UC Merced track star has record-breaking weekend, earns conference honor
The Central California Athletic Association track and field season is only weeks old, but UC Merced sprinter Martel Fields is off to a fast start.
Really, really fast.
Fields, a junior out of Long Beach, broke his own school records in the 100 and 200 meters at the Kim Duyst Invitational at CSU Stanislaus in Turlock on Saturday. His time of 21.14 seconds in the 200 was the CCAA’s fastest so far this season.
Fields also anchored the Bobcats’ 4x100 and 4x400 relay teams to school records at Warrior Stadium.
The 4x100 relay team of Fields, Naseem Hassaan, Medard Idi, and Nyj Joiner clocked 40.84 seconds to win the race. Fields closed out his day in the 4x400 relay, joining Hassaan, Joiner, and Seneca Ybarra to record a time of 3 minutes, 20.64 seconds, good for third place.
For his performances, Fields was named the CCAA’s male track and field athlete of the week on Tuesday. He’s the first UC Merced athlete to ever win the award.
Fields was the Cal Pac Champion in the 200 last year with a time of 21.95 seconds. The Bobcats have stepped up to the CCAA and Division II level this season.
Fields graduated from Long Beach Polytechnic High School before coming to UC Merced.
Fields and the Bobcats will next compete on Saturday at the Wildcat Invitational in Chico.
