BERKELEY, Calif. – California track & field and cross country welcomes 33 newcomers to the team for the 2018-19 school year. The 16 women and 17 men began classes last week at the number one public school in the world.
 
"We're very pleased with our recruiting class because we recruited very comprehensively around all of the event areas," director of track & field/cross country Tony Sandoval said. "We feel there are some freshman that can impact our program immediately."
 
The class has a heavy emphasis on distance running as 16 of the 33 account for long distance and five more will run mid-distance during track. All 21 of those runners will be training with the cross country team this fall.
 
The team will also welcome six sprinters, two throwers, two jumpers, one multis athlete and one pole vaulter to the squad this year.
 
Distance
Claire Bernd | Del Mar, Calif. | Canyon Crest Academy
McKenna Brown | Carlsbad, Calif. | La Costa Canyon HS
Kenna Clawson | Bellevue, Wash. | Issaquah HS
Brenley Goertzen | Woodbury, Minn. | East Ridge HS / TCU
Jasmine He | Arcadia, Calif. | Arcadia HS
Clarissa Nowag-Nelson | C.K. McClatchy High School | Sacramento, Calif.
Jessica Nye | Palos Verdes Estates, Calif. | Peninsula HS
Sydney Vandergrift | Elk Grove, Calif. | St. Francis HS
Marea Zlatunich | Aptos, Calif. | Aptos HS
Shane Bissell | Los Angeles, Calif. | Loyola HS
Colby Corcoran | Long Beach, Calif. | St. John Bosco HS
Xavier Court | Manhattan Beach, Calif. | Mira Costa HS
Colin FitzGerald | La Crescenta, Calif. | Crescenta Valley HS
Shyam Kumar | Saint Francis HS | Sunnyvale, Calif.
Ryan Peck | Marietta, Ga. | Wheeler HS / Georgia Tech
Trevor Woodward | Corona, Calif. | Centennial HS
 
The Bears will add nine women and seven men to the distance squad. Brenley Goertzen will impact the team as a transfer student after qualifying as an individual for the Cross Country Championship in the 2016 season while also finishing third at the Big-12 Championship. McKenna Brown joins the squad after a second place finish at the CIF State DIII Championship and winning the mile at the 2018 Arcadia Invitational. On the men's side, transfer Ryan Peck brings a 10K personal best of 30:33.40 into the fold as he should help the depth of a young men's squad. Trevor Woodward was a state finalist in the 3200m having run faster than 9:10 five times during the 2018 season. Xavier Court was also a finalist in the 3200m as he took third with a PR of 8:59.56. Colin FitzGerald will also look to contribute early as he took second at the Mt. Sac Invitational and second at the CIF D1 XC Championship last year while earning a 40^th place finish at the Nike Cross Country Nationals. 
 
Cross Country Head Coach Shayla Houlihan's take: "We're excited for the depth & enthusiasm this class brings to both genders. Arcadia mile champ McKenna Brown can make an immediate contribution both on the course and within team culture, her love for the sport and competition is contagious. There are going to be several men who have the ability to contribute this season but Colin Fitzgerald is looking the most ready to do so. He did a lot of work to prepare over the summer and he's a gritty competitor. The depth of the freshman class allows for some to make an immediate impact while others may take more time and be great competitors down the road. We've added a lot of depth to the program and we can't wait to watch them develop and thrive here." 
 
Mid-Distance
Mina Anglero | Oslo, Norway | Wang toppidrett
Kalea Ibarra | Riverside, Calif. | Riverside Poly HS
Marshall Brooker | San Diego, Calif. | Westview HS
Moises Medrano | Bakersfield, Calif. | Highland HS
Adam Saleh | San Jose, Calif. | Branham HS
 
The Bears add two women and three men to the mid-distance squad. Moises Medrano stands out as he took third place in the 800m at the CIF State Championship in 2017. This year he focused on the 1600m and took sixth at the State meet. He also recorded a top-10 finish at the 2017 DII CIF State Cross Country Championship. On the women's side, Kalea Ibarra joins the team after being a finalist in the 800m race last year. She recorded a personal best of 2:11.99 in the 800m and 57.55 in the 400m. Mina Anglero joins the team after recording a personal best of 2:07 in the 800m at the Bislett games despite just starting her running career in 2017.
 
