LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The California track & field team put together a successful day of competition to kick off the ACC Outdoor Championships, breaking a pair of records and posting two new program top-10 marks Thursday at Owsley B. Frazier Cardinal Park. The Golden Bears' women currently sit in first place with 19 points, while their men finished the first day in seventh place with seven points.
 
Of Cal's combined 26 points, 16 belonged to hammer throwers. For the second straight year, a Bear earned the ACC women's hammer title as sophomore Valentina Savva launched a season-best heave of 69.86m (228-7) on her second throw, shattering a seven-year-old meet record by over four feet to earn First-Team All-ACC status and lead the rest of the field by nearly nine feet. Her fifth throw of the competition, which sailed 69.57m (228-3), would have also easily clinched victory.
 
Junior Adrianna Coleman was named Second-Team All-ACC with a fifth-place finish, recording a huge personal best of 64.16m (210-6) for the No. 8 mark in program history, while senior Audrey Jacobs took eighth at 60.56m (198-8). Redshirt freshman Miles Clark matched Jacobs' finish on the men's side, setting a PR of 62.49m (205-0) to pick up a point for Cal.
 
"I was really proud of how the group showed up and competed when it mattered most for the team," said assistant coach Tyler Burdorff, who leads the throws unit. "Competing at your best when your best is required is a hard thing to do sometimes, and the majority of them did that today. I'm excited for the rest of the team to build off that momentum throughout the rest of the week."
 
Cal's pole vaulters also had a standout day, starting with senior Ali Sahaida's fifth-place mark of 4.23m/13-10.5 for a Second-Team All-ACC nod and finishing with a pair of scoring performances from freshman Kai Anderson (fourth place, 5.43m/17-9.75) and Will Siemens (tied – seventh place, 5.08m/16-8). Anderson's mark, which helped him repeat as a member of the All-ACC Second Team, crushed the Cal freshman record by four inches and moved him up to No. 6 in program history.
 
Appearing in the decathlon, redshirt junior Luke Buddie posted personal bests in the 100m (11.17w) and long jump (7.06m/23-2) on the way to a five-event total of 3807 points, while freshman Antonio Bayon made his collegiate decathlon debut and collected 3411 points on the first day. Both Bears earned top-three finishes in the high jump, with Buddie winning the event at 1.98m (6-6). Finally, sophomore Nairobi Smith was Cal's standout on the track Thursday, posting a wind-aided time of 23.24 in the 200m to advance to Saturday's final.
 
ACC OUTDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS – DAY 1 MEN'S RESULTS
200m Prelims – 18. Wazell Wright 21.55
1500m Prelims – 19. Justin Pretre 3:48.21
Pole Vault – 4. Kai Anderson 5.43m/17-9.75 (PR, Freshman Record, 6th Cal History, Second-Team All-ACC); T7. Will Siemens 5.08m/16-8; - Parker Terrill NH
Hammer – 8. Miles Clark 62.49m/205-0 (PR); 11. Kai Burich 60.62m/198-11; - Kai Barham NM
Javelin – 9. Seth Johnson 52.94m/173-8
Decathlon Standings
6. Luke Buddie 3807

• 100m – 11.17w (wind-aided PR, 10th, 823 points)
• Long Jump – 7.06m/23-2 (PR, 5th, 828 points)
• Shot Put – 12.59m/41-3.75 (8th, 642 points)
• High Jump – 1.98m/6-6 (1st, 785 points)
• 400m – 51.90 (10th, 729 points)

10. Antonio Bayon 3411

• 100m – 11.55w (PR, 13th, 742 points)
• Long Jump – 6.53m/21-5.25 (PR, 10th, 704 points)
• Shot Put – 11.80m/38-8.75 (PR, 11th, 594 points)
• High Jump – 1.96m/6-3.5 (3rd, 731 points)
• 400m – 54.00 (12th, 640 points)

                                                                                                                                       
ACC OUTDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS – DAY 1 WOMEN'S RESULTS
200m Prelims – 8. Nairobi Smith 23.24w (q)
10,000m – 16. Sabine Kim 34:05.46
Pole Vault – 5. Ali Sahaida 4.23m/13-10.5 (Second-Team All-ACC)
Hammer – 1. Valentina Savva 69.68m/228-7 (Meet Record, First-Team All-ACC); 5. Adrianna Coleman 64.16m/210-6 (PR, 8th Cal History, Second-Team All-ACC); 8. Audrey Jacobs 60.56m/198-8; 14. Isabella Popejoy 56.86m/186-6 (PR)
 
UP NEXT
The Bears will compete in Day 2 of the ACC Outdoor Championships on Friday, with the first event beginning at 8 a.m. PT/11 a.m. ET.
 
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