SACRAMENTO – The California track & field team posted four program top-10s and a total of five event wins at Sacramento State's Hornet Stadium on Friday, not slowing down in the slightest after its historic indoor season and ending the first day of the Hornet Invitational in first place on both the men's and women's sides.
 
Junior Johnny Goode, the Golden Bears' biggest breakout track star of the year, raised eyebrows once again as he took second place in the 200m with a time of 20.71 – the fastest by any Cal athlete since Atlee Mahorn set the current school record of 20.20 in 1988. Goode, who owns the indoor school records in the 200m, 400m and 4x400m, is set to appear for the Bears again Saturday in the 400m along with teammate Isaiah Shaw, who ranks No. 2 in outdoor school history.
 
In addition to Goode, four other Cal men in the 200m race – sophomore Avinash Schwarzkopf (21.20) and freshmen Wazell Wright (21.55), Aidan Orias (22.14) and Aaron Yang (22.62) – posted personal bests, each by .23 seconds or better. Two of the team's 400m hurdlers (both freshmen) similarly notched career-low times, with Luke Tanguay shaving nearly a second off his PR to finish in 55.15 and Owen Foley posting a time of 56.90.
 
Cal's male distance runners found plenty of success as well, with senior Garrett MacQuiddy taking the 800m win at 1:49.25 and sophomore Justin Pretre finishing third in a personal-best 1:51.18. Three more Bears improved their collegiate or career bests in the event, as sophomore Lamarr Kirk Jr. completed the race in 1:52.23 followed by freshmen Gabriel Rodriguez (1:53.18) and Zac Gibson (1:54.00). Later, in the 5000m, redshirt sophomore Dylan Bissell (14:38.91) and true sophomore Roland Ruckmann-Barnes (14:44.00) notched career-best times, with Bissell's a 23-second improvement.
 
The Bears claimed five top-three finishes in the field events, led by senior Jared Freeman's winning hammer throw of 66.45m (218-0) that was eighth-best in program history, while freshman Kai Barham placed second at 57.64m (189-1).  Freshman Brandon Cheeks II took home the win for the Bears in the high jump open section with a mark of 1.97m (6-5.5) for a new collegiate PR, while senior Riley Knott placed second in the elite section at 2.02m (6-7.5). Over in the triple jump pit, sophomore Jeremiah Bolaños placed second with his leap of 15.09m (59-6.25), while rookies Brandon Rush (14.63m/48-0) and Kosi Nwafor (14.55m/47-9) each recorded career bests.
 
On the women's side of the track, junior Loreal Wilson became Cal's fastest 400m hurdler since Angelica Weaver in 2012, posting a personal-best time of 59.13 that ranks eighth in program history. She later went on to PR in the 200m with a wind-aided time of 25.09; meanwhile, freshman teammate Jaya Westby also posted personal records in both events, finishing the 400m hurdles in 1:04.42 and the 200m in 25.27. Junior Zanae Woods lowered her 200m PR to 24.64 – an overall improvement by .11 seconds and a wind-legal improvement of .33 seconds – while senior Masina Mayo improved her wind-legal PR by .27 seconds to 24.98.
 
The women's 800m race featured personal bests from freshman Zoe Lahanas (2:09.82) and junior Jayden Hill (2:09.90), who were both making their outdoor collegiate debuts in the event. Redshirt freshman Amelia Wardle-Stacey made her own event debut in the 5000m, posting a time of 16:44.47.
 
The women's field events were headlined by junior Ali Sahaida's pole-vaulting milestone, surpassing 4.28m (14-0.5) for the first time in her career to rise to third on Cal's all-time list and take the win in the invitational section. Junior Audrey Jacobs opened up her outdoor season with a win in the hammer as her best throw sailed 61.25m (200-11) – over a meter farther than sophomore teammate Adrianna Coleman, who placed second with a personal best of 60.19m (197-6). Sophomore Myla Canty claimed second place in the triple jump with a wind-aided mark of 12.43m (40-9.5), while junior Carolina Visca took third in the javelin with a throw of 45.05m (147-10).
 
