IRVINE, Calif. – The University of California, Riverside (UCR) Track & Field Distance group took to the oval at the Anteater Distance twilight hosted by UC Irvine on Thursday night.  Several breakthrough performances highlighted a chilly, breezy evening in Irvine.
 
Leading things off for the Highlanders was FR Carolinh Calvert.  Calvert made her career debut in the women's 1500m run.  From the starting gun, Calvert put herself into a conservative position, midpack and on the inside rail.  Each lap Calvert ran was a little bit faster than the previous and she inched her way up from ninth at the half way point of the race to fifth with one lap to go.  Calvert left enough in the tank to blast a screaming fast final 250m to blast by all but one competitor.  She crossed the line in second place overall, stopping the clock at 4:33.30 seconds, a lifetime best of nearly 15 seconds.  The only competitor to best her on the day was defending Big West 800m/1500m champion Sam Huerta (CSF).  "I asked Carolinh to be conservative over the early stages of the race, and let it all come to her.  She did exactly that.  She races like a veteran and she has a great combination of instincts and coachability which make her a real threat," commented Distance Coach Rob Hansen.  "I need to stop being surprised by Carolinh's performances, she is the real deal, and I am so proud of her and the hard work she puts in on a daily basis," Coach Hansen continued.
 
On the men's side, sixth year Senior, Arman Irani stepped down from his usual 5000m event to face the challenges of a much shorter/faster 1500m race.  Irani walked away from UC-Irvine with a 15 second lifetime best.  In a section of 13 competitors, Arman positioned himself at the back of the pack, coming through the first lap in 13^th position and the half way point in tenth.  It was on the third lap, however, that Irani started to make moved.  On the backstretch approaching 600m to go, Irani weaved in and out of traffic and moved himself into seventh position.  Rounding the final bend, Arman was able to throw down one last kick to cross the line fifth overall, stopping the clock at 3:52.73.  "The race execution was impeccable.  Arman has been working hard for a very long time, and he's always been proficient at the longer distances.  I think he has a sense of relief and certainly this was a big confidence boost for him.  Having this speed component under his belt will be essential to him closing out big races," commented Coach Hansen.  
 
Up next for the Highlanders is the Chris Rinne Twilight right here at UC Riverside.  Action begins with the hammer throw on Friday April 2^nd, 10:30 AM and will continue through the day.  No spectators will be allowed inside of the UC Riverside Track & Field Facility, but results will be live streamed on www.finishedresults.com and on the Finished Results App.