Bears Qualify 29 Individuals, 2 Relays for Regionals - California Golden Bears Athletics

May 16, 2013

BERKELEY - Cal will be well represented at the NCAA West Preliminary meet coming up in Austin, Texas, May 23-25, qualifying 29 individuals in 33 events as well as both the men's and women's 4x100-meter relays for the competition that will determine spots at the NCAA national championships.

Four Golden Bears reached the regional meet in two events - jumper Hammed Suleman, sprinters Tom Blocker and Charnell Price, and shot put/discus specialist Ethan Cochran. Cal had its most qualifiers in the men's high jump with four, while the Bears will also have multiple entries in the men's and women's 100 meters, men's 400-meter hurdles, men's triple jump, men's shot put, men's discus and men's hammer.

Suleman enters the competition ranked No. 1 in the long jump based on his Pac-12-winning effort of 25-11.50 from last weekend. He's also second in the triple jump with a best of 53-4.50, which came in Austin during the Texas Relays in late March. Suleman was the Pac-12 runner-up in the event.

Fellow conference champion Ray Stewart is No. 2 in the 110-meter hurdles with a top time of 13.43. The only person ahead of him is Oregon's Johnathan Cabral, whom he beat in the Pac-12 meet final.

Others rated in the top 10 in their respective events are: Kelsey Santisteban (7th, women's 5000 meters), Malaina Payton (6th, women's long jump), Collin Jarvis (9th, men's 3000-meter steeplechase) and Nick Ridge (9th, men's high jump).

Two preliminary championships will be held May 23-25, with the West regional in Austin and the East regional in Greensboro, N.C. The top 12 qualifiers out of each event will advance to the NCAA Championships June 5-8, in Eugene, Ore.

Three Bears who will be at regionals next week reached the NCAA meet in 2012 - Harrison Steed in the men's high jump, Chad Jones in the men's triple jump and Scott Esparza in the men's hammer. Steed posted the best result of the group, earning All-American honors for his eighth-place national finish.

California Qualifiers

Women

Charnell Price	100m	18th	11.46
Carisma Lyday	100m	47th	11.67
Charnell Price	200m	21st	23.55
Alima Kamara	400m	16th	53.01
Kelsey Santisteban	5000m	7th	15:50.18
Tiarra Pittman	400m hurdles	45th	59.93
California	4x100m relay	17th	45.15
Gianna Fernandez	High Jump	14th	5-10.50
Malaina Payton	Long Jump	6th	21-5.50
Amanda Hunter	Triple Jump	14th	42-0.50
Chioma Amaechi	Shot Put	29th	52-3.75
Shelby Ashe	Hammer	17th	201-10

Men

Tom Blocker	100m	25th	10.45
Dash Oliver	100m	32nd	10.49
Tom Blocker	200m	34th	21.23
Jordan Locklear	1500m	32nd	3:45.14
Collin Jarvis	3000m Steeple	9th	8:47.82
Ray Stewart	110m hurdles	2nd	13.43
Randy Bermea	400m hurdles	16th	51.31
Ryan Holmes	400m hurdles	47th	52.76
California	4x100m relay	13th	40.05
Nick Ridge	High Jump	9th	7-1.50
Noel Frazier	High Jump	22nd	7-0.25
Harrison Steed	High Jump	33rd	6-11.50
Mike Tracy	High Jump	43rd	6-10.75
Hammed Suleman	Long Jump	2nd	25-11.50
Hammed Suleman	Triple Jump	1st	53-4.50
Chad Jones	Triple Jump	28th	50-7.25
Taylor Kientzel	Triple Jump	31st	50-4.75
Ethan Cochran	Shot Put	27th	58-2.00
Sullivan Parker	Shot Put	44th	56-1.75
Ethan Cochran	Discus	14th	188-8
Chijoke Nwuzi	Discus	26th	181-4
Scott Esparza	Hammer	27th	200-6
Isaac Dan	Hammer	40th	194-5