Director of Track & Field Tony Sandoval's take: "We have some great additions who placed in the state meet last year. Moises Medrano and Kalea Ibarra should be able to help our program immediately. Mina Anglero is a versatile athlete who played basketball on the Norwegian Junior National Team and has looked good in her conversion to track."
 
Sprints
Ezinne Abba | Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. | Etiwanda HS
Sara East | Tarzana, Calif. | Chaminade HS
Maisie Stevens | Sydney, Australia | Kincoppal Rose Bay
Nicolas Bland | Walnut Creek, Calif. | Las Lomas HS
Blaise Carson | Roseville, Calif. | Antelope HS
Jasher Foster | Pasadena, Calif. | St. Francis HS / El Camino CC
 
The sprints group welcomes six newcomers split evenly on the men's and women's teams. The newcomers combined for three top-six finishes in the state meet last year. Maisie Stevens was a standout from Australia who has posted personal bests of 11.52 and 23.66 in the short sprints. Ezinne Abba took fifth in the 100m at the CIF State Championship in 2018. Blaise Carson (4x100m) and Nicolas Bland (400m) both claimed sixth-place finishes at the CIF State Championship during their high school careers. Jasher Foster comes to Cal after winning the Community College 110m hurdle championship. He has personal bests of 14.11 in the 110m hurdles and 52.46 in the 400m hurdles.
 
Associate Head Coach for Sprints, Hurdles and Relays Mike Gipson: "We are very pleased with this incoming class of sprinters and hurdlers. We searched inside the state and across the world to add talented depth to our squad. We add three runners who finished in the top six of their events at the CIF State Championship. Maisie Stevens brings some great international experience and Jasher Foster should keep Cal in the hurdle conversation in the Pac-12 Conference."
 
Jumps
Sydney Reid | Riverside, Calif. | John W. North HS
Jalyn Jackson | San Diego, Calif. | Eastlake HS
Hakim McMorris | Santa Ana, Calif. | McCallie
 
The Bears add three student-athletes to the jumps and multis group. Jalyn Jackson finished as the California state runner-up each of the last two years and won CIF Championships in the long jump and triple jump in 2017 and 2018. Hakim McMorris is the brother of track & field/football standout Malik McMorris. The younger McMorris has excelled, winning the Tennessee State Championship in the decathlon twice.
 
Jumps/Multis Coach Nick Newman's take: "The incoming jumps/multis class is small but powerful. Jalyn proved himself as one of the best horizontal jump talents in the country last season. I expect him to be an elite level performer when all said and done. Hakim is an exciting prospect; he has outstanding physical gifts and with patience and guidance can become one of the top multi eventers in the nation. Sydney is a diamond in the rough but one that I feel will shine sooner rather than later. She brings a great attitude and work ethic to the group and I am excited to help her develop."
 
Throws
Francesca Macias | Mission Viejo, Calif. | Mission Viejo HS
Gavin Fua | Long Beach, Calif. | Valley Christian HS
 
The Bears add two throwers to this year's team. Francesca Macias will join the women's team while Gavin Fua adds some depth to the men's squad. Fua took third in the California State Championships in the discus throw. He set a personal best of 188-0 feet which was fourth overall in the state.  That mark would have ranked 30^th in the NCAA last year. 
 
Throws Coach Mohamad Saatara's take: "Gavin is a very talented and motivated young man and he will become a key member of our men's throws squad as he develops his abilities."
 
Pole Vault
Tess Callan | Los Altos, Calif. | Los Altos HS
 
Cal adds freshman Tess Callan to the pole vault group. Callan is a former high level gymnast who began pole vaulting her senior year and progressed to a PR of 12 feet within 6 months of first learning the event, showcasing her aptitude for the event.
 
Pole Vault Coach Chris Smith's take: "I believe Tess has the physical attributes and athleticism to develop into a very competitive college pole vaulter. Several coaches including her personal high school coach believe that Tess has tremendous potential in the sport. These are opinions from coaches I have known for several years and have a great deal of respect for."