Nathan Gong
Nairobi Smith won the women’s 200m in standout fashion as the only competitor to go sub-24 seconds.
Cal Sweeps 200m, Triple Jump, Shot Put; Ukawuba Posts Program Top-10 Time
BERKELEY – The California track & field team closed out its first weekend of outdoor competition at Edwards Stadium on Saturday afternoon, posting a total of 12 event wins and a multitude of personal bests at the Cal Invitational.
Coming off a standout indoor season, the women’s 100m hurdlers were determined to make an impact and delivered by posting two of the top-three times. Sophomore Inara Ukawuba’s second-place finish of 13.56 moved her up to No. 9 in all-time program history, while senior Saqqara Ruffin finished third at 13.59.
Cal swept both of the 200m races, starting with ACC indoor bronze medalist Nairobi Smith’s dominant finish of 23.75 on the women’s side and fellow sophomore Wazell Wright’s personal-best 21.12. Classmate Paige Porter joined Smith in the top three with a new PR of 24.59.
The men’s high jump was headlined by junior Victor Ezike Jr., who cleared seven feet for the first time to win the event title with a mark of 2.14m (7-0.25) while sophomore teammate Brandon Cheeks II placed third at 1.96m (6-5). For the women,
Graduate transfer Zahra Amos placed second in her season debut with a mark of 1.67m (5-5.75).
Cal won both the men’s and women’s triple jump contests – for the men, Jeremiah Bolaños improving his personal best to 15.57m (51-1) to finish one place ahead of sophomore Kosi Nwafor (14.73m/48-4) for the title, while the women went 1-2-3 thanks to the efforts of junior Myla Canty (12.39m/40-7.75), freshman Avery Hart (12.11m/39-8.75) and senior Leah Anderson (11.94m/39-2.25).
Senior Jason Plumb found success in his outdoor opener with an event win and a mark of 7.54m (24-9), while junior Chukwunonso Udeh took third place at 7.20m (23-7.5). Hart placed second in her outdoor long jump debut, finishing with a mark of 5.70m (18-8.5) in the women’s contest.
The men’s 4x100m quartet of sophomore Aidan Orias, senior Isaiah Shaw, sophomore Wazell Wright and junior Javon Hampton Jr. won their race with a time of 40.47, while the group of freshman Caitlyn Johnson, sophomore Nairobi Smith, freshman Tiffany Williams and sophomore Paige Porter placed third in the women’s race at 46.20.
Cal recorded a 1-2 finish in the men’s 400m, with senior Isaiah Shaw taking the title at 46.77 and junior Arian Naim finishing behind him at 48.73. In the women’s 100m, Caitlyn Johnson led a contingent of four Cal freshmen in the event, placing third with a time of 11.72.
Junior Roland Ruckmann-Barnes placed third in the men’s 5000m with a time of 14:45.40 that was just over his personal best, while classmate Lamarr Kirk Jr. took third in the 1500m with a personal-best 3:49.99. All five athletes competing in a Cal uniform posted personal bests in the women’s 1500m, with junior Addie Johnson (4:25.90) and senior Georgia McCorkle (4:27.89) respectively placing second and third.
Redshirt junior Will Siemens soared to a personal-best height of 5.20m (17-0.75) in the men’s pole vault to take the win, followed by freshman Kai Anderson in second place with a matching mark.
Freshman Salma Bejia made her collegiate debut in the women’s 800m, placing second with a time of 2:07.73. A Bear also took second place on the men’s side, as senior Caden Carney recorded a time of 1:52.47 in a race that went down to the wire.
In the throwing events, freshman Matas Mikulėnas won the men’s shot put with a mark of 16.42m (53-10.5), followed by classmate Eliot Traxler in second at 15.12m (49-7.25). Junior Lucija Leko took the win in the women’s competition with a mark of 15.52m (50-11), later placing second in the women’s discus with a mark of 48.25m (158-3). Redshirt junior Nik Iwankiw claimed the title in the men’s discus with a PR of nearly two meters (52.55m/17-25), followed by Traxler in second place (48.98m/157-5).
