May 1, 2011

STANFORD - Kristen Meister was barely a year old when Beth Vidakovits cleared 6-0.75 in the women's high jump to establish the Cal record in the event. But on Saturday night at the Payton Jordan Invitational, Meister put her name atop the Golden Bear list when she won the event at 6-1.25 to break the 22-year-old mark.

"Kristen is on fire with her jumping right now," director of track & field Tony Sandoval said. "Not only did she have a record clearance tonight, but she had some close misses at 6-2. She is primed for the championship portion of our season."

Meister had nearly cleared 6-0 in the high jump several times in her career previously, but had not quite been able to surpass the barrier. She went 5-11.50 indoors at the UW Invitational in 2009 and 5-11.25 as recently as two weeks ago at the Big Meet.

On Saturday, Meister went over the bar cleanly in her first two attempts at 5-7.25 and 5-9.25. After taking two tries to get over at 5-11.25, she cleared 6-1.25 on her third and final attempt.

Entering this weekend's action, only one collegian had jumped higher than Meister's 6-1.25 this season Arizona's Brigetta Barrett posted a mark of 6-2.75 at the Mt. SAC Relays.

The Bears also did well in the men's high jump Saturday. Brian Carmichael set a season best with a clearance of 6-11.75, just off his PR of 7-0.25 from last year's Pac-10 Championships; Nick Ridge improved his PR to 6-9.75 (up from 6-8.00 earlier this season); and Mike Tracy equaled his PR with a mark of 6-8.00. Former Cal star Ed Wright, competing unattached, won the event at 7-3.75.

In the women's 5000 meters, a pair of Bear seniors set lifetime bests and moved into Cal's all-time top 10. Alison Greggor was sixth in 16:16.86 (No. 5 in school history), while Rowena Tam was clocked in 16:24.35 (No. 7).

Freshman Chioma Amaechi improved her lifetime best by nearly four feet with a throw of 189-2 in the women's hammer that moved her from sixth to fourth on Cal's all-time performer list, just ahead of teammate Linda Oseso. Amaechi's mark was the best by a Golden Bear in four seasons. In addition to her third-place finish in the event, she upped her PR in the shot put to 49-7.25 (No. 8 in Cal history).

Patrick Kowalsky was fourth in the men's discus, but set a season best with an effort of 161-9.

Chase Wheeler won men's 100 meters in 10.76 seconds, nearly a tenth of a second ahead of runner-up Sam Michener of Idaho, who was timed in 10.85.

In the women's sprints, Cherrelle Garrett claimed with 100 meters in 11.68 and took second in the 200 in a season-best 23.86.

Sofia Oberg lowered her Cal PR in the 1500 to 4:20.06, which puts her alone at No. 5 on Cal's all-time performer list.

The women's 3000-meter steeplechase saw Taylor Bryson bring down her PR by six seconds to 10:43.68. She remains fourth on the school's performer chart.

Payton Jordan Invitational
Sunday, May 01, 2011 / Stanford, Calif.

Complete Results

California Results
Men
100 meters - 1. Chase Wheeler 10.76

200 meters - 1. Ray Stewart 21.61

400 meters - 5. Daniel Davis 49.23; 6. Tojsh Kennedy 49.38; 10. Michael Morrison 51.44

1500 meters (Section 4) - 2. Jordan Locklear 3:48.08

5000 meters (Section 3) - 2. Maxime Chevee 14:09.40; 20. Kari Karlsson 14:51.18

5000 meters (Section 1) - Michael Coe DNF

110-meter hurdles - 3. Aaron Burney 14.68; 5. Michael Morrison 14.92; 6. Ikem Okwudiafor 15.47

High Jump - 3. Brian Carmichael 6-11.75 (2.13m); 4. Nick Ridge 6-9.75 (2.08m); 5. Mike Tracy 6-8.00 (2.03m)

Pole Vault - 3. Connor Landry 16-2.75 (4.95m)

Long Jump - 4. Taylor Kientzel-Means 22-5.75w (6.85m) (wind +2.9); Chad Jones NM

Triple Jump - 3. Taylor Kientzel-Means 46-5.50 (14.16m); Chad Jones NM

Shot Put - 3. Patrick Kowalsky 55-0.00 (16.76m); 9. Kevin Kuechler 37-2.50 (11.34m)

Discus - 4. Patrick Kowalsky 161-9 (49.31m); 9. Jeff Butler 147-1 (44.83m); 11. Mike Morrison 128-5 (39.14m); 12. Kevin Kuechler 114-5 (34.88m)

Women
100 meters - 1. Cherrelle Garrett 11.68; 4. Kayla Dixon 11.93; 8. Emani Truluck 12.44

200 meters - 2. Cherrelle Garrett 23.86; 4. Kayla Dixon 24.25; 8. Emani Truluck 25.21

400 meters - 4. Hayley Huxtable 58.35

1500 meters (Section 4) - 15. Taylor Dutch 4:34.74

1500 meters (Section 3) - Chelsea Reilly DNF

1500 meters (Section 2) - 8. Sofia Oberg 4:20.06

5000 meters - 6. Alison Greggor 16:16.86; 9. Rowena Tam 16:24.35

100-meter hurdles - 11. Dantia Hudson 14.87

400-meter hurdles - 8. Shannon Forbes 1:06.90; 9. LAureina Toler 1:08.05

3000-meter steeplechase (Section 2) - 14. Taylor Bryson 10:43.68

High Jump - 1. Kristen Meister 6-1.25 (1.86m)*; 4. Gianna Fernandez 5-7.25 (1.71m); 6. Kristin Rimbach 5-7.25 (1.71m); 11. Natalie Hoage 5-1.25 (1.56m)

Pole Vault - 6. Theresa Raub 12-7.50 (3.85m); 9. Nicole Larson 11-1.75 (3.40m)

Long Jump - 6. Robyn Hunte 18-3.75 (5.58m)

Triple Jump - 2. Gianna Tinetti 36-8.25 (11.18m)

Shot Put - 3. Chioma Amaechi 49-7.25 (15.12m); 4. Linda Oseso 46-0.00 (14.02m)

Discus - 5. Kendall Morris 147-5 (44.93m); 8. Chioma Amaechi 140-11 (42.96m); 9. Clinay Cameron 127-4 (38.82m)

Hammer - 3. Chioma Amaechi 189-2 (57.65m); 4. Linda Oseso 178-3 (54.33m); 5. Kiely Smith 177-3 (54.04m); 9. Clinay Cameron 121-5 (37.00m)