LOS ANGELES – The California track & field team battled hard against tough competition Saturday at the Jim Bush Legends Meet, with the Golden Bears collecting four event titles and another program top-10 time at UCLA's Drake Stadium
 
Sophomore Nairobi Smith, who won a bronze medal in the 200m at the ACC Indoor Championships with a new school record, stayed red-hot with a massive personal-best time of 23.28 (fourth-fastest in outdoor program history) to take second place. Two other Bears also recorded PRs in the event, with classmate Paige Porter running a 24.52 and freshman Kaitlyn Williams a 25.13.
 
Graduate Isaiah Shaw recorded a season-best 46.49m in the 400m, good for second place, while sophomore Porter led the Bears' women's 100m runners with another PR (11.83). Redshirt junior multi-eventer Seth Johnson posted a .30-second PR in the 110m hurdles, winning his heat and finishing just off the podium in 14.23.
 
In the throwing events, redshirt junior Nik Iwankiw followed up on his standout indoor season and impressive outdoor opener with a huge personal best of 18.58m (60-11.5) in the shot put, bettering his old PR by nearly a full meter. Any of his four legal throws would have been enough for a new career best, but it was his third attempt that brought him within eight inches of Cal's all-time top-10 list and sealed the event title for the Bears. He later threw 51.86m (170-1) in the discus to finish ahead of freshman teammate Eliot Traxler, who posted a five-foot personal best of 49.55m (162-6). Junior Lucija Leko took first place in the women's shot put with a season-best 15.83m (51-11.25) to earn the event sweep for the Bears.
 
Freshman Avery Hart earned her first collegiate event title in the women's triple jump, posting a leap of 12.55m (41-2.25) that was the best by a Bear so far this season. Sophomore Trevor Rogers recorded a long jump win in his outdoor opener, reaching 7.48m (24-6.5) to finish one place ahead of senior teammate Jason Plumb (7.32m/24-0.25).
 
Indoor All-American pole vaulter Ali Sahaida opened her outdoor campaign with a second-place mark of 4.23m (13-10.5) in the women's contest, while reigning ACC Men's Freshman of the Week Kai Anderson tied for second on the men's side at 4.98m (16-4).
 
The Bears' 800m group recorded a combined three podium finishes and three personal bests. For the men, junior Lamarr Kirk Jr. shaved over two seconds off his career best to take second in 1:50.03, while freshman Jackson Hein made his outdoor collegiate debut with a third-place 1:50.12. On the women's side, rookie standout Salma Bejia posted a time of 2:08.29 to take third place overall, as senior Carolina Dawson finished just two places behind with a two-second (and heat-winning) PR of 2:09.58.
 
Cal posted multiple personal and season bests in both the men's and women's high jump. Junior Victor Ezike Jr. led the first group with a mark of 2.05m (6-8.75), while sophomore Brandon Cheeks II bettered his career mark to a matching 2.05m and redshirt junior Luke Buddie matched his PR at 2.00m (6-6.75). For the women, graduate transfer Zahra Amos recorded a season-best 1.68m (5-6), ahead of fellow graduate Grace Reinhardt-Perez's season-best 1.63m (5-4.25) and freshman Kimiko Hirahara's 1.68m (5-6).
 
 
JIM BUSH LEGENDS MEET – MEN'S RESULTS
100m – 14. Aidan Orias 10.72
200m – 22. Wazell Wright 21.73; 28. Seth Johnson 22.09 (PR)
400m – 2. Isaiah Shaw 46.49; 47. Ikembuchukwu Udeh 51.04
800m – 2. Lamarr Kirk Jr. 1:50.03 (PR); 3. Jackson Hein 1:50.12 (PR)
110m Hurdles – 4. Seth Johnson 14.23 (PR); 25. Luke Buddie 15.40
4x100m – 4. California (Aidan Orias, Isaiah Shaw, Wazell Wright, Javon Hampton Jr.) 40.60
High Jump – T5. Victor Ezike Jr. 2.05m/6-8.75; 7. Brandon Cheeks II 2.05m/6-8.75 (PR); 9. Luke Buddie 2.00m/6-6.75 (=PR); 16. Seth Johnson 1.95m/6-4.75
Pole Vault – T2. Kai Anderson 4.98m/16-4; T4. Will Siemens 4.98m/16-4
Long Jump – 1. Trevor Rogers 7.48m/24-6.5; 2. Jason Plumb 7.32m/24-0.25; 5. Javon Hampton Jr. 7.12m/23-4.5; 11. Victor Ezike Jr. 6.91m/22-8 (PR); - Chukwunonso Udeh NM
Triple Jump – 6. Jeremiah Bolaños 15.01m/49-3; - Chukwunonso Udeh NM
Shot Put – 1. Nik Iwankiw 18.58m/60-11.5 (PR); - Matas Mikulėnas NM; - Eliot Traxler NM
Discus – 8. Nik Iwankiw 51.86m/170-1; 11. Eliot Traxler 49.55m/162-6 (PR)
                                                                                                                                                                                                                               
JIM BUSH LEGENDS MEET – WOMEN'S RESULTS
100m – 11. Paige Porter 11.83 (PR); 24. Lauren Gilhooly 12.11; 27. Kaitlyn Williams 12.21; 41. Tiffany Williams 12.47; 45. Saqqara Ruffin 12.52
200m – 2. Nairobi Smith 23.28 (PR, 4th Cal History); 16. Paige Porter 24.52 (PR); 35. Kaitlyn Williams 25.13 (PR); 47. Tiffany Williams 25.84
400m – 30. Diana Scott 58.15
800m – 3. Salma Bejia 2:08.29; 5. Carolina Dawson 2:09.58 (PR)
100m Hurdles – 6. Inara Ukawuba 13.75; 7. Saqqara Ruffin 13.90; 14. Fallyn Gowans 14.38
4x100m – 6. California (Lauren Gilhooly, Nairobi Smith, Caitlyn Johnson, Paige Porter) 45.39
High Jump – T6. Zahra Amos 1.68m/5-6; T10. Grace Reinhardt-Perez 1.63m/5-4.25; 16. Kimiko Hirahara 1.58m/5-2.25 (PR)
Pole Vault – 2. Ali Sahaida 4.23m/13-10.5
Long Jump – 8. Caitlyn Johnson 5.82m/19-1.25 (PR)
Triple Jump – 1. Avery Hart 12.55m/41-2.25 (PR); 10. Myla Canty 11.95m/39-2.5; 12. Leah Anderson 11.86m/38-11
Shot Put – 1. Lucija Leko 15.83m/51-11.25
Discus – 5. Lucija Leko 46.78m/153-5; 10. Adrianna Coleman 42.91m/140-9
 
UP NEXT
The Bears will return to the Bay Area for the Brutus Hamilton Invitational on April 2-4 at Cal's Edwards Stadium and the Stanford Invitational on April 3 at The Farm.
 
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