder, Ashton Eaton, finishes day one winning the 400m dash in 45.86, the 7th best mark in the world this year; Jesse Williams clears 2.26m (7'05") in the High Jump, the fourth best mark in the world this year; five meet records and four stadium records fall on day one Santa Barbara, Calif. - Another beautiful Santa Barbara day welcomed athletes from around the country and world to the Sam Adams Combined Events Invitational presented by the Santa Barbara Track Club (SBTC) and Westmont College.  The “World’s Greatest Athletes” competed in the first day of the two day long decathlon and heptathlon events.

In the Heptathlon, SBTC’s Barbara Nwaba (USA), a UCSB graduate and 2012 NCAA runner-up in the event, leads the competition with 3718 points after strong performances including a 13.77 in the 100m Hurdles, 1.78m (5'10") in the High Jump and a 24.10 in the 200m Dash, the final event of the day.

Another Santa Barbara local, Patrick Smith, a senior at Chico State and two-time NCAA Division II national champion (2012 and 2013), leads the Decathlon after day one with 3948 points. Smith had consistent performances throughout the day, including a 10.95 in the 100m, 7.26m (23’10") in the Long Jump, and a 50.27 in the 400m Dash to close out the day. Smith was a 2009 graduate of Dos Pueblos High School.

The Eatons Back in Santa Barbara

Kicking off the elite sections of the day was the men's Decathlon 100m Dash, featuring 2012 Olympic Champion and world record holder, Ashton Eaton (USA). Eaton cruised to a 10.43 (1.7 m/s) win. A few minutes later, in the women’s 100m Hurdles, it was Eaton’s wife, Brianne Theisen-Eaton (CAN), coming away with a win in a strong 13.29.

The Eatons, who reside in Eugene, OR and compete for the Oregon Track Club are training in Santa Barbara once again this Spring leading up to the start of their outdoor season. They competed as guest athletes on day one and did not compete in the full competition. Eaton rounded out the day in the 400m winning in 45.86, the seventh fastest mark in the world this year and just off his meet and stadium record, 45.64, set in 2013. Theisen-Eaton also competed in the Shot Put, throwing 13.92m (45'8").

Day 1 in the Decathlon

2014 USA Indoor Heptathlon champion, Gray Horn, led the decathlon after four events, but a back injury kept him out of the 400m Dash, the final event of the day. Horn won the Long Jump, out distancing 2013 IAAF World Championship bronze medalist in the Decathlon, Damian Warner (CAN), 7.64m (25'00.75") to 7.62m (25'00"), setting a new meet and stadium record.

In the High Jump, 2011 IAAF World Champion in the event, Jesse Williams (USA), competed as a guest athlete, skying over 7’5" and setting a new meet and stadium record. SBTC’s Tom FitzSimons led all decathletes with a jump over 6’6.25" and finished his first day in fourth place.

Over in the Shot Put ring, U.S. Junior and High School Decathlon record holder, Gunnar Nixon, set a meet record with a toss of 15.03m (49'03.75"), outdistancing Eaton's 2013 record.

Day 1 in the Heptathlon

In the heptathlon, guest athletes Antoinette Nana Djimou (FRA), a 3-time European Champion in the Heptathlon, won the Shot Put with a toss of 14,48m (47’06.25"), a new meet and stadium record, while Jessica Zelinka, Canadian record holder in the Heptathlon was second in 14.06m (46’01.50").

SBTC athlete Lindsay Schwartz (USA) is second with 3577 points on the heels of a 13.90 in the 100m Hurdles and a 24.20 in the 200m to finish off her afternoon.

The competition resumes tomorrow at 9:30am with the collegiate sections. The Decathlon A section begins at 11:30am and the Heptathlon A section at 12:00pm.

Complete Results and information: http://santabarbaratc.com/sam-adams-combined-events-invitational/

Day 1 Photos

The World's Greatest Athletes Descend Upon Santa Barbara

World record holder & Olympic Champion Ashton Eaton highlights the Sam Adams Combined Events Invitational week of events; free Youth Challenge on April 2 at Westmont College

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - The world’s greatest athletes have once again descended upon Santa Barbara for the Sam Adams Combined Events Invitational presented by the Santa Barbara Track Club (SBTC) and Westmont College on April 4 and 5. The men will compete in the decathlon and women in the heptathlon, which comprise of ten and seven Track & Field disciplines respectively. Champions of these two events are widely considered the “World’s Greatest Athletes”.

Assembling one of the most accomplished decathlon and heptathlon fields on U.S. soil, the Sam Adams Combined Events Invitational features 2012 Olympic champion and world record holder, Ashton Eaton (USA), IAAF World Championship medalists Brianne Theisen-Eaton (CAN) and Damian Warner (CAN), three time European Champion, Antoinette Nana Djimou Ida (FRA), 2010 European Champion, Romain Barras (FRA), and 2013 U.S. Indoor Champions Sharon Day (USA) and Gray Horn (USA). The Sam Adams Invite will also feature the 2011 High Jump World Champion, Jesse Williams (USA), competing as a guest athlete along with universities from around the country.

“The SBTC and Westmont College are truly humbled by the caliber of competition we have the privilege of hosting at the Sam Adams Combined Events Invitational,” commented Josh Priester, Executive Director of the SBTC and Assistant Coach at Westmont College. “Support by Westmont and the Santa Barbara community have allowed us to elevate the week of events to an international level.”

Winners of the Sam Adams Combined Events Invitational will be invited to compete at the June 14 and 15 Oyo Decathlon & Heptathlon Meeting in Oyonnax, France hosted by the athletics club, L'Union Sportive Athletisme Haut Bugey. The French club brought a delegation of 27 athletes and coaches to participate in the SBTC’s ongoing international training camp, which brings together athletes and coaches from all over the world in an environment of shared knowledge and cultural exchange. Athletes from Brazil, Canada, France, United States and Zimbabwe are represented.

[tboot_button color="primary" size="lg" url="http://santabarbaratc.com/2014-sbtc-youth-challenge/" title="More on Youth Challenge"]More on Youth Challenge[/tboot_button]

In addition to the Sam Adams Invite, on Wednesday, April 2 at 4:30pm the Santa Barbara Track Club is organizing its second annual Santa Barbara Youth Challenge to see who will be named Santa Barbara’s ‘Greatest Kid’.  The challenge consists of a coaching clinic with Eaton and other professionals and is followed by a run, jump and throw competition.  The Youth Challenge is a FREE event for children ages 7-12, which is made possible by a generous Santa Barbara Athletic Association grant.

About the Santa Barbara Track Club

The Santa Barbara Track Club aims to create a progressive and cohesive Track & Field experience for members of our community from youth to masters as well as the development of Olympians and Olympic hopefuls alike. The professional athletes are composed of combined events athletes and middle distance athletes who also work within the community by serving as coaches and mentors to youth.  The coaching and personal training efforts of the athletes help to fund the continued growth of Santa Barbara as an international training hub as well as to promote cultural exchange and shared education.