WALNUT/AZUSA – The California track & field team finished a four-day stretch of competition Saturday with stellar performances at both the Mt. SAC Relays and the Bryan Clay Invitational, posting a trio of all-time program top-five marks as well as a pair of top-three finishes in stacked fields.
 
The top performance of the day at the Mt. SAC Relays belonged to senior pole vaulter Ali Sahaida, who needed just six attempts to clear four bars to claim the outdoor school record at 4.45m (14-7.25) and surpass the program standard set by former teammate Amari Turner in 2024. She needed just one more jump to clear the following bar, improving to 4.55m (14-11) and finish second in the elite invitational section behind Washington's Hana Moll, who broke her own collegiate record in the event with a mark of 4.80m (15-9). Sahaida now owns both the indoor and outdoor program records in the women's pole vault, with her indoor record sitting just above the outdoor counterpart at 4.56m (14-11.5).
 
Sophomore Nairobi Smith's electric season continued as she recorded top-seven finishes in both the 100m and 200m elite invitational races, posting a wind-aided 11.32 in the former and a wind-legal 23.16 in the latter to tie for third-best all-time at Cal.
 
Senior Kai Burich was Cal's top finisher in the men's hammer collegiate section, launching a season-best throw of 60.33m (197-11) to claim third place ahead of redshirt freshman teammate Miles Clark (60.29m (197-9). Also making their event's respective finals were redshirt junior Nik Iwankiw (shot put) and senior Jason Plumb (long jump), who recorded marks of 17.38m/57-0.25 (Iwankiw) and 7.39mw/24-3 (Plumb) in the elite invitational sections. In the women's field events, redshirt junior Isabella Popejoy placed fifth in the hammer collegiate contest, while redshirt junior Lucija Leko (shot put, 15.71m/51-6.5) and senior Audrey Jacobs (hammer, 62.60m/205-4) placed eighth and ninth, respectively, in their event's elite invitational competitions.
 
Junior Justin Pretre posted the best 1500m time of his life at the Bryan Clay Invitational, placing 15th overall in the 148-man invite section at 3:40.78 – a two-second PR and a two-spot improvement (No. 5) on Cal's all-time list.
 
 
MT. SAC RELAYS – DAY 4 RESULTS (MEN)
110m Hurdles Elite Invite – 21. Donovan Bradley 16.55w
Long Jump Elite Invite – 8. Jason Plumb 7.39mw/24-3
Shot Put Invite – 7. Nik Iwankiw 17.38m/57-0.25
Hammer Elite Invite – 11. Kai Barham 60.69m/199-1
Hammer Collegiate – 3. Kai Burich 60.33m/197-11; 4. Miles Clark 60.29m/197-9
 
MT. SAC RELAYS – DAY 4 RESULTS (WOMEN)
100m Elite Invite – 6. Nairobi Smith 11.32w
200m Elite Invite – 7. Nairobi Smith 23.16 (PR, Tied-3rd Cal History)
100m Hurdles Elite Invite – 16. Saqqara Ruffin 13.54; 23. Inara Ukawuba 21.95w
Pole Vault Elite Invite – 2. Ali Sahaida 4.55m/14-11 (PR, School Record)
Shot Put Elite Invite – 8. Lucija Leko 15.71m/51-6.5
Hammer Elite Invite – 9. Audrey Jacobs 62.60m/205-4; 10. Adrianna Coleman 60.30m/197-10; - Valentina Savva NM
Hammer Collegiate – 5. Isabella Popejoy 56.53m/185-5
 
BRYAN CLAY INVITATIONAL – DAY 2 RESULTS (MEN)
1500m Invite – 15. Justin Pretre 3:40.78 (PR, 5th Cal History); 139. Caden Carney 3:52.18
 
 
UP NEXT
The Bears will return to the Bay Area to compete at the Payton Jordan Invitational at Stanford on May 1.
 
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