University of California-Irvine Men's Track & Field

Jeff Perkins began his tenure as the director of UC Irvine cross country/track & field on Jan. 1, 2014. He has been a member of the Anteater staff since 2007, and served as associate head coach for four years before taking over the program after the retirement of long-time head coach and UCI Hall of Famer Vince O'Boyle. Perkins works with the sprints, hurdles and multis. He is a USATF Level 1 and Level 2 certified sprints/hurdles/relays and jumps coach. In his 11 years at the helm of the men’s and women’s track & field teams, the Anteaters have claimed seven All-America honors and won 32 Big West individual titles, while producing 68 NCAA West First Round qualifying marks. In addition, 27 of UC Irvine's current indoor and outdoor school records have been set since Perkins took the reins. Since Perkins joined the UCI staff as an assistant coach in 2007, the ‘Eaters have boasted one NCAA champion, 10 All-Americans, 15 national qualifiers and 51 conference champions. He played a key role in UC Irvine's most recent individual national title, serving as one of Charles Jock's primary coaches during his illustrious collegiate career. Jock is one of the most decorated runners in Anteater history as he won the 800m at the 2012 NCAA Track & Field Championships, making him the program's first individual national champion in 34 years. A three-time All-American, Jock was also the NCAA runner-up in 2011 and finished ninth in 2010. In addition, the three-time Big West Track Athlete of the Y

Calla Nelson joined UC Irvine in 2018 as the Anteaters' assistant cross country/distance coach. Since Nelson’s arrival on campus, the ‘Eaters have produced eight All-Big West awards in cross country and eight in track & field. They have boasted two of the last four women’s 10,000-meter champions. This past season, Sameen Andar and Lukas Amare made the All-Big West Cross Country Team for the second year in a row. Andar, Amare and Anna Vogtmann also received Big West Athlete of the Week honors during the season. On the track, Andar had a podium finish in the 10,000m at the conference meet, while Vogtmann (1500m), Amare (10K) and Joshua Schuld (Steeplechase) also scored in their respective events. Andar qualified for her second career NCAA West Preliminary in the 10K. In 2022-23, the Anteaters produced three All-Big West Track & Field awards and two NCAA qualifying marks in the distance events. Sameen Andar was the 2023 Big West champion in the women's 10,000-meter and finished third in the 5,000-meter. Hannah Chau also placed third in the steeplechase. Andar and Evelin Meza both advanced to the NCAA West Regional meet in the 10K. During the fall, the UCI women's cross country squad took second at the Big West Championships, coming in one point behind Cal Poly. Anna Vogtmann, Andar and Chau earned all-conference honors on the women's side, while Lukas Amare was an All-Big West performer on the men's side. In 2022, the women's distance crew totaled 31 points to help the 'Eaters t

Casey Kear is in his sixth season as UC Irvine's cross country/distance coach after joining the staff in August 2019. Last year, Kear saw two of his student-athletes - Sameen Andar and Lukas Amare - make the All-Big West Cross Country Team for the second year in a row. Andar, Amare and Anna Vogtmann also received Big West Athlete of the Week honors during the season. On the track, Andar had a podium finish in the 10,000m at the conference meet, while Vogtmann (1500m), Amare (10K) and Joshua Schuld (Steeplechase) also scored in their respective events. Andar qualified for her second career NCAA West Preliminary in the 10K. During the 2023 track & field season, Kear’s distance squad produced three All-Big West awards and two NCAA qualifying marks. Sameen Andar set a meet record to win the women's 10,000m title at the Big West Championships, while she was third in the 5,000m. Hannah Chau added a third-place finish in the steeplechase. As a team, the UCI women scored 33 points in the distance events at the conference meet. Andar and Evelin Meza both advanced to the NCAA West Preliminary in the 10K. Earlier in the season, Andar broke a 37-year-old school record in the 5K with a time of 16:13.12, and Chau bettered her own standard in the steeplechase at 10:20.11. Andar also set program bests in the indoor 3,000m and 5,000m. During the fall, Kear was named the 2022 Big West co-Women's Cross Country Coach of the Year after leading the Anteaters to a runner-up finish. They came in one

Katelyn Ciarelli is in her 16th year as a member of the UC Irvine men’s and women’s track & field staff, and 11th as an associate head coach. Ciarelli was named UCI’s associate head coach in November 2014, after serving as an assistant since August 2009. Ciarelli works with the throwers, and her efforts have developed the Anteaters into a throwing powerhouse in The Big West. Since Ciarelli’s first season in 2009-10, the 'Eaters have produced 37 NCAA West regional qualifying marks, 52 All-Big West honors, 15 conference champions and three Junior All-Americans in the throwing events. This past season, Ciarelli’s student-athletes had a banner season, claiming the Big West title and establishing school records in three of the four men’s throwing events. Liam Miksic defended his conference crown in the javelin before breaking the school record with a toss of 68.34 meters (224-2) at the NCAA West First Round. Justin Willingham set the program standard four times in the shot put with the last coming in an individual victory at the Big West Championships where he hit 18.74m (61-5.75). Jacob Hawkins was also the conference champion in the discus and broke a 41-year-old school record earlier in the year with a best of 59.03m (193-8) at the Challenge Cup. Overall, the men’s throwers accounted for 48 of the team’s 89 points at the conference meet. Ciarelli also helped coach Josh Farmer to a Big West title and second-team All-America honors in the decathlon. At the NCAA Championships, Far

Sean Brown enters his second year as the jumps coach with the UC Irvine track & field program in 2024-25. Previously, Brown was the Anteater’s pole vault coach (2022). This past season, Brown’s student-athletes produced two individual conference titles, three All-Big West awards and two NCAA West First Round qualifying marks. He mentored Kailah McKenzie, who was named the 2024 Big West Women’s Freshman of the Year. McKenzie brought home UCI’s first conference title in the high jump since 2009. She also made her way onto the podium in the long jump where she finished third. McKenzie (High Jump) and Kenechukwu Okonkwo (Triple Jump) qualified for the NCAA regional meet. During the indoor season, Reyna Johnson won the long jump at the MPSF Championships with a school-record 5.97 meters (19-7). Teammates Jolie Robinson (5.84m/19-2) and McKenzie (5.80m/19-0.5) also rank second and third, respectively, in indoor program history. Overall, Brown saw his student-athletes set 13 marks that rank among UCI’s all-time top-10 in his first year. Brown’s prior coaching experience was at his alma mater, Cal Poly, where in his first year as a grad assistant (1998), he coached Bianca Moran who became the Mustangs' first NCAA Champion in the women’s pole vault. In 1999, he coached Brad Pickett in his senior year. Pickett cleared 5.50m (18-0.5) and placed 10th at NCAA Championships. Brown then moved to Los Angeles to work with then UCLA pole vault coach Anthony Curran, where Brown continued to tra

Tony Ciarelli enters his fifth year as an assistant throws coach with the UC Irvine track & field program in 2024-25. Since Ciarelli joined the staff in 2021...