SAN DIEGO – California track & field put on a solid showing at the Aztec Invitational this weekend, improving upon its already-solid start to the outdoor season after a two-day competition. The men finished second of Division I teams with 101 points, while the women came in eighth of 18 with 40.5 points.
 
In all, the Golden Bears recorded 5 new program top 10s, bringing their outdoor season total to 14.
 
All three Cal representatives in the men's hammer throw scored for the Bears, with junior Ivar Moisander's winning toss of 69.05m (226-6) moving him from No. 5 to No. 3 on the program all-time list. Senior Kegan Schroeter finished fourth at 66.41m (217-10), while junior Michael Gupta threw a new personal best of 63.69m (208-11) to climb to No. 10 in Cal history.
 
Following their successful indoor seasons, sophomore Tyler Burns and senior Skyler Magula made their 2023 outdoor debuts on Saturday, with Burns placing first in the pole vault at 5.55m (18-25); as of Saturday morning, that mark would surpass all other collegians in the nation and also brought him up from eighth to third in program history. Magula placed third in the event at 5.35m (17-6.5), earning his own entry on Cal's all-time program list at No. 6.
 
Senior Iffy Joyner, who finished fourth at the NCAA Outdoor Championships last year, opened his season today by placing second in the discus at 60.08m (197-1) to score for Cal, while junior Justin Wirtz added points of his own with a sixth-place whirl of 52.98m (173-10) – his best mark since last year's Aztec Invitational. Not to be outdone, junior Jake Porter added a second-place finish of his own in the shot put, posting a mark of 17.61m (57-9.5).
 
The men's 4x100m relay of sophomore David Foster, junior George Monroe, senior Riley Hunt and junior Samir Thota accumulated a fourth-place time of 40.01, adding further points to the Bears' total; other scorers for the Cal men included senior Henry Larkin (fourth, 47.03) and sophomore Isaiah Shaw (fifth, 47.29) in the 400m, senior Hakim McMorris in both the long jump (fourth, 7.29m/23-11) and the 110m hurdles (seventh, 14.20), sophomore Di'Niko Bates in the 110m hurdles (sixth, 14.05) and the 400m hurdles (sixth, 54.24), junior Will Sornberger (fourth, 53.94) in the 400m hurdles and sophomore Riley Knott (tied-seventh, 2.00m/6-6.75) in the high jump, as well as Foster's additional fifth-place time of 10.52 in the 100m.
 
The lone program top 10 mark on the women's side came courtesy of sophomore Gabrielle Pack, who posted a personal best pole vault mark of 4.02m (13-2.25) to land her at ninth in Cal history and win her flight. That height was matched by senior Amari Turner, the reigning Pac-12 Women's Field Athlete of the Week, to place sixth overall and record further points for the Bears.
 
Previously, senior Anna Purchase had kicked off competition for the women by winning the hammer throw, posting a mark of 67.05m (219-11) in her outdoor opener, while classmate Ijeoma Uche placed third in the long jump with her leap of 6.00m (19-8.25). Other scorers for the Cal women included senior Asha Fletcher (fourth place, triple jump, 12.79m/41-11.5; tied-eighth place, long jump, 5.81m/19-0.75), sophomore Toby Lai (fifth place, high jump, 1.70m/5-7), junior Jada Hicks (fifth place, 100m hurdles, 13.60), senior Jazlynn Shearer (seventh place, 100m hurdles, 13.83) and senior Felicia Renelus (seventh place, triple jump, 12.43m/40-9.5).
 
The Bears will split their squad next weekend, sending a coalition to the 95^th Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays in Austin, Texas (March 30-April 1) and the rest back to Stanford for the Stanford Invitational (March 31-April 1).
 
Results - Men
Hammer: 1. Ivar Moisander 69.05m/226-6 (3^rd Cal history) (PR); 4. Kegan Schroeter 66.41m/217-10; 6. Michael Gupta 63.69m/208-11 (10^th Cal history) (PR)
Pole Vault: 1. Tyler Burns 5.55m/18-2.5 (3^rd Cal history) (PR); 3. Skyler Magula 5.35m/17-6.5 (6^th Cal history) (PR)
4x100m Relay: 4. California (Foster, Monroe, Hunt, Thota) 40.41
110m Hurdles: 6. Di'Niko Bates 14.05 (PR); 7. Hakim McMorris 14.20; 10. Riley Hunt 14.40; 21. Riley Knott 16.70
Shot Put: 2. Jake Porter 17.61m/57-9.5
400m: 4. Henry Larkin 47.03; 5. Isaiah Shaw 47.29 (PR)
100m: 5. David Foster 10.52; 28. Riley Hunt 11.04 (PR)
Long Jump: 4. Hakim McMorris 7.29m/23-11; 10. Jason Plumb 6.87m/22-6.5; 25. Cole Whatley 6.51m/21-4.25 (wind-legal PR)
High Jump: T7. Riley Knott 2.00m/6-6.75
400m Hurdles: 4. Will Sornberger 53.94; 6. Di'Niko Bates 54.24
200m: 13. George Monroe 21.59; 23. David Foster 21.98; 25. Samir Thota 21.99
Discus: 2. Iffy Joyner 60.08m/197-1; 6. Justin Wirtz 52.98m/173-10; 18. Hakim McMorris 42.44m/139-3 (PR); 25. Riley Knott 37.90m/124-4 (PR)
 
Results – Women
Hammer: 1. Anna Purchase 67.05m/219-11; 10. Rebecca Tomann 53.00m/173-10; 18. Sara Pettinger 47.90m/157-2 (PR); - Destiny Okoh FOUL; - Audrey Jacobs FOUL
High Jump: 5. Toby Lai 1.70m/5-7 (PR)
100m Hurdles: 5. Jada Hicks 13.60; 7. Jazlynn Shearer 13.83; 33. Torre Anderson 15.53
Long Jump: 3. Ijeoma Uche 6.00m/19-8.25; T8. Asha Fletcher 5.81m/19-0.75; T35. Torre Anderson 5.13m/16-10
400m: 22. Loreal Wilson 58.10 (PR)
100m: 18. Jada Hicks 12.11
400m Hurdles: 10. Jordyn Grady 1:01.19 (PR); 12. Loreal Wilson 1:01.86 (PR)
Discus: 13. Sara Pettinger 45.77/150-2
Triple Jump: 4. Asha Fletcher 12.79m/41-11.5; 7. Felicia Renelus 12.43m/40-9.5
Pole Vault (Open): 6. Amari Turner 4.02m/13-2.25; 7. Gabrielle Pack 4.02m/13-2.25 (9^th Cal history) (PR); T10. Ali Sahaida 3.87m/12-8.25; – Kylie Hilton NH
 
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