BERKELEY – The California track & field team opened up its outdoor season Saturday at Edwards Stadium, taking advantage of the sunny weather and mild temperature to record 12 event wins and three new program top-10 entries at the Cal Opener.
 
Cal earned wins in both the women's 100m hurdles and the men's 110m hurdles, courtesy of sophomore Mari Testa (13.60) and freshman Matt Gladney (14.57). Testa's time was the eighth-fastest in Cal history and a career improvement of .51 seconds, while junior Saqqara Ruffin took second in 13.82 – a .33 second PR – to tie for 10th-fastest all-time at Cal. Freshman Fallyn Gowans rounded out the group with a third-place time of 14.43, also a personal best.
 
Junior pole vaulter Parker Terrill, fresh off his program indoor top-10 mark at the ACC Indoor Championships, made his debut on Cal's outdoor top-10 list with a third-place mark of 5.25m (17-2.75) that eclipsed his previous personal best by more than six inches. Redshirt junior Tyler Burns, who will compete at the NCAA Indoor Championships next week, took second place with 5.35m (17-6.5), while redshirt sophomore Will Siemens (4.95m/16-2.75), redshirt sophomore David Brok (4.65m/15-3) and junior Luke Millam (4.35m/14-3.25) all recorded personal bests. Junior Ali Sahaida won the women's competition, posting a mark of 4.15m (13-7.25).
 
Cal took home wins in both the men's and women's long jump, sweeping the podium in the former and earning two of the top-three finishes in the latter. For the men, sophomore Javon Hampton Jr. posted a massive wind-aided personal best of 7.44m (24-5) to lead the field, followed by freshmen Brandon Rush (6.95m/22-9.75) and Brandon Cheeks (6.83m/22-5). Fifth-year Yuki Hamachi claimed the women's title with a leap of 5.60m (18-4.5) while classmate Jade Neser posted a mark of 5.54m/18-1.25 in her long jump debut.
 
The Bears also won both the women's and men's triple jump: in the former, sophomore Myla Canty placed first with a leap of 12.65m (41-6) while junior Leah Anderson took second at 12.24m (40-2), while sophomore Jeremiah Bolaños took first on the men's side at 15.01m (49-3), classmate Victor Ezike Jr. claimed third at 13.90m (45-7.25) and redshirt freshman Khang Nguyen (13.31m/43-8) made his Cal debut. In the high jump, senior Riley Knott took second place with a clearance of 2.03m (6-8), while Cheeks II posted his collegiate best at 1.93m (6-4); meanwhile, sophomore Ashanti Elie placed third in the women's contest with a leap of 1.63m (5-4.25).
 
The men's 1500m race saw all six competitors notch new personal bests. Redshirt sophomore Rowan FitzGerald claimed the winning time with a six-second PR of 3:49.48, followed by freshman Zac Gibson at 3:52.91 and redshirt freshman Alexander Lodewick at 3:53.40 – also a six-second PR. Sophomore Julian Doak (3:55.64), freshman Gabriel Rodriguez (3:56.78) and freshman Michael Rodriguez (4:11.00) rounded out the group. On the women's side, the Bears went 2-3 as junior Georgia McCorkle finished second in 4:36.19 and classmate Carolina Dawson in third with a personal-best 4:37.42. Dawson was Cal's top finisher in the 800m race with her time of 2:17.90, whereas McCorkle posted a personal-best 2:22.83 in the event; in the men's race, sophomore Lamarr Kirk Jr. placed second with a time of 1:54.48.
 
Cal posted top-three finishes in both the women's and men's 3000m thanks to PRs from freshmen Sarah Perkins (9:48.61, second) and Sam Franco (8:18.04, third), while Amelia Wardle-Stacey (9:51.58), Roland Ruckmann-Barnes (8:34.96) and Dylan Bissell (8:46.39) also recorded career-best times in the event.
 
Both the women's and men's 100m races featured a veritable slew of PRs for the Cal sprinters. Senior Jaymie Ruskovich took third place for the women with a time of 11.95, while six teammates earned collegiate, wind-legal or all-time bests behind her: freshman Paige Porter (11.97), Testa (11.98), Ruffin (12.12), junior Zanae Woods (12.13), Gowans (12.53) and Hamachi (13.17). Freshmen Wazell Wright (10.73w), Aidan Orias (10.87w), Jakobi Smith (10.93) and Aaron Yang (11.30) all set personal records in the men's race, with Smith posting a .35-second improvement. Wright, Orias and Smith, along with senior Chase Williams, also competed in the 4x100m relay and placed second with a time of 41.17.
 
In the 200m, Smith's sister Nairobi Smith posted a new collegiate PR with her winning time of 24.45 – also improving her previous best by .35 seconds – while Ruskovich finished in a second-place 24.45 and Paige Porter in 24.77 for another collegiate PR. Standout junior Johnny Goode won the men's 200m with a personal-best time of 21.05, followed by PRs from senior Aiden Lippert (21.27 – second place), sophomore Avinash Schwarzkopf (21.49), Jakobi Smith (22.29), Gladney (23.04), Knott (23.13w) and redshirt sophomore Luke Buddie (23.27w). Lippert's, Schwarzkopf's and Gladney's times each improved their previous career bests by over half a second. 
 
One of the largest PRs of the day belonged to junior Daniel Chen in the 400m hurdles, shaving his time by 1.79 seconds to 53.73. He was followed in the standings by freshmen Luke Tanguay (56.13) and Owen Foley (57.00), who were each making their debuts in the event. Junior Loreal Wilson won the women's 400m hurdles race with a time of 1:00.42, while freshman Jaya Westby posted a time of 1:05.12 in her event debut.
 