CAL INVITATIONAL – DAY TWO MEN’S RESULTS
100m – 5. Aidan Orias 10.66; 12. Chukwunonso Udeh 10.87; 23. Jakobi Smith 11.16
200m – 1. Wazell Wright 21.12 (PR); 6. Aidan Orias 21.60; 14. Ikembuchukwu Udeh 21.91 (PR)
400m – 1. Isaiah Shaw 46.77; 2. Arian Naim 48.73; 5. Ikembuchukwu Udeh 49.24 (PR); 7. Nathan Lee 49.66 (PR)
800m – 2. Caden Carney 1:52.47; 19. Zac Gibson 1:58.42
1500m – 3. Lamarr Kirk Jr. 3:49.99 (PR); 8. Gabriel Rodriguez 3:55.32; 14. Jack Paradise 3:57.31 (PR); 27. Bradley Arrey 4:03.30 (PR)
5000m – 3. Roland Ruckmann-Barnes 14:45.40; 14. Alexander Lodewick 15:10.37
400m Hurdles – 5. Daniel Chen 55.18; 7. Luke Tanguay 56.16
4x100m – 1. California (Aidan Orias, Isaiah Shaw, Wazell Wright, Javon Hampton Jr.) 40.47
High Jump – 1. Victor Ezike Jr. 2.14m/7-0.25; 3. Brandon Cheeks II 1.96m/6-5
Pole Vault – 1. Will Siemens 5.20m/17-0.75 (PR); 2. Kai Anderson 5.20m/17-0.75 (PR); – Parker Terrill NH
Long Jump – 1. Jason Plumb 7.54m/24-9; 3. Chukwunonso Udeh 7.20m/23-7.5; 4. Javon Hampton Jr. 7.18m/23-6.75; 6. Luke Buddie 6.94m/22-9.25; 9. Seth Johnson 6.58m/21-7.25; 13. David Brok 6.22m/20-5 (PR)
Triple Jump – 1. Jeremiah Bolaños 15.57m/51-1 (PR); 2. Kosi Nwafor 14.73m/48-4; 4. Frankie Cruz Jr. 13.94m/45-9 (PR)
Shot Put – 1. Matas Mikulėnas 16.42m/53-10.5 (PR); 2. Eliot Traxler 15.12m/49-7.25 (PR); 5. Antonio Bayon 11.66m/38-3.25 (PR)
Discus – 1. Nik Iwankiw 52.55m/172-5 (PR); 2. Eliot Traxler 47.98m/157-5 (PR); 5. Luke Buddie 40.17m/131-9; 8. Antonio Bayon 37.91m/124-4 (PR); 11. Seth Johnson 33.82m/110-11
CAL INVITATIONAL – DAY TWO WOMEN’S RESULTS
100m – 3. Caitlyn Johnson 11.72 (PR); 4. Paige Porter 11.97 (=PR); 7. Inara Ukawuba 12.05w (wind-aided PR); 8. Lauren Gilhooly 12.05 (PR); 12. Kaitlyn Williams 12.15 (PR); 15. Saqqara Ruffin 12.29; 17. Tiffany Williams 12.37 (PR)
200m – 1. Nairobi Smith 23.75 (PR); 3. Paige Porter 24.59 (PR); 12. Kaitlyn Williams 25.32 (wind-legal PR); 15. Diana Scott 25.46 (PR); 17. Tiffany Williams 25.73 (PR)
400m – 12. Diana Scott 57.73 (PR)
800m – 2. Salma Bejia 2:07.73 (PR); 12. Savannah Harris 2:18.66 (PR)
1500m – 2. Addie Johnson 4:25.90 (PR); 3. Georgia McCorkle 4:27.89 (PR); 4. Carolina Dawson 4:28.84 (PR); 7. Lily Montilla 4:33.00 (PR); 11. Sabine Kim 4:35.81 (PR)
100m Hurdles – 2. Inara Ukawuba 13.56 (PR, 9th Cal History); 3. Saqqara Ruffin 13.59; 6. Fallyn Gowans 14.23
400m Hurdles – 9. Jaya Westby 1:06.43
4x100m – 3. California (Caitlyn Johnson, Nairobi Smith, Tiffany Williams, Paige Porter) 46.20
High Jump – 2. Zahra Amos 1.67m/5-5.75); 5. Grace Reinhardt 1.62m/5-3.75; T6. Kimiko Hirahara 1.57m/5-1.75 (PR)
Pole Vault – 4. Shelly Coates 3.55m/11-7.75 (PR); 5. Anya Patel 3.40m/11-1.75 (PR)
Long Jump – 2. Avery Hart 5.70m/18-8.5 (PR)
Triple Jump – 1. Myla Canty 12.39m/40-7.75; 2. Avery Hart 12.11m/39-8.75 (PR); 3. Leah Anderson 11.94m/39-2.25
Shot Put – 1. Lucija Leko 15.52m/50-11
Discus – 2. Lucija Leko 48.25m/158-3
UP NEXT
The Bears will head to Los Angeles next week for the Bob Larsen Distance Carnival on March 27 and the Jim Bush Legends Meet on March 28.
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