STANFORD – The California track & field team closed out its regular season at Cobb Track and Angell Field on Friday night, recording three new program top-10 entries and 16 event wins at the Payton Jordan Invitational to put themselves in good shape heading into the ACC Outdoor Championships.
 
One of those exemplary results belonged to rookie pole vaulter Kai Anderson, who posted a massive personal best of 5.32m (17-5.5) to claim the event title and match Cal's 38-year-old freshman record, first set by eventual school record-holder Brent Burns in 1988. Anderson, whose mark puts him at No. 9 in outdoor program history, also became the second Cal first-year vaulter to claim a freshman record this season after teammate Sam Novak did so indoors.
 
Two Cal distance runners also posted program top-10 times. Junior Justin Pretre improved his PR in the 1500m to 3:40.56, bettering his own program No. 5 entry, while redshirt freshman Sabine Kim made her 10,000m debut and recorded a time of 34:05.46 – eighth-fastest in program history and the best time by a Golden Bear since Bethan Knights' 33:30.13 in 2017.
 
Breakout sophomore Nairobi Smith claimed dominant victories in both the 100m (11.44) and the 200m (23.40w), while senior Saqqara Ruffin claimed the 100m hurdles title with a season-best time of 13.36 – just 0.01 seconds off her wind-legal personal best. The men's sprinters were led by sophomores Wazell Wright and Aidan Orias, as Wright recorded a substantial PR of 10.54 in the 100m for the win and Orias posted career bests in the 100m (10.59) and 200m (21.42).
 
Cal also swept the men's and women's long jump, triple jump and hammer throw. In the first event, sophomore Trevor Rogers recorded a season-best 7.58m (24-10.5) to lead the men while freshman Caitlyn Johnson leaped a wind-aided 6.05m (19-10.25) to claim victory for the women. The second event belonged to junior Jeremiah Bolaños (men, 14.96m/49-1) and senior Leah Anderson (women, 12.61m/41-4.5), the latter of whom posted her best result in her two years as a Bear by 7.5 inches. Senior Kai Burich surpassed 61 meters for the first time in the final contest, earning the men's event title with a mark of 61.04m (200-3), mirrored by sophomore teammate Valentina Savva's own winning result of 67.22m (220-6) for the women.
 
Decathlete Seth Johnson notched a pair of victories in the 110m hurdles (14.31) and javelin (52.33m/171-8). Two more Cal women won titles in the field events, with graduate student Zahra Amos clearing 1.67m (5-5.75) in the high jump and junior Lucija Leko putting the shot 15.33m (50-3.5); on the men's side, redshirt junior Nik Iwankiw added yet another PR to his season with a winning 54.31m (178-2).
 
PAYTON JORDAN INVITATIONAL – MEN'S RESULTS
100m – 1. Wazell Wright 10.54 (PR); 2. Aidan Orias 10.59 (PR)
200m – 2. Wazell Wright 21.14; 4. Aidan Orias 21.42 (PR); 7. Trevor Rogers 21.81 (PR)
400m – 4. Arian Naim 48.40; 9. Antonio Bayon 53.89
800m Section 1 – 2. Lamarr Kirk Jr. 1:49.88
800m Section 2 – 4. Jack Paradise 1:54.55
1500m Section 1 – 7. Justin Pretre 3:40.56 (PR, 5th Cal History)
1500m Section 2 – 12. Caden Carney 3:57.24
1500m Section 3 – 10. Gabriel Rodriguez 4:05.80
1500m Section 4 – 8. Alexander Lodewick 3:58.47; 12. Julian Doak 4:03.47
5000m Section 3 – 13. Roland Ruckmann-Barnes 14:35.92 (PR)
10,000m – 11. John Sesteaga 31:19.20 (PR)
110m Hurdles – 1. Seth Johnson 14.31; 3. Luke Buddie 15.42
Pole Vault – 1. Kai Anderson 5.32m/17-5.5 (PR, Freshman Record, 9th Cal History); 3. Will Siemens 4.92m/16-1.75; 4. Parker Terrill 4.92m/16-1.75; 7. Luke Buddie 4.32m/14-2
Long Jump – 1. Trevor Rogers 7.58m/24-10.5; 2. Jason Plumb 7.27m/23-10.25; 3. Javon Hampton Jr. 7.22mw/23-8.25; 4. Victor Ezike Jr. 7.11m/23-4 (PR); 7. David Brok 6.46m/21-2.5 (PR)
Triple Jump – 1. Jeremiah Bolaños 14.96m/49-1
Shot Put – 2. Matas Mikulėnas 16.06m/52-8.25; 4. Eliot Traxler 15.58m/51-1.5
Discus – 1. Nik Iwankiw 54.31m/178-2 (PR); 2. Eliot Traxler 49.48m/162-4
Hammer – 1. Kai Burich 61.04m/200-3 (PR); 2. Miles Clark 60.58m/198-9; 4. Kai Barham 59.37m/194-9
Javelin – 1. Seth Johnson 52.33m/171-8
                                                                                                                                       
PAYTON JORDAN INVITATIONAL – WOMEN'S RESULTS
100m – 1. Nairobi Smith 11.44; 3. Inara Ukawuba 11.89 (PR); 4. Saqqara Ruffin 12.06 (PR); 6. Kaitlyn Williams 12.21
200m – 1. Nairobi Smith 23.40w; 5. Kaitlyn Williams 25.19w
800m Section 2 – 2. Carolina Dawson 2:08.75
10,000m – 3. Sabine Kim 34:05.46 (PR, 8th Cal History)
3000m Steeplechase Section 1 – 8. Georgia McCorkle 10:32.78; 15. Sarah Perkins 11:19.75
100m Hurdles – 1. Saqqara Ruffin 13.36; 2. Inara Ukawuba 13.60
High Jump – 1. Zahra Amos 1.67m/5-5.75; T2. Grace Reinhardt-Perez 1.67m/5-5.75; 4. Kimiko Hirahara 1.57m/5-1.75
Pole Vault – 4. Anya Patel 3.60m/11-9.75 (PR)
Long Jump – 1. Caitlyn Johnson 6.05mw/19-10.25
Triple Jump – 1. Leah Anderson 12.61m/41-4.5; 2. Avery Hart 12.51m/41-0.5
Shot Put – 1. Lucija Leko 15.33m/50-3.5
Discus – 2. Lucija Leko 51.82m/170-0
Hammer – 1. Valentina Savva 67.22m/220-6; 3. Adrianna Coleman 60.55m/198-8; 4. Isabella Popejoy 55.22m/181-2; 7. Angie Schykerynec 52.24m
Javelin – 3. Grace Reinhardt-Perez 27.28m/89-6
 
UP NEXT
The Bears will head to Louisville, Kentucky, to begin their postseason at the ACC Outdoor Championships on May 14-16.
 
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