Senior Charlie Dang represented Cal's throwers in the men's discus, claiming the win at 50.73m (166-5). Buddie, a decathlete, posted career bests in both the discus (39.78m/130-6) and shot put (12.50m/41-0.25).

CAL OPENER – MEN'S RESULTS
100m – 4. Chase Williams 10.61w; 5. Wazell Wright 10.73w (collegiate PR); 11. Aidan Orias 10.87w (collegiate PR); 14. Jakobi Smith 10.93 (PR); 28. Aaron Yang 11.30 (collegiate PR); 34. Luke Buddie 11.52
200m – 1. Johnny Goode 21.05 (PR); 2. Aiden Lippert 21.27 (PR); 4. Avinash Schwarzkopf 21.49 (PR); 6. Isaiah Shaw 21.60; 9. Chase Williams 22.03; 14. Jakobi Smith 22.29 (PR); 17. Aidan Orias 22.47; 18. Wazell Wright 22.57; 26. Matt Gladney 23.04 (PR); 27. Riley Knott 23.13w (PR); 30. Aaron Yang 23.17; 35. Luke Buddie 23.27w (PR)
800m – 2. Lamarr Kirk Jr. 1:54.48 (collegiate PR); 10. Rowan FitzGerald 1:57.45
1500m – 1. Rowan FitzGerald 3:49.48 (PR); 2. Zac Gibson 3:52.91 (PR); 3. Alexander Lodewick 3:53.40 (PR); 6. Julian Doak 3:55.64 (PR); 7. Gabriel Rodriguez 3:56.78 (PR); 18. Michael Rodriguez 4:11.00 (PR)
3000m – 3. Sam Franco 8:18.04 (PR); 4. Antoine Moret 8:23.50; 10. Roland Ruckmann-Barnes 8:34.96 (PR); 17. Dylan Bissell 8:46.39 (PR)
110m Hurdles – 1. Matt Gladney 14.57 (PR)
400m Hurdles – 4. Daniel Chen 53.73 (PR); 6. Luke Tanguay 56.13 (PR); 10. Owen Foley 57.00 (PR)
4x100m – 2. California 41.17 (Aidan Orias, Chase Williams, Wazell Wright, Jakobi Smith)
High Jump – 2. Riley Knott 2.03m/6-8; 4. Brandon Cheeks II 1.93m/6-4 (collegiate PR); T6. Chukwunonso Udeh 1.83m/6-0
Pole Vault – 2. Tyler Burns 5.35m/17-6.5; 3. Parker Terrill 5.25m/17-2.75 (PR, 10th Cal History); 4. Will Siemens 4.95m/16-2.75 (PR); 5. David Brok 4.65m/15-3 (PR); T6. Luke Millam 4.35m/14-3.25 (PR)
Long Jump – 1. Javon Hampton Jr. 7.44mw/24-5 (wind-aided PR); 2. Brandon Rush 6.95m/22-9.75 (collegiate PR); 3. Brandon Cheeks II (6.83m/22-5)
Triple Jump – 1. Jeremiah Bolaños 15.01m/49-3; 3. Victor Ezike Jr. 13.90m/45-7.25; 6. Khang Nguyen 13.31m/43-8 (collegiate PR)
Shot Put – 7. Luke Buddie 12.50m/41-0.25 (PR)
Discus – 1. Charlie Dang 50.73m/166-5; 4. Luke Buddie 39.78m/130-6 (PR)
 
CAL OPENER – WOMEN'S RESULTS
100m – 3. Jaymie Ruskovich 11.95; 4. Paige Porter 11.97 (collegiate PR); 5. Mari Testa 11.98 (PR); 9. Saqqara Ruffin 12.12 (PR); 10. Zanae Woods 12.13 (wind-legal PR); 11. Masina Mayo 12.28; 15. Fallyn Gowans 12.53 (PR); 30. Yuki Hamachi 13.17 (PR)
200m – 1. Nairobi Smith 24.33 (wind-legal PR); 2. Jaymie Ruskovich 24.45; 5. Paige Porter 24.77 (collegiate PR); 8. Masina Mayo 25.30
800m – 4. Carolina Dawson 2:17.90; 6. Ava Kopec 2:19.07; 9. Georgia McCorkle 2:22.83 (PR); 23. Emilie Barrett 2:32.88
1500m – 2. Georgia McCorkle 4:36.19; 3. Carolina Dawson 4:37.42 (PR)
3000m – 2. Sarah Perkins 9:48.61 (PR); 4. Amelia Wardle-Stacey 9:51.58 (PR)
100m Hurdles – 1. Mari Testa 13.60 (PR, 8th Cal History); 2. Saqqara Ruffin 13.82 (PR, T-10th Cal History); 3. Fallyn Gowans 14.43 (PR)
400m Hurdles – 1. Loreal Wilson 1:00.42; 6. Jaya Westby 1:05.12 (PR)
High Jump – 3. Ashanti Elie 1.63m/5-4.25; T6. Adriana Ellard 1.58m/5-2.25; - Mara Lampsas NH
Pole Vault – 1. Ali Sahaida 4.15m/13-7.25
Long Jump – 1. Yuki Hamachi 5.60m/18-4.25; 3. Jade Neser 5.54m/18-2.25 (PR)
Triple Jump – 1. Myla Canty 12.65m/41-6; 2. Leah Anderson 12.24m/40-2
Javelin – 4. Adriana Ellard 32.89m/107-11; 6. Yuki Hamachi 28.64m/93-11
 
 
UP NEXT
Cal's four NCAA Indoor Championships qualifiers will head to Virginia Beach, Virginia, on March 14-15. The outdoor season continues for the Bears at the Hornet Invitational on March 21-22.
 
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