RENO, Nev./SEATTLE – The California track & field team kicked off their last weekend of the indoor regular season Friday, splitting up to make appearances at both the Battle Born Classic at the Reno-Sparks Convention Center and the Husky Classic at Washington's Dempsey Indoor. Continuing the pattern of previous weeks, the Golden Bears ended the day with eight new program top-10 marks: five from the women and three from the men.
 
The one-two punch of junior Mari Testa and senior Saqqara Ruffin in the women's 60m hurdles proved once again to be a secret weapon for Cal, starting with the preliminary heats as they posted the best two times in the 48-woman field (8.27 for Testa, 8.38 for Ruffin). Testa easily won her semifinal heat at 8.29 to advance to the final, while Ruffin's 8.40 was likewise enough to get her through. They had saved their best for last, as Testa blazed to a second-place time of 8.21 and Ruffin finished third at 8.30. Testa's result gave her sole control of the school record in the event (which she had previously shared with alumnae Jada Hicks), while Ruffin's new PR moved her into a tie with Kimyon Broom (2010) for fifth-fastest in program history and the sixth-fastest individual performance at Cal.
 
A few other Cal sprinters also posted a breakout day, beginning with sophomore Paige Porter's .15-second PR of 7.46 in the 60m prelims and continuing with classmate Nairobi Smith's personal-best 7.47 in the semifinals to give each a spot on the program's top-10 list; Smith later followed up with a third-place time of 7.40 in the final, putting her at No. 6 all-time at Cal and Porter at No. 10. On the men's side, fellow sophomore Aidan Orias also posted a new Cal top-10 entry, rising from 10th to sixth on the Bears' all-time list with a time of 6.75 in the semifinals.
 
Sophomore Kai Barham placed second in the men's weight throw with a PR of nearly one meter as his fifth attempt sailed 19.88m (65-2.75), rising into No. 5 in Cal history with the program's eighth-best individual performance.
 
Senior Ali Sahaida (4.35m/14-3.25) remained undefeated in the pole vault, as did junior Adrianna Coleman (19.52m/64-0.5) in the weight throw, with both women clinching their fourth titles of the season and Sahaida surpassing the rest of the field by 10.25 inches. Coleman was directly followed in the weight throw standings by sophomore teammate Valentina Savva, who posted a season-best mark of 19.36m (63-6.25). Cal also placed 1-2 in the men's pole vault, as freshman Kai Anderson matched his PR of 5.15m (16-10.75) for the win and redshirt junior Will Siemens recorded the same mark for a season best.
 
Two Bears placed in the men's long jump top three, with senior Jason Plumb leaping 7.48m (24-6.5) for second place and junior Chukwunonso Udeh recording a PR of 7.42m (24-4.25) for third. In the same event, sophomore Trevor Rogers posted a season-best of 7.32m (24-0.25).
 
Over in Seattle, junior Sophie Tau and redshirt freshman Sabine Kim made their season debuts in the 5000m and found great success, with Tau posting a 16-second PR of 16:06.14 and Kim recording a time of 16:39.37. Tau's time bettered her own program No. 5 entry as the fastest time by a Cal woman in eight years, while Kim's performance was good enough to land her at No. 7 on the list.
 
BATTLE BORN CLASSIC – DAY ONE MEN'S RESULTS
60m Prelims – 2. Aidan Orias 6.79 (Q, =PR)
60m Semis – 2. Aidan Orias 6.75 (Q, PR, 6th Cal History)
60m Final – 4. Aidan Orias 6.83
Pole Vault – 1. Kai Anderson 5.15m/16-10.75 (=PR); 2. Will Siemens 5.15m/16-10.75; 6. Parker Terrill 4.75m/15-7
Long Jump – 2. Jason Plumb 7.48m/24-6.5; 3. Chukwunonso Udeh 7.42m/24-4.25 (PR); 5. Trevor Rogers 7.32m/24-0.25
Weight Throw – 2. Kai Barham 19.88m/65-2.75 (PR, 5th Cal History); - Miles Clark NM
                                                                                                                                                                            
BATTLE BORN CLASSIC – DAY ONE WOMEN'S RESULTS
60m Prelims – 6. Paige Porter 7.46 (Q, PR, 10th Cal History); 11. Nairobi Smith 7.54 (q); 13. Lauren Gilhooly 7.56 (Q)
60m Semis – 7. Nairobi Smith 7.47 (q, PR); 14. Paige Porter 7.53; 20. Lauren Gilhooly 7.59
60m Final – 3. Nairobi Smith 7.40 (PR, 6th Cal History)
60m Hurdles Prelims – 1. Mari Testa 8.27 (Q); 2. Saqqara Ruffin 8.38 (Q); 17. Fallyn Gowans 8.83
60m Hurdles Semis – 1. Mari Testa 8.29 (Q); 3. Saqqara Ruffin 8.40 (q)
60m Hurdles Final – 2. Mari Testa 8.21 (PR, School Record); 3. Saqqara Ruffin 8.30 (PR, Tied-5th Cal History)
Pole Vault A – 1. Ali Sahaida 4.35m/14-3.25; - Shelly Coates NH
Long Jump – 15. Avery Hart 5.72m/18-9.25; 22. Caitlyn Johnson 5.52m/18-1.5
Weight Throw – 1. Adrianna Coleman 19.52m/64-0.5; 2. Valentina Savva 19.36m/63-6.25
 
HUSKY CLASSIC – DAY ONE MEN'S RESULTS
Mile Invite – 10. Justin Pretre 4:00.86
5000m – 26. John Sesteaga 14:45.24
 
HUSKY CLASSIC – DAY ONE WOMEN'S RESULTS
5000m – 7. Sophie Tau 16:06.14 (PR, 5th Cal History); 16. Sabine Kim 16:39.37 (PR, 7th Cal History); 25. Georgia McCorkle 16:59.90 (PR)
 
UP NEXT
Cal will close out the weekend Saturday at the Battle Born Classic and the Husky Classic, starting with the women's shot put at 10 a.m. PT (Battle Born Classic) and the women's mile at 11:10 a.m. (Husky Classic).
 
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