BERKELEY, Calif. – The California Golden Bears track and field team is hosting the Brutus Hamilton Open and Challenge this weekend at Edwards Stadium in Berkeley, Calif. Entrants from 17 four-year universities as well as select clubs around the country will be competing in the Open and Challenge portion of the meet on Friday and Saturday. Saturday's Challenge is a scoring meet that could potentially factor in on how the Cal men finish in the dual meet rankings. The men’s team is currently ranked third in the Track & Field News Dual Rankings. Friday's Open meet is non-scoring, with the exception of events that are not being held in Saturday's Challenge meet (3000-meter steeplechase, 5000-meters, hammer and javelin).
One of the premier events on Saturday is the Don Bowden Mile on the men’s side, that will feature Cal junior Thomas Joyce and indoor national champion Anthony Rotich, a senior from UTEP. The Lon Spurrier men’s 800-meters also figures to be an exciting race, as it features three of the top 20 competitors in the western region; in Utah State’s Clay Lambourne (1:48.80), Cal sophomore Eugene Hamilton III (1:48.98) and UC Davis’ Nathan Strum (1:49.04). In the men’s Upshaw Family Long Jump, four of the top 18 competitors in the west will highlight the competition. Cal freshman Walt Jones IV (25-4.50) and junior Jonte Grant (24-9.75), as well as Kansas State’s Otuanye Ifeanyichukwu (24-10.75) and UTEP’s Carlos Hernandez (24-6.25). Freshman Bethan Knights is also slated to compete in the Marilyn Davis 1500-meters and 3000-meters, ranking in the top 15 in both events in the west.
California is coming off of a light weekend last week that saw 12 participate in the Mt. Sac Relays in Walnut, California, where freshman Knights won the 5000-meters on her way to seventh on Cal’s All-Time Performers List. Additionally, junior Jonte Turner (400-meter hurdles) and freshman Ashtyn Davis (110-meter hurdles) both set PR’s. Prior to that, the Golden Bears men won 121st edition of the Big Meet against Bay Area rival Stanford for the third consecutive season.
Meet information:
When: Friday and Saturday
What: Brutus Hamilton Challenge and Open
Where: Berkeley, Calif.
Site: Edwards Stadium
Events begin:
Friday: Field, 8:30 a.m.; Running, 12:30 p.m.
Saturday: Field, 10 a.m.; Running, 1:20 p.m.
Follow the action:
Live Results: Click here
Event schedule: Click here
