AUSTIN, TEXAS – California track & field fielded five athletes on a thrilling first day at the NCAA Outdoor Championships as the Golden Bears battled warm and muggy conditions at Mike A. Myers Stadium. Just as it was last year for Cal, two throwers were the first to earn All-American honors; however, the accolades came earlier in the competition this time around as juniors Jeff Duensing and Ivar Moisander cracked the top-16 to earn their first career All-American honors.
 
Duensing, who competed at his first career NCAA Championships after setting a monstrous personal best at the NCAA West Preliminary, bettered his career high to 19.98m (65-6.75) on his second throw to take sole possession of the No. 3 spot in program history, which he previously co-owned with alumnus McKay Johnson. That mark was enough to land him in the final, where he hung on to claim eighth place and First Team All-American status.
 
"I feel great. I was just working my rhythm and it all came together," he said. "Next year, once I'm more set up and able to land my big throws, I should be going over 21 (meters) for sure."
 
Moisander placed 20th at last year's NCAA Championships; on Wednesday, he improved that finish to 15th place to earn a spot on the All-America Second Team. His mark of 68.47m (224-7) was exactly nine feet farther than his throw from the 2022 Championships. Like Duensing in the shot put, he ends his 2023 collegiate campaign at No. 3 on the program's all-time list.
 
Senior Hakim McMorris, competing in his third straight NCAA Championships (and second straight Outdoor Championships), started off his decathlon campaign with a sixth-place 10.72 in the 100m, followed by a respectable sixth-place mark of 7.43m (24-4.5) in the long jump. After throwing a season-best 14.08m (46-2.5) in the shot put, the Bears's star multi-eventer cracked the top-four in the high jump with a personal-best 2.01m (6-7) that left him as the only man remaining in his flight. He finished his day with a time of 50.15 in the 400m, bringing his point total up to 4196 heading into day two.
 
Junior Garrett MacQuiddy also competed at his first NCAA Championships, finishing the 1500m in 3:44.77 to finish 20th among the nation's best collegiate runners, while senior Skyler Magula made his own Championships debut and posted a mark of 5.30m (17-4.5) in the pole vault to also finish 20th in a stacked field.
 
McMorris will kick off day two of the NCAA Outdoor Championships tomorrow at 10:30 a.m. PT with the 100m hurdles, looking to post another impressive five-event set to finish off his final collegiate competition. The rest of Cal's Thursday competitors will be women, beginning with hammer throwers Anna Purchase and Audrey Jacobs at 1:30 p.m.
 
Day One Results
Men's Decathlon: Hakim McMorris (7th, 4196)

• 100m: 10.72 (6th, 924 points)
• Long Jump: 7.43m/24-4.5 (6th, 918 points)
• Shot Put: 14.08m/46-2.5 (10th, 733 points)
• High Jump: 2.01m/6-7 (4th, 813 points) (PR)
• 400m: 50.15 (20th, 808 points)

Men's Hammer: 15. Ivar Moisander 68.47m/224-7 (Second Team All-American)
Men's 1500m Semifinal: 20. Garrett MacQuiddy 3:44.77
Men's Pole Vault: 20. Skyler Magula 5.30m/17-4.5
Men's Shot Put: Jeff Duensing (3rd Cal History) (PR)
 
Day Two Schedule (Thursday, June 8 – All Times PT)
10:00 a.m. – Men's Decathlon 110m Hurdles (Hakim McMorris)
10:50 a.m. – Men's Decathlon Discus (Hakim McMorris)
12:00 p.m. – Men's Decathlon Pole Vault (Hakim McMorris)
1:30 p.m. – Women's Hammer (Anna Purchase; Audrey Jacobs)
2:30 p.m. – Men's Decathlon Javelin (Hakim McMorris)
5:10 p.m. – Women's Javelin (Carolina Visca)
5:30 p.m. – Women's Pole Vault (Amari Turner)
5:32 p.m. – Women's 4x100m Relay Semifinal (Jada Hicks, Jordyn Grady, Makhaila Mills, Aysha Shaheed, Ryan Lacefield)
6:32 p.m. – Women's 100m Hurdles Semifinal (Jada Hicks)
7:00 p.m. – Women's Long Jump (Ijeoma Uche)
7:56 p.m. – Men's Decathlon 1500m (Hakim McMorris)

 
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