Irwin's relay team 7th at NAIA nationals

The Cal State University San Marcos relay team, which included Fallbrook High School graduate Tim Irwin, finished seventh at the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics track and field national finals in Louisville May 28.

Irwin, a junior at Cal State San Marcos, was on the Cougars’ 4x800 relay team, which had a time of 7:41.52 in the finals. Irwin, who ran the second leg of the relay, had a lifetime personal best with a time of 1:55. The team of Tony Herr, Irwin, Richie Gray and Sergio Gonzalez finished second in the preliminaries during the May 26-28 nationals with a time of 7:39.43.

The top six finishers at the NAIA nationals earn All-American status. The seventh-place finish of the men’s 4x800 relay team thus fell one spot short of an All-American performance.

“They still ran very, very respectably, and seventh place for any team, both in the 4x4 and 4x8, is something definitely to be proud of,” said Cal State San Marcos coach Steve Scott.

The 4x4 refers to the women’s 4x400 relay team, which also finished seventh in the NAIA nationals. Those two teams, along with 100 meter women’s hurdler Meggie Afenir, provided the Cougars with three seventh-place finishes at the nationals to share the best Cal State San Marcos results.

The women’s 4x400 team does not have any seniors, and the men’s 4x800 team has only one senior. “They should both be back stronger than ever,” Scott said of the 2006 season.

Irwin is a junior. “He’s really matured as an athlete this last year,” Scott said.

Irwin is also a member of the Cal State San Marcos cross-country team, which reached the 2004 nationals last fall. Scott, who also coaches cross-country for the Cougars, explained that Irwin acquired additional strength through the cross-country competitions. “That strength carries over into faster times,” Scott said. “Tim believed it, trained hard, and the proof is in the pudding.”

Scott sees Irwin contributing off the track next year as well as on the track. “He’s actually going to be my team leader this coming year,” Scott said.

Scott noted that Irwin’s leadership characteristics aren’t necessarily vocal but are effective.

“Everything that I asked him to do, he does,” Scott said, “and it’s showing in the way that he’s performing.”