LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The California track & field team posted a standout day Saturday to kick off the ACC Indoor Championships, crowning its first conference champion and posting six new program top-10 marks at the Norton Sports & Learning Center in Louisville. Currently, the Golden Bears' women are sitting in fifth place in the 18-team competition with 15 points, while their men are also in fifth of 17 teams with 11 points.
 
It was Giavonna Meeks, the nation's No. 2 weight thrower, who earned Cal's first-ever ACC title with a tremendous heave of 23.59m (77-4.75) that bettered her own program No. 2 mark. Any of Meeks' throws would have won the competition, but she saved her best effort for last, outdoing the rest of the field by 4 feet, 8.25 inches. Her performance also netted her a new ACC Indoor Championships record as well as a facility record, surpassing the mark of 23.29m (76-5) set by Virginia Tech's Rebecca Mammel in 2003.
 
Meeks was far from the only Bear to have an impressive outing in the women's weight throw. Valentina Savva, the nation's top rookie, improved her personal best by over two feet to 21.08m (69-2) – fourth-best in program history and fourth overall in the competition. Adrianna Coleman also made the final, finishing with a ninth-place mark of 19.77m (64-10.5), while Angie Schykerynec won her flight with a PR of 19.28m (63-3.25) to tie for eighth-best all-time at Cal. Later in the day, Jared Freeman improved his own program No. 2 entry with a seventh-place weight throw of 20.26m (66-5.75), earning the first points for the Cal men.
 
"It was a great day," said assistant coach Mohamad Saatara, who leads the throws group. "I am proud of the performance and competitive spirit of the team. Giavonna made history and gained experience as we work toward NCAAs. Our other throwers executed very well, posting personal and season bests when it counted the most."
 
A pair of Cal high jumpers delivered the remainder of the men's points as Victor Ezike Jr. and Riley Knott both recorded a mark of 2.08m (6-9.75) to place fourth and fifth, respectively. Both were significant performances, as Ezike's mark surpassed his previous personal best by 2.25 inches and Knott's was his best outing of the season.
 
Over on the track, the Bears started off with another program top-10 entry as Sophie Tau bettered her own No. 5 5000m time to 16:22.15. Both of Cal's 200m entries – Aysha Shaheed for the women and Johnny Goode for the men – ran fast enough in their preliminary races to advance to Sunday's final. Shaheed's time of 23.64 was fifth-fastest of all runners, while Goode's 21.15 led his heat.
 
Cal also fielded two representatives in the multis, with Torre Anderson taking on the pentathlon and Seth Johnson the heptathlon. Anderson recorded season bests in the shot put (10.34m/33-11.25) and long jump (5.84m/19-2) before closing out the competition with a personal-best time of 2:33.62, totaling 3648 points after five events and moving from fifth to third on Cal's all-time list. Johnson, meanwhile, sits in fourth place with a total of 3025 points after four events, ending his day with a second-place 2.01m (6-7) in the high jump.
 
 
ACC INDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS DAY 1 – MEN'S RESULTS (Team: 5th, 11 points)
200m Prelims – 7. Johnny Goode 21.15q
DMR – 9. California A 9:39.66 (Justin Pretre, Isaiah Shaw, Iyan Godwin, Garrett MacQuiddy)
High Jump – 4. Victor Ezike Jr. 2.08m/6-9.75 (PR); 5. Riley Knott 2.08m/6-9.75
Weight Throw – 7. Jared Freeman 20.26m/66-5.75 (PR, 2nd Cal History)
Heptathlon (Day 1) – 4. Seth Johnson 3025

• 60m – 7.07 (6th, 858 points)
• Long Jump – 6.66m/21-10.25 (7th, 734 points)
• Shot Put – 12.22m/40-1 (7th, 620 points)
• High Jump – 2.01m/6-7 (2nd, 813 points)

 
ACC INDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS DAY 1 – WOMEN'S RESULTS (Team: 5th, 15 points)
200m Prelims – 5. Aysha Shaheed 23.64q
5000m – 16. Sophie Tau 16:22.15 (PR, 5th Cal History)
Pole Vault – T9. Ali Sahaida 3.97m/13-0.25
Weight Throw – 1. Giavonna Meeks 23.59m/77-4.75 (PR, Meet Record, 2nd Cal History); 4. Valentina Savva 21.08m/69-2 (PR, 4th Cal History); 9. Adrianna Coleman 19.77m/64-10.5; 10. Angie Schykerynec 19.28m/63-3.25 (PR, T-8th Cal History); 15. Audrey Jacobs 17.88m/58-8; 18. Amanda Spear 17.51m/57-5.5
Pentathlon – 9. Torre Anderson 3648 (PR, 3rd Cal History)

• 60m Hurdles – 8.72 (8th, 969 points)
• High Jump – 1.55m/5-1 (T14th, 678 points)
• Shot Put – 10.34m/33-11.25 (13th, 552 points)
• Long Jump – 5.84m/19-2 (4th, 801 points)
• 800m – 2:33.62 (14th, 648 points - PR)

 
UP NEXT
Cal will continue at the ACC Indoor Championships on Sunday, starting with the heptathlon 60m hurdles at 8 a.m. PT.
 
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