James Molgaard / KLC fotos
Nairobi Smith currently leads the ACC and is eighth on the NCAA’s 100m list for the 2026 outdoor season.
Cal Honors Graduating Seniors At Edwards Stadium
BERKELEY – The California track & field team posted a pair of program top-10 times and took home 15 event wins Saturday at the final day of the Brutus Hamilton Invitational at Edwards Stadium, also closing out its 2026 home campaign by honoring its graduating seniors.
Â
Stellar sophomore sprinter Nairobi Smith competed in her first collegiate 100m race and positively dominated, winning by .2 seconds with a time of 11.25 – second-fastest in Golden Bear history (thus bringing her total of program top-10 times this season to three) and a new meet record, surpassing the previous benchmark of 11.28 set by Oregon’s Jadyn Mays in 2024. She now trails only alumna Ezinne Abba (who posted a time of 11.12 in 2022) in the Cal record books and currently leads the ACC by .04 seconds, also rising into a tie for No. 8 nationally.
Â
“This year, I would say that studying the sport, being patient and trusting in my coach’s race plan has helped me improve the most,” Smith, who took 200m bronze at the ACC Indoor Championships, said. “I’ve also put a lot of focus on elevating my mindset through journaling.”
Â
Junior Justin Pretre took first place in the men’s mile with an outdoor PR of 4:01.79. The 4x100m relay squad of Aidan Orias, Isaiah Shaw, Wazell Wright and Javon Hampton Jr. combined for a winning season best of 40.11, while sophomore Inara Ukawuba rose from No. 9 to No. 7 in program 100m hurdles history with her winning time of 13.40 to lead a Cal podium sweep.
Â
Senior Ali Sahaida continued her stellar 2026 campaign with a win in the women’s pole vault, clearing the bar at 4.16m (13-7.75). Redshirt junior Seth Johnson posted a trio of outdoor personal bests and two event titles, claiming a wind-aided victory of 14.07 in the 110m hurdles before out-throwing the rest of the javelin field with a mark of 57.27m/187-10.
Â
Redshirt freshman Miles Clark led another Cal podium sweep in the men’s hammer, posting a personal-best throw of 62.18m (204-0) to claim victory. The Bears also claimed the top-five spots in the women’s hammer, with the title going to sophomore Valentina Savva and her season-best 67.75m (222-3).
Â
Redshirt junior Nik Iwankiw’s standout season continued with a personal best in his third consecutive meet, launching the discus 53.75m (176-4). Freshman Matas Mikulenas earned his second outdoor title in the men’s shot put with a mark of 15.99m (52-5.5), while junior Lucija Leko claimed victory for the women with a throw of 14.84m (48-8.25).
Â
Graduate Zahra Amos posted a season-best mark of 1.72m (5-7.75) in the women’s high jump to earn her first win for the Bears. Sophomore Brandon Cheeks II recorded a winning leap of 7.14m (23-5.25) in the men’s long jump, after which senior Leah Anderson recorded a win in the women’s triple jump with a best mark of 12.15m (39-10.5).
