WALNUT – A warm-day-turned-chilly at Hilmer Lodge Stadium marked the start of California track & field's biggest weekend yet as many of the nation's best congregated at Mt. San Antonio College for the first day of the Pac-12 Championships. Although it is still too early to tell which teams will come out on top at the end of three days of competition, the Golden Bears acquitted themselves well on Day One with two podium finishers and two additional qualifiers.
 
Just under two weeks after breaking the program women's javelin record, freshman Carolina Visca did it again – this time on a much bigger stage. Her third throw sailed 53.22m (174-7) looked to reset her best collegiate mark, but Visca was not done yet, unleashing a heave of 53.91m (176-10) on her final throw to cement herself in second place and claim the best conference finish ever by any Cal woman in the event.
 
Visca was not the Bears' only scorer of the day. For the second year in a row, junior Ivar Moisander earned himself a spot on the Pac-12 podium, unleashing a third-place throw of 69.32m (227-5) with a massive yell to conclude his series of six attempts. His mark, a personal best, improves his program No. 3 mark to just one foot and seven inches behind Jari Matinolli's No. 2 entry of 69.79m (229-0) that was set in 1986.
 
"Carolina and Ivar are excellent competitors, and they have been building up toward the Pac-12 Championships to produce the best results possible for the team," said assistant coach Mohamad Saatara, who leads the throwers. "Training has been going very well for them even through this academically rigorous time of year. We're looking at these championships as a stepping stone toward the upcoming NCAA Championships."
 
Junior Michael Gupta also made the Pac-12 hammer final with his own personal best, a ninth-place toss of 63.78m (209-3) that improved his own program No. 10 mark.
 
Two of Cal's men qualified for Saturday's track event finals. Junior Garrett MacQuiddy finished third in his head and fifth overall with a 1500m time of 3:43.39 to earn automatic qualification, while classmate Will Sornberger posted a sixth-place time of 53.40 in the 400m hurdles to move on to the last round.
 
Freshman Seth Johnson leads the Bears' decathletes with 3532 points after five events, having set personal records in the 100m (11.22), 400m (51.08) and long jump (6.54mw/21-5.5). His high jump mark of 1.91m (6-3.25) was his best overall finish, tying for third place in the field. In the women's heptathlon, classmate Torre Anderson started off the day with a massive wind-aided PR of 14.19 in the 100m hurdles, winning her heat, before posting subsequent personal bests in the shot put (10.37m/34-0.25) and 200m (25.50).
 
Day One Results
 
MEN
Decathlon (Day One):
Seth Johnson (10th place, 3532 points)

• 100m: 11.22 (PR) (11th place, 812 points)
• Long Jump: 6.54mw/21-5.5 (wind-aided PR) (9th place, 707 points)
• Shot Put: 10.66m/34-11.75 (12th place, 525 points)
• High Jump: 1.91m/6-3.25 (T3rd place, 723 points)
• 400m: 51.08 (PR) (9th place, 765 points)

Cole Whatley (12th place, 3467 points)

• 100m: 11.42 (Cal PR) (13th place, 769 points)
• Long Jump: 6.33m/20-2.5 (11th place, 659 points)
• Shot Put: 12.23m/40-1.5 (9th place, 620 points)
• High Jump: 1.85m/6-0.75 (T9th place, 670 points)
• 400m: 51.46 (11th place, 749 points)

Jono Pelusi (13th place, 3441 points)

• 100m: 11.21 (Cal PR) (9th place, 814 points)
• Long Jump: 6.34mw/20-9.75 (10th place, 661 points)
• Shot Put: 10.62m/34-10.25 (Cal PR) (13th place, 523 points)
• High Jump: 1.79m/5-10.5 (Cal PR) (T11th place, 619 points)
• 400m: 49.79 (Cal PR) (4th place, 824 points)

Hammer: 3. Ivar Moisander 69.32m/227-5 (3rd Cal history) (PR); 9. Michael Gupta 63.78m/209-3 (10th Cal history); 10. Kegan Schroeter 62.90m/206-4
Javelin: 11. Riley Knott 48.68m/159-8
1500m Prelim: 5. Garrett MacQuiddy 3:43.39 (Q)
200m Prelim: 17. George Monroe 21.38w; 20. Gavin Schurr 21.56w
400m Hurdles Prelim: 6. Will Sornberger 53.40 (q); 11. Di'Niko Bates 54.76; 13. Aiden Baker 56.08
 
WOMEN
Heptathlon (Day One):
Torre Anderson (10th place, 3048 points)

• 100m Hurdles: 14.19w (wind-aided PR) (8th place, 952 points)
• High Jump: 1.57m/5-1.75 (T7th place, 701 points)
• Shot Put: 10.37m/34-0.25 (PR) (10th place, 554 points)
• 200m: 25.50 (PR) (10th place, 841 points)

1500m Prelim: 16. Claire Yerby 4:23.64; 23. Lucy Hurt 4:35.69; 26. Georgia McCorkle 4:44.49
Javelin: 2. Carolina Visca 53.91m/176-10 (School Record) (Cal PR)
200m Prelim: 11. Aysha Shaheed 23.61; 23. Makhaila Mills 24.80
400m Hurdles Prelim: 14. Jordyn Grady 1:01.60; 19. Loreal Wilson 1:03.01
 
UP NEXT
The Bears will commence Day 2 of the Pac-12 Championships tomorrow at 11:30 a.m. PT, beginning with the men's decathlon 110m hurdles.
 
STAY POSTED
For complete coverage of Cal track & field, follow the Bears on Twitter (@CalTFXC), Instagram (@caltfxc) and Facebook (@Cal Cross Country/Track and Field).