BERKELEY - California track & field posted a slew of historic performances and personal bests on Saturday at Edwards Stadium in the third and final day of the Brutus Hamilton Invitational, wowing home and visiting fans alike as the program's record books reset themselves several times throughout the meet.
 
The Golden Bears set the tone from the day's very first event as senior Rowan Hamilton crushed the competition with a throw of 75.05m (246-2), surpassing the previous program mark by 4.84m (15-10) and breaking a 20-year-old Brutus Hamilton record set by Kevin McMahon of New York AC in 2004; Hamilton now ranks No. 2 in Division I this year.
 
"We worked on having a stable technique and being mindful in the competition," assistant coach Mohamad Saatara, who leads the throws, said. "We built up his rhythm and built on all of the good things he's done in the past – we're working step-by-step towards bigger and bigger throws."
 
The women's hammer also featured a standout performance from sophomore Audrey Jacobs, who improved upon her own Dutch U23 record and program No. 4 mark with a throw of 65.22m (213-11) to finish third in the competition. Reigning world champion Camryn Rogers and world finalist Anna Purchase, both Cal alums, placed first (76.87m/252-2) and second (70.76m/232-2), respectively; Rogers' throw is also the current world lead.
 
Not to be outdone, Cal's other throwers combined for a total of seven top-three finishes and another entry on the Bears' top-10 lists. The women's discus featured junior Caisa-Marie Lindfors and senior Jasmine Blair; the former took first place with a throw of 61.09m (200-5) to break Asics' Suzy Powell-Roos' 16-year-old meet record, while the latter placed second with a new personal best of 58.52m (192-0) – second best in program history and over the automatic qualifying standard for the upcoming U.S. Olympic Trials. Junior Sara Pettinger took third in the women's shot put with a throw of 12.89m (42-3.5), while senior Jeff Duensing added another title to his collection with a mark of 18.62m (61-1.25) in the men's event. Redshirt freshmen Nick Godbehere notched a pair of top-three results, first with a third-place finish in the shot put (17.33m/56-10.25) and later with a second-place mark in the discus (50.92m/167-0). He and third-place teammate Nik Iwankiw, who threw a personal-best 49.66m (162-11), trailed only Mykolas Alekna in the discus standings; Alekna, who is competing unattached this year as he trains for the upcoming Olympic Games, opened his season with a new personal best and world lead of 71.39m (234-2). That mark now stands as a new meet and stadium record and moved the Lithuanian native up to No. 10 all time in world history.
 
The Bears' sprinters also had a tremendous day. Junior Chase Williams finished third in the 100m dash at 10.36, improving his own program No. 5 entry; meanwhile, senior George Monroe came in just behind at 10.37 to make his debut on Cal's all-time list at No. 6. In the women's 100m hurdles, senior Jada Hicks took second place at 13.33 and junior Asjah Atkinson moved up to a tie for sixth in program history with a third-place PR of 13.58. Senior Ryan Lacefield continued her breakout campaign with a huge personal best of 53.48 in the 400m, shaving .71 seconds off her old time to take third place in the competition. Two 4x100m relay squads – the "A" team of Williams, Monroe, Mason Mangum and David Foster and the "B" team of Christian Trapps, Isaiah Shaw, Deon McCauley and Samir Thota placed in the top-two places with times of 39.87 and 40.97, respectively, while Isaiah Shaw finished second in the 400m at 47.08.
 
Two distance runners – redshirt freshman Dylan Bissell and junior Iyan Godwin – recorded top-three finishes of their own, with Bissell winning the 5000m at 15:01.73 and Godwin taking third in the 800m at 1:52.21. The vertical jumpers also acquitted themselves well, as senior Amari Turner (4.25m/13-11.25) and redshirt junior Toby Lai (1.76m/5-9.25) won the women's pole vault and high jump, respectively; on the men's side, senior Skyler Magula took second in the pole vault at 5.33m (17-5.75) while freshman Victor Ezike (2.05m/6-8.75) and senior Jai Williams (2.00m/6-6.75) placed second and third in the high jump.
A trio of horizontal jumpers also placed within the top three in their respective events: sophomore Jason Plumb took home the long jump crown with a leap of 7.64m (25-0.75), while a pair of freshman triple jumpers – Jeremiah Bolaños (14.22m/46-8) for the men and Myla Canty (12.17m/39-11.25) for the women – each placed second in their own contests.
 
