The 2021 PacWest Track & Field Championships began on Friday in Fresno, and Azusa Pacific's women are in first place with 86 points, while the men are in second place with 71 points (Fresno Pacific currently leads at 72). Five Cougars earned individual conference titles in their respective events on day one, including Amanda Fassold in the pole vault, who set the new meet record for the PacWest Track & Field Championships. Friday's PacWest Individual Event Champions: Elle Alexander (hammer), Kirstin Mury (javelin), Amanda Fassold (pole vault), Nixon Korir (3000 Steeplechase), Jermel Jones II (long jump). 

WOMEN

For the women, Alexander, Mury, and Fassold's gold medals also scored 10 points apiece for the team total. Fassold, who is the nation's leader in the vault, cleared a height of 4.20m (13' 9 ¼") to set the new meet record on Friday. The previous record of 4.01m (13' 1 ¼") was set by Amy Hop (Grand Canyon) in 2013. In addition to her 10 points, the Cougars picked up 16 more points in the event. Abigail Gray turned in a career-best performance with a vault of 3.95m (12' 11 ½"), which met provisional standards and was good enough for a second-place finish and eight points. Sara Wagenveld added five more points at fourth place (3.85m/12" 7 ½"), and McKenna Keefe contributed three points by claiming sixth place (3.40m/11' 1 ¾"). 

Mury is the 2021 PacWest Champion in the javelin after her career-best mark of 43.00m (141' 1"), which also qualifies for provisional consideration. It was Mury who set the tone in the event, as Azusa Pacific swept first through sixth place for 36 points, and also added one more point with a seventh place finish. Sara Wagenveld took second place and eight points with a big personal-record of 42.60m (139' 9"), and Alysa Henry placed third for six points at 41.71m (136' 10"), which was another career-best performance. Molly Olson was fourth (5 points - 36.88m/121'), Allie Brooks secured fifth (4 points - 36.72m (120' 5"), Nicole Warwick claimed sixth place and three points (35.94m/117' 11"), while Jordan Hammond added one more point with her eighth-place finish (33.55m/110' 1"). 

In the hammer, Alexander earned her fourth individual conference crown after she reached a new personal-best distance of 57.44m (188' 5"). The mark met provisional standards, and it is the eighth furthest distance thrown this year in NCAA Division.

The Cougars picked up 13 points in the long jump, highlighted by Nicole Warwick's provisional mark of 6.08m (19' 11 ½") that secured her the second-place spot on the podium and eight points for the team. With the leap, she is now seventh in the nation for the event. Meagan Warwick added three points after she took sixth for three points (5.67m/18' 7 ¼"), and Alysa Henry chipped in two more points at seventh (5.65m/18' 6 ½").

Henry is also in pursuit of more points for the Cougars as a competitor in the heptathlon, where she currently leads with 2,902 points through four events. Henry turned in personal-records in both the 100 hurdles (15.40) and the 200 (26.55).

On the track Friday, all races but the distance events were prelims. While points were not up for grabs, Meagan Warwick was able to improve her provisional positioning in the 100 hurdles with a time of 14.11. 

MEN

Jones II and Korir emerged as PacWest Champions on day one in Fresno. In the long jump, Jones defended his 2019 conference title with a provisional mark of 7.38m (24' 2 ½"). In the same event, Raymon Harper took fourth (5 points - 7.08m/23' 2 ¾"), Ikemefuna Agubata was seventh (2 points - 6.53m/21' 5 ¼"), and Isaiah Harris captured a point with an eighth-place finish (6.50m/21' 4"). 

Korir's title came in thrilling fashion in the 3,000 Steeplechase, as he had to overcome a late deficit to Fresno Pacific's Patrick Kiprop. Korir was able to catch Kiprop and beat him to the finish line, posting a time of 9:08.31 for the conference championship and 10 points to the Cougars' total. 

In addition to Korir's victory, Azusa Pacific picked up seven more points on the track. In the 10,000, Dider Sandoval turned in a fourth-place finish in his first PacWest Championship meet, crossing the finish line at 32:17.98 for five points. Three spots behind him at seventh was Josh Nyberg, who posted a time of 32:46.96 and scored two points for the Cougars.

Weston Ellis contributed a combined total of 14 points over two events, as he took second (8 points) in the hammer with a personal-record of 50.66m (166' 2"), and was third (6 points) in the javelin at 52.41m (171' 11"). Azusa Pacific picked up seven more points in the javelin, with Chad Ponciano using a throw of 51.52m (169') to earn five points and fourth place, while Lincoln Krog secured two points at seventh place (47.10m/154' 6"). 

In the pole vault, Ponciano, Krog and Agubata combined for 15 points. Ponciano took second at a height of 4.55m (14' 11") for eight points, Krog was sixth (4 points - 4.10m/13' 5 ¼"), and Agubata had a personal-best performance of 3.65m (11' 11 ¾") to chip in three points at sixth place. The same trio of Ponciano, Krog and Agubata are also competing in the decathlon, which Krog currently leads with an overall score of 3,695 through five events. Agubata sits in fifth-place with a score of 2,880, and Ponciano is at 2,759.