2018 Track & Field Roster
Roster
Nate Esparza
- Position:
- Throws
- Height:
- 6-1
- Class:
- Sophomore
- Hometown:
- Pleasanton, Calif.
- High School:
- Amador Valley
2020
Indoor: Finished his season at the Seattle Pacific Final Qualifier, where he took the shot put victory with a mark of 17.85m (58-06.75) … Competed at USA Indoor Nationals against professional throwers, finishing 16th overall with a toss of 18.59m (61-00.00) … Finished second in the shot put at the New Mexico Team Open with a season-best throw of 19.40m (63-07.75) … Opened his season with a runner-up showing in the shot put (19.22m, 63-00.75) at the UW Preview.
2019
Competed in 13 meets … Part of UCLA’s top shot put department in the NCAA according to the USTFCCCA #EventSquad Rankings … Indoor: Finished fourth or higher in the shot put in all but one indoor meet … Finished second both at the New Mexico Classic and Don Kirby Invitational … Posted a season-best indoor throw of 18.97m (62-3) at the New Mexico Classic, finishing second … Earned ninth place at the MPSF Indoor Championships with an effort of 17.87m (58-7.5) ... Outdoor: Won the shot put at the Aztec Invitational with a throw of 19.05m (62-6) … Mustered a huge PR of 19.82m (65-0.5) to place third at the Pac-12 Championships, scoring six points … Placed ninth at the NCAA West Regionals with a toss of 19.21m (63-0.25) … First Team All-American in the shot put … Took seventh at the NCAA Championships in Austin with a mark of 19.65m (64-5.75) … UCLA Top-10 Record Books: Indoor: 7th – Shot Put (19.49m; 63-11.5; achieved in 2018) … Honors: Outdoor First Team All-American (shot put).
2018
USTFCCCA Indoor Second Team All-American in the shot put ... Competed in five meets, all indoors and in the shot put ... Qualified for the NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships ... At NCAAs, finished 12th with a throw of 18.79m (61-7.75) ... In his season-debut, won the shot put with a collegiate-best throw of 19.49m (63-11.5) at the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Invitational ... Followed up with a second-place finish at the Dr. Sander Invitational, recording a top mark of 19.35m (63-6) ... Eclipsed the 19-meter mark for the third time of the year at the MPSF Championships, finishing sixth at 19.07m (62-6.75) ... Named to the 2018 MPSF Indoor Track All-Academic Team.
2017
Competed in nine outdoor meets his true freshman season in the throws … NCAA West Prelims qualifier in the shot put, throwing 58-04.50 to finish 18th overall … Doubled in the shot put (58-06.50) and discus (lifetime-best 165-07.00) at the Pac-12 Championships, finishing seventh and tenth in the events, respectively … Posted a college-best mark of 62-05.00 in the shot put at the USC Dual, good for a runner-up showing … Also placed fourth in both the discus (163-02.00) and hammer throw (158-05.00) against the Trojans … Made his UCLA debut at the Long Beach Dual, where he won the shot put competition with a mark of 58-06.00.
High School
Prepped at Amador Valley High School in Pleasanton, Calif. … Placed seventh in the shot put at the 2016 USATF Junior Championships with a throw of 61-7. … Was the runner-up in the shot put at the CIF California State Championships with a personal best throw of 69-4.75 (12lb) … Also placed fifth in the state meet with a discus mark of 186-4 … Recorded a discus personal best of 191-5 (1.6kg) in the state meet prelims … Won 10 titles in the shot put and discus his senior season … CIF North Coast champion in both the shot put and discus his senior season … Took home top honors in both the shot put and discus at the EBAL Championships … North Coast Section shot put record holder … Team captain.
Personal
Son of Tony and Jennifer Esparza … Has two brothers named Matt and Scott and one sister named Emily … Enjoys Olympic weightlifting, dogs, naps, is a music enthusiast and long walks on the beach.