BRUTUS HAMILTON INVITATIONAL – Day Three
 
Men's Results
100m: 3. Chase Williams 10.36 (PR, Cal Top 5); 4. George Monroe 10.37 (PR, Cal Top 6); 6. Deon McCauley 10.55w (wind-aided PR); 10. Samir Thota 10.71; 11. Javon Hampton Jr. 10.77; 23. Allen Seo 11.03w; - Christian Trapps FS
200m: T5. David Foster 21.36w; T5. George Monroe 21.36w; 8. Josh Keller 21.46w (wind-aided PR); 11. Chase Williams 21.64 (PR); 13. Samir Thota 21.80w; 14. Deon McCauley 21.88w (wind-aided PR); T18. Avinash Schwarzkopf 22.06 (PR); 21. Christian Trapps 22.08w; 31. Zachary Pastore 22.49w; 45. Allen Seo 23.00w
400m: 2. Isaiah Shaw 47.08; 4. Josh Keller 47.93 (PR); 23. Zachary Pastore 50.69; 28. Avinash Schwarzkopf 50.98
800m: 3. Iyan Godwin 1:52.21; 5. Justin Pretre 1:53.57; 9. Lamarr Kirk Jr. 1:56.04; 12. Rowan FitzGerald 1:57.25
1500m: 5. Julian Doak 3:56.09 (PR); 12. Roland Ruckmann-Barnes 4:02.33
5000m: 1. Dylan Bissell 15:01.73 (PR)
400m Hurdles: 7. Aiden Baker 53.66
4x100m Relay: 1. California A 39.87 (Chase Williams, George Monroe, Mason Mangum, David Foster); 2. California B 40.97 (Christian Trapps, Isaiah Shaw, Deon McCauley, Samir Thota); 4. California C 41.76 (Javon Hampton Jr., Chukwunonso Udeh, Jeremiah Bolaños, Jason Plumb)
High Jump: 2. Victor Ezike Jr. 2.05m/6-8.75 (PR); 3. Jai Williams 2.00m/6-6.75; 10. Chukwunonso Udeh 1.90m/6-2.75
Pole Vault: 2. Skyler Magula 5.33m/17-5.75; 5. Parker Terrill 4.97m/16-3.5; 8. Will Siemens 4.67m/15-3.75; 9. David Brok 4.52m/14-10 (PR)
Long Jump: 1. Jason Plumb 7.64m/25-0.75; 5. Mason Mangum 7.33m/24-0.75; 7. Javon Hampton Jr. 7.15m/23-5.5 (PR); 9. Chukwunonso Udeh 6.97m/22-10.5
Triple Jump: 2. Jeremiah Bolaños 14.22m/46-8; 4. Victor Ezike Jr. 14.11m/46-3.5
Discus: 2. Nick Godbehere 50.92m/167-0; 3. Nik Iwankiw 49.66m/162-11; 4. Justin Wirtz 49.21m/161-5
Shot Put: 1. Jeff Duensing 18.62m/61-1.25; 3. Nick Godbehere 17.33m/56-10.25; 6. Nik Iwankiw 15.99m/52-5.5; 10. Tanveer Raza 15.02m/49-3.5
Hammer: 1. Rowan Hamilton 75.05m/246-2 (Meet Record, School Record); 4. Ivar Moisander 66.98m/219-9; 6. Michael Gupta 63.21m/207-4; 16. Justin Wirtz 48.55m/159-3
 
Women's Results
100m: 10. Jaymie Ruskovich 11.84w (wind-aided PR); 13. Asjah Atkinson 12.00w (wind-aided PR); 15. Zanae Woods 12.05w (wind-aided PR); 16. Masina Mayo 12.10w; 22. Mari Testa 12.34w; 25. Saqqara Ruffin 12.40 (PR)
200m: 5. Ryan Lacefield 23.91; 10. Jaymie Ruskovich 24.23w (wind-aided PR); 18. Zanae Woods 24.75w (wind-aided PR); 24. Masina Mayo 25.35w; 35. Trudy Watkins 26.18 (PR); 42. Mackenzie Motz 27.01
400m: 3. Ryan Lacefield 53.48 (PR, Cal Top 7); 12. Mackenzie Motz 58.05 (PR); 14. Trudy Watkins 58.85
800m: 7. Addie Johnson 2:16.20; 10. Carolina Dawson 2:18.45; 14. Anastasia Snodgrass 2:21.77; 27. Dasha Zerboni 2:31.11
1500m: 7. Petra Schuster 4:47.58
5000m: 6. Sydney Morrow 19:14.12 (PR)
100m Hurdles: 2. Jada Hicks 13.33; 3. Asjah Atkinson 13.58 (PR, Tied-Cal Top 6); 4. Saqqara Ruffin 14.15w (wind-aided PR); 5. Mari Testa 14.21w; 10. Yuki Hamachi 15.13w
400m Hurdles: 4. Loreal Wilson 59.98 (PR)
4x100m Relay: 5. California 46.76 (Mari Testa, Masina Mayo, Zanae Woods, Jaymie Ruskovich)
High Jump: 1. Toby Lai 1.76m/5-9.25; T5. Ashanti Elie 1.61m/5-3.25; T9. Adriana Ellard 1.56m/5-1.25
Pole Vault: 1. Amari Turner 4.25m/13-11.25; 4. Kylie Hilton 4.05m/13-3.5; 5. Ali Sahaida 3.90m/12-9.5; 8. Paige Martin 3.75m/12-3.5
Long Jump: 7. Yuki Hamachi 5.47m/17-11.5
Triple Jump: 3. Myla Canty 12.17m/39-11.25
Shot Put: 3. Sara Pettinger 12.89m/42-3.5
Discus: 1. Caisa-Marie Lindfors 61.09m/200-5 (Meet Record); 2. Jasmine Blair 58.52m/192-0 (PR, Cal Top 2); - Sara Pettinger NM
Hammer: 3. Audrey Jacobs 65.22m/213-11 (PR, Dutch U23 Record, Cal Top 4); 5. Destiny Okoh 58.55m/192-1 (PR); 6. Adrianna Coleman 57.53m/188-9; 10. Kay Racine 55.72m/182-9; - Jasmine Blair NM; - Angie Schykerynec NM
Javelin: 8. Yuki Hamachi 31.87m/104-6; 11. Adriana Ellard 29.83m/97-10 (PR)
 
UP NEXT
The Bears' distance runners will compete next Saturday, April 13, at the Bryan Clay Invitational in Azusa.
 
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