Â
BRUTUS HAMILTON INVITATIONAL – MEN’S RESULTS
100m – 3. Aidan Orias 10.63; 6. Wazell Wright 10.75 (=wind-legal PR); 7. Javon Hampton Jr. 10.76; 14. Chukwunonso Udeh 10.93; 21. Jakobi Smith 11.03; 23. Jason Plumb 11.06; 50. Josh Myers 11.31 (PR)
200m – 2. Wazell Wright 21.43; 21. Jakobi Smith 22.29 (=PR); – Isaiah Shaw DNF; – Ikembuchukwu Udeh DNF
400m – 3. Arian Naim 47.98 (PR); 8. Nathan Lee 49.64 (PR); 15. Ikembuchukwu Udeh 50.20
Mile – 1. Justin Pretre 4:01.79 (PR); 2. Caden Carney 4:09.88 (PR); 4. Bradley Arrey 4:18.68 (PR); 5. Alexander Lodewick 4:21.20 (PR); 6. Julian Doak 4:22.39 (PR); 7. Gabriel Rodriguez 4:23.35 (PR); 15. Jack Paradise 4:35.97 (PR)
110m Hurdles – 1. Seth Johnson 14.07w (wind-aided PR)
400m Hurdles – 4. Luke Tanguay 55.03 (PR); 5. Daniel Chen 55.23
4x100m Relay – 1. California (Aidan Orias, Isaiah Shaw, Wazell Wright, Javon Hampton Jr.) 40.11
Pole Vault – 2. Will Siemens 5.21m/17-1 (PR); 3. Parker Terrill 5.06m/16-7.25; 4. Kai Anderson 4.91m/16-1.25; T8. Seth Johnson 4.46m/14-7.5
Long Jump – 1. Brandon Cheeks II 7.14m/23-5.25; 11. Antonio Bayon 6.51m/21-0.5 (PR); 13. Victor Ezike Jr. 6.31m/20-8.5; 15. David Brok 6.13m/20-1.5
Triple Jump – 2. Jeremiah Bolaños 15.04m/50-5.25; 4. Brandon Rush 14.50m/47-7 (PR); 6. Frankie Cruz Jr. 14.15m/46-5.25
Shot Put – 1. Matas Mikulenas 15.99m/52-5.5; 3. Eliot Traxler 15.23m/49-11.75 (PR)
Discus – 1. Nik Iwankiw 53.75m/176-4 (PR); 2. Eliot Traxler 48.51m/159-2
Hammer – 1. Miles Clark 62.18m/204-0 (PR); 2. Kai Barham 59.63m/195-7; 3. Kai Burich 58.63m/192-4
Javelin – 1. Seth Johnson 57.257m/187-10 (PR)
Â
BRUTUS HAMILTON INVITATIONAL – WOMEN’S RESULTS
100m – 1. Nairobi Smith 11.25 (PR, 2nd Cal History); 5. Inara Ukawuba 11.98 (PR); 6. Paige Porter 12.00; 19. Tiffany Williams 12.41; 20. Kaitlyn Williams 12.42; 21. Saqqara Ruffin 12.43; 22. Lauren Gilhooly 12.43; 42. Fallyn Gowans 12.88
200m – 3. Paige Porter 24.47 (PR); 7. Kaitlyn Williams 24.96 (PR); 11. Diana Scott 25.16w (wind-aided PR)
400m – 9. Diana Scott 57.78
800m – 4. Lily Montilla 2:17.30 (PR); 5. Savannah Harris 2:18.34 (PR)
100m Hurdles – 1. Inara Ukawuba 13.40 (PR, 7th Cal History); 2. Saqqara Ruffin 13.57; 3. Fallyn Gowans 13.98
400m Hurdles – 17. Jaya Westby 1:07.51
High Jump – 1. Zahra Amos 1.72m/5-7.75; 5. Kimiko Hirahara 1.62m/5-3.75 (PR); T9. Grace Reinhardt-Perez 1.62m/5-3.75
Pole Vault – 1. Ali Sahaida 4.16m/13-7.75; 11. Anya Patel 3.55m/11-7.75 (PR)
Triple Jump – 1. Leah Anderson 12.15m/39-10.5
Shot Put – 1. Lucija Leko 14.84m/48-8.25
Hammer – 1. Valentina Savva 67.75m/222-3; 2. Audrey Jacobs 64.05m/210-1; 3. Adrianna Coleman 62.33m/204-6; 4. Isabella Popejoy 56.60m/185-8 (PR); 5. Angie Schykerynec 55.04m/180-7
Javelin – 3. Grace Reinhardt-Perez 39.04m/128-1 (PR)
Â
UP NEXT
The Bears will head to Stanford on April 11 for the 131st Big Meet, held this year at Cobb Track and Angell Field.
Â
STAY POSTED
For complete coverage of Cal track & field, follow the Bears on X (@CalTFXC), Instagram (@caltfxc) and Facebook (@Cal Cross Country/Track and Field).
Â