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AUSTIN, TEXAS – Cal State East Bay senior Lauren McGlory established a new Pioneer school record in the triple jump on Friday at the prestigious Texas Relays. Competing against Division I and professional athletes, McGlory took fifth place overall with a jump of 41-10 ½ (12.76 meters). She was the top Division II jumper at the meet.

McGlory edged out the previous record, which was set in 1992 by Felicia Harris with a jump of 41'9 ¾.  McGlory's mark is the best in the California Collegiate Athletic Assciation and ranks No. 2 in the nation for NCAA Division II. She also met the NCAA II qualifying standard, earning her a spot in the triple jump national championships in May. 

Despite an abnormally hectic pre-race preperation, McGlory set the school record on her third attempt of the first flight. "On her third jump, she sped down the runway and leaped into the record books with her 12.76m jump," Pioneer Head Coach Ralph Jones said. "I was impressed because, despite the early adversity, when the lights came on, and she got on that stage, she performed. That's not coaching, that's just competing, and you can't coach that. It's either in your DNA or it isn't."

All told, McGlory bested every jumper from the second flight, as well as 23 NCAA Division I competitors, representing schools like LSU, UTEP, South Florida, University of Houston, University of New Mexico, Angelo State, Texas-San Antonio, Akron, Liberty, Texas Tech, Baylor, Clemson, Florida, Texas A&M, and Mississippi State.

"The Texas Relays is one of the premier track meets in the country," Jones said. "For her to go head to head with some of the top jumpers in the nation and finish fifth overall and first among DII jumpers, while breaking the school record and jumping the second-longest distance in the country midway through the season, is pretty remarkable."

Before she even jumped, McGlory made history on Friday by becoming the first Cal State East Bay women's track athlete to ever compete at the Texas Relays. "The meet was nationally televised, so the exposure for East Bay track and field was significant," Jones said.

"One of my goals when developing this program was to make East Bay Track & Field as nationally recognized as Cal State Hayward once was" Jones added. "Lauren's performance today was the first of what I expect to be many more steps toward bringing that goal to fruition."