On April 24 and 25, 2026, University of California Riverside’s (UCR) track and field team competed at the Chris Rinne Invitational, where senior athlete Chelsea Anninyei put on a memorable performance.
Anninyei competed in the triple jump, long jump and 100-meter dash. Despite the rain and strong gusts of wind, Anninyei recorded the third longest triple jump in UCR history, with a personal best of 12.98 meters (42 feet and seven inches).
After her performance this past weekend, she is also ranked No. 1 in women’s triple jump for the Big West conference and No. 5 in Division I. “Even under these crazy conditions, I could still perform well,” Anninyei said. “I did exactly what I could do, and it ended up being a personal record as far as triple jump goes.”
Anninyei’s season did not start off how she hoped it would. “My season was honestly very rocky,” Anninyei explained. “I had an injury that looked like it was going to stay a while … I wasn’t able to run, I wasn’t able to jump, so my conditioning technically did not start until mid winter quarter.”
Conditioning for track and field typically begins in the fall. That way, athletes can start competing during the winter quarter. “I didn’t start competing until March, so compared to most people, I’m already behind,” Anninyei explained.
Anninyei also explained how her coach has been a foundational piece to her performance, providing support and encouragement throughout the season and especially after her injury. “[My coach told me] it doesn’t really matter what anybody else is doing because you’re not competing for them; you’re competing for yourself … It made practicing and navigating through the beginning of the season a lot easier.”
Even with her late start conditioning into the season, Anninyei was still named Athlete of the Week during her first month of competing and now not even a month later, she has earned the title again.
“As rocky as [this season] was, I’m proud of myself for how far I’ve come,” Anninyei said as she opened up about how she really appreciates her support system. “One of my biggest things is also making my mom and my dad proud [along with] my siblings and everybody that is supporting me.”
Chelsea Anninyei brings a sense of determination every time she competes because of how deeply she values her sport. “For me, [track and field] is an outlet. It’s kind of a break from the academic aspect of being a student athlete. It’s really just a way for me to show my art and just have fun.”
With the season coming to an end, Anninyei’s reliance has truly defined her memorable senior season.
