BERKELEY– After a historic outdoor season that saw California track & field set four new school records, nine meet records and an under-23 world record, the Golden Bears are ready for their toughest test yet as they head down to Walnut this weekend for the Pac-12 Championships at Hilmer Lodge Stadium.
 
Friday's events will begin with the women's heptathlon at 1:30 p.m. PT, while Saturday's competition starts at 11:30 with day two of the men's decathlon. Team champions will be crowned on Sunday following the last of the contests, which begin with the men's discus at 11 a.m.
 
"This year's squad is notable for the underclassmen stepping up their game," Director of Track & Field/Cross Country Robyne Johnson said. "It's a testament to our staff getting everyone ready to go this weekend and beyond. It's not just about this meet – we're always trying to make our mark both nationally and internationally.
 
"We've been building toward this meet through the whole year," she continued, "and we're looking forward to finally seeing how our kids line up against the best in the conference. It's been a lot of fun seeing people continue to get better and push the limits of their abilities."
 
Currently, Cal's men are ranked second in the conference, while the women are listed at No. 7. The team has collected five Pac-12 Field Athlete of the Week awards this season, with three of the men's awards going to sophomore Mykolas Alekna, a fourth to classmate Tyler Burns, and the lone women's award to senior Amari Turner.
 
Cal looks to put together a well-rounded showing this weekend, as no fewer than nine of its event squads are ranked in the nation's top-25 lists (men's discus, men's decathlon, women's hammer, men's pole vault, men's hammer, women's pole vault, men's 110m hurdles, men's high jump and men's 400m). No fewer than 10 athletes rank in the conference's top-five in their respective events; as the current collegiate discus record-holder, Alekna sits at No. 1 overall, as does women's hammer thrower Anna Purchase, decathlete Hakim McMorris, and both Burns and Skyler Magula in the men's pole vault. In total, the Bears have 43 total marks on the Pac-12's top-10 lists.
 
Tentative Entries – Pac-12 Championships (Top-10 Conference Rankings and Season Bests notated)
 
MEN
100m: No. 8 David Foster (10.30 – No. 2 Cal history); George Monroe (10.45); Gavin Schurr (10.59)
200m: George Monroe (21.25); Gavin Schurr (21.60)
400m: Aiden Lippert (46.38 – No. 10 Cal history); Henry Larkin (46.73); Isaiah Shaw (47.11)
1500m: No. 7 Garrett MacQuiddy (3:44.18)
110m Hurdles: No. 3 Hakim McMorris (14.00); No. 4 Di'Niko Bates (14.05); No. 6 Riley Hunt (14.09)
400m Hurdles: No. 7 Will Sornberger (52.21); No. 8 Aiden Baker (52.50); No. 10 Di'Niko Bates (53.18)
4x100m Relay: No. 8 David Foster/George Monroe/Hakim McMorris/Gavin Schurr (39.93) (alt: Riley Hunt)
4x400m Relay: No. 5 Isaiah Shaw/Hakim McMorris/Aiden Lippert/Henry Larkin (3:06.54) (alt: Will Sornberger)
High Jump: No. 3 Jai Williams (2.11m/6-11); No. 8 Riley Knott (2.02m/6-7.5)
Pole Vault: No. T1 Tyler Burns (5.55m/18-2.5 – No. 3 Cal history); No. T1 Skyler Magula (5.55m/18-2.5 – No. 3 Cal history); No. 8 Parker Terrill (5.01m/16-5.25); Jono Pelusi (4.90m/16-0.75)
Long Jump: No. T8 Hakim McMorris (7.45m/24-5.5)
Triple Jump: No. 9 Isaiah Shaw (14.14m/47-3.5)
Shot Put: No. 6 Jeff Duensing (18.91m/62-0.5 – No. 7 Cal history); No. 7 Jake Porter (17.68m/57-10.5)
Discus: No. 1 Mykolas Alekna (71.00m/232-11 – No. 1 Collegiate history); No. 5 Iffy Joyner (60.14m/197-3); Justin Wirtz (53.79m/176-6)
Hammer: No. 3 Kegan Schroeter (70.21m/230-4 – No. 1 Cal history); No. 5 Ivar Moisander (69.05m/226-6 – No. 3 Cal history); Michael Gupta (63.69m/208-11 – No. 10 Cal history)
Javelin: Riley Knott (52.25m/171-5)
Decathlon: No. 8 Jono Pelusi (6355); No. 9 Seth Johnson (6207); No. 10 Cole Whatley (6116)
 
WOMEN
100m: No. T5 Aysha Shaheed (11.42 – No. 5 Cal history); Makhaila Mills (11.73)
200m: Aysha Shaheed (23.43 – No. 4 Cal history); Makhaila Mills (24.74)
400m: Ryan Lacefield (54.76); Jayden Hill (55.66)
1500m: Claire Yerby (4:16.41 – No. 2 Cal history); Lucy Hurt (4:31.63); Georgia McCorkle (4:32.47)
5000m: Georgia McCorkle (16:42.46)
100m Hurdles: No. 6 Jada Hicks (13.28 – No. 3 Cal history)
400m Hurdles: Jordyn Grady (1:00.57)
4x100m Relay: No. 4 Jada Hicks/Jordyn Grady/Makhaila Mills/Aysha Shaheed (44.23 – No. 2 Cal history) (alt: Ryan Lacefield)
4x400m Relay: No. 7 Loreal Wilson/Jayden Hill/Ryan Lacefield/Jordyn Grady (3:42.84) (alt: Aysha Shaheed)
High Jump: No. T5 Toby Lai (1.78m/5-10 – No. 6 Cal history)
Pole Vault: No. 2 Amari Turner (4.30m/14-1.25 – No. 1 Cal history); No. T9 Kylie Hilton (4.06m/13-3.75 – No. 6 Cal history); No. T9 Ali Sahaida (4.06m/13-3.75)
Long Jump: Ijeoma Uche (6.23m/20-5.25 – No. 10 Cal history); Asha Fletcher (5.81m/19-0.75); Yuki Hamachi (5.66m/18-10.5)
Triple Jump: No. 4 Busola Akinduro (13.18m/43-3 – No. 8 Cal history); No. 6 Asha Fletcher 12.82m/42-0.75; Felicia Renelus (12.55m/41-2.25)
Discus: Sara Pettinger (45.77m/150-2)
Hammer: No. 1 Anna Purchase (73.02m/239-6 – No. 2 Cal history/No. 4 Pac-12 history); No. 4 Audrey Jacobs (60.77m/199-4); Rebecca Tomann (56.03m/183-10); Destiny Okoh (55.04m/176-5)
Javelin: No. 2 Carolina Visca (52.41m/171-11 – No. 1 Cal history)
Heptathlon: Torre Anderson (4528)
 
 
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