HORNET INVITATIONAL DAY 1 – MEN'S RESULTS (1st, 76 points)
200m – 2. Johnny Goode 20.71 (PR, 3rd Cal History); 5. Avinash Schwarzkopf 21.20 (PR); 9. Aiden Lippert 21.31; 13. Wazell Wright 21.55 (collegiate PR); 14. Isaiah Shaw 21.56; 36. Chase Williams 22.10; 38. Aidan Orias 22.14 (PR); 59. Jakobi Smith 22.46w; 69. Aaron Yang 22.62 (PR); - Deon McCauley DNF
800m – 1. Garrett MacQuiddy 1:49.25; 3. Justin Pretre 1:51.18 (PR); 5. Lamarr Kirk Jr. 1:52.23 (collegiate PR); 6. Gabriel Rodriguez 1:53.18 (collegiate PR); 10. Zac Gibson 1:54.00 (PR); 18. Caden Carney 1:56.08; 35. Rowan FitzGerald 1:58.19
5000m – 11. Dylan Bissell 14:38.91 (PR); 18. Roland Ruckmann-Barnes 14:44.00 (PR)
400m Hurdles – 13. Luke Tanguay 55.15 (PR); 17. Daniel Chen 55.81; 23. Owen Foley 56.90 (PR)
High Jump – 1. Brandon Cheeks II 1.97m/6-5.5 (collegiate PR); 4. Chukwunonso Udeh 1.87m/6-1.5
High Jump Invite – 3. Riley Knott 2.02m/6-7.5; 7. Victor Ezike Jr. 1.97m/6-5.5
Triple Jump – 2. Jeremiah Bolaños 15.09m/49-6.25; 4. Brandon Rush 14.63m/48-0 (PR); 5. Kosi Nwafor 14.55m/47-9 (PR)
Hammer – 1. Jared Freeman 66.45m/218-0 (PR, 8th Cal History); 2. Kai Barham 57.64m/189-1 (PR); 9. Kai Burich 49.50m/162-5 (Cal PR)
Javelin – 4. Charlie Dang 54.47m/178-8; 5. Luke Buddie 52.33m/171-08
 
HORNET INVITATIONAL DAY 1 – WOMEN'S RESULTS (1st, 68 points)
200m – 11. Zanae Woods 24.64 (PR); 12. Jaymie Ruskovich 24.67; 16. Nairobi Smith 24.73; 22. Masina Mayo 24.98 (wind-legal PR); 27. Loreal Wilson 25.09w (wind-aided PR); 33. Jaya Westby 25.27 (PR); 94. Paige Porter 51.97
800m – 4. Zoe Lahanas 2:09.82 (PR); 5. Jayden Hill 2:09.90 (PR); 11. Carolina Dawson 2:13.76; 25. Ava Kopec 2:19.17
5000m - 4. Amelia Wardle-Stacey 16:44.47 (PR)
400m Hurdles – 3. Loreal Wilson 59.13 (PR, 8th Cal History); 17. Jaya Westby 1:04.42 (PR)
Pole Vault Invite – 1. Ali Sahaida 4.28m/14-0.5 (PR, 3rd Cal History)
Triple Jump – 2. Myla Canty 12.43mw/40-9.5; 5. Leah Anderson 12.13m/39-9.75
Hammer – 1. Audrey Jacobs 61.25m/200-11; 2. Adrianna Coleman 60.19m/197-6 (PR); 4. Amanda Spear 55.06m/180-7 (Cal PR); 8. Angie Schykerynec 53.01m/173-11
Javelin – 3. Carolina Visca 45.05m/147-10; 35. Adriana Ellard 29.19m/95-9; 38. Yuki Hamachi 27.38m/89-10
 
UP NEXT
Cal will close out competition at the Hornet Invitational on Saturday, with the first events starting at 10 a.m. PT.
 
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