A record-high number of Cal Track and Field athletes to compete at NCAA West Regional this weekend
[Article updated with schedule] 31 Golden Bears hope to join the already qualified Hakeem McMorris (decathlon) at the NCAA Championships
Coming off a fairly successful Pac-12 Championships in Eugene, Oregon with 12 top-3 finishes, Cal Track and Field Golden Bears will look to book a return trip back to Eugene for the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships (June 8-11). All it takes is a top-12 finish in the event, including relays, at the NCAA West Regional in Fayetteville, Arkansas this weekend (May 25-28).
A record-high number of Cal Bears will be hoping to produce the largest contingent of Cal Bears to advance to the NCAA Championships in recent history1. They will compete in individual events (and not all of them throwing, where Cal is particularly strong to have 12 throwers) as well as two relays (women’s 4x100m and men’s 4x400m).
While the press release says 31 athletes, only 28 (plus an alternate) is listed (also shown below). Will Sornberger is the lone guy listed for 4x400m below, the athlete count will be 31 if three unnamed runners join him for that event.
Hakeem McMorris, ranked 8th in the country in the decathlon, has already earned his berth in the NCAA Championships.
After a stellar performance at the Pac-12 Championships last weekend, California track & field continued its success this week by officially qualifying 31 athletes for the upcoming NCAA West Regionals, held this year in Fayetteville, Arkansas from May 25-28. This group of Bears will be the largest squad in program history to qualify for Regionals.
"It speaks volumes about the direction of the team," said Director of Track & Field/Cross Country Robyne Johnson. "We've worked very hard to bring in great people who can make an immediate impact on our squad.
"Even though this is my third season in this position at Cal, I feel like this has been my first full season," she continued, citing the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on travel. "It feels great to have a traditional season where we can really put it all together and produce the results that we're capable of."
The top 12 finishers from each event, as well as the top 12 relay squads, will move on to the NCAA Championships in June. Multi-event qualifiers for the NCAA Championships have already been selected; Cal will have a representative in Hakim McMorris, who currently ranks No. 8 nationally in the decathlon.
Below is a full list of Cal student-athletes who will be competing and their schedule.
Schedule (All Times PT)
Wednesday, May 25
Men's Hammer (First Round) – 8:00 a.m.
-Michael Gupta – Flight 1
-Ivar Moisander – Flight 3
Men's Long Jump (First Round) – 4:00 p.m.
-Mason Mangum – Flight 1
Men's 1500m (First Round) – 4:30 p.m.
-Garrett MacQuiddy – Heat 1
Men's Pole Vault (First Round) – 4:30 p.m.
-Tyler Burns – Flight 1
Men's Shot Put (First Round) – 5:00 p.m.
-Jake Porter – Flight 2
-Jeff Duensing – Flight 3
-Josh Johnson – Flight 4
Men's 400m Hurdles (First Round) – 6:20 p.m.
-Will Sornberger – Heat 2
Thursday, May 26
Women's Hammer (First Round) – 8:00 a.m.
-Rebecca Tomann – Flight 2
-Anna Purchase – Flight 3
-Camryn Rogers – Flight 3
Women's 100m Hurdles (First Round) – 4:00 p.m.
-Jada Hicks – Heat 2
Women's Long Jump (First Round) – 4:00 p.m.
-Asha Fletcher – Flight 1
Women's Pole Vault (First Round) – 4:30 p.m.
-Amari Turner – Flight 1
Women's 100m (First Round) – 5:00 p.m.
-Maisie Stevens – Heat 1
-Ezinne Abba – Heat 6
Women's Shot Put (First Round) – 5:00 p.m.
-Krissy Smoot – Flight 1
-Amelia Flynt – Flight 3
Women's 200m (First Round) – 6:45 p.m.
-Maisie Stevens – Heat 1
-Ezinne Abba – Heat 4
Friday, May 27
Men's Discus (First Round) – 11:00 a.m.
-Josh Johnson – Flight 1
-Iffy Joyner – Flight 3
-Mykolas Alekna – Flight 3
Men's High Jump (First Round) – 12:30 p.m.
-Jai Williams – Flight 1
Men's 1500m (Quarterfinals) – 3:15 p.m.
Men's 400m Hurdles (Quarterfinals) – 5:25 p.m.
Men's 4x400m Relay (Quarterfinals) – 6:45 p.m.
-Hakim McMorris, Josh Keller, Will Sornberger, Henry Larkin – Heat 3
Saturday, May 28
Women's Discus (First Round) – 11:00 a.m.
-Amelia Flynt – Flight 2
-Jasmine Blair – Flight 3
Women's High Jump (First Round) – 12:30 p.m.
-Hawa Wague – Flight 1
Women's 4x100m Relay (Quarterfinals) – 3:00 p.m.
-Jada Hicks, Ezinne Abba, Maisie Stevens, Aysha Shaheed – Heat 1
Women's Triple Jump (First Round) – 4:00 p.m.
-Felicia Renelus – Flight 2
-Asha Fletcher – Flight 3
-Busola Akinduro – Flight 3
Women's 100m Hurdles (Quarterfinals) – 4:15 p.m.
Women's 100m (Quarterfinals) – 4:35 p.m.
Women's 200m (Quarterfinals) – 5:50 p.m.
Women's 5000m (Semifinals) – 6:10 p.m.
-Erin Archibeck – Heat 1
A not-so-complete list of the Bears' qualifiers for the NCAA West Regionals are as follows:
Men's Qualifiers (season-best marks in parentheses)
Mykolas Alekna – Discus (68.73m) (NCAA record)
Tyler Burns – Pole Vault (5.21m) (T8th Cal history)
Jeff Duensing – Shot Put (18.86m) (8th Cal history)
Michael Gupta – Hammer (63.12m) (10th Cal history)
Josh Johnson – Shot Put (19.95m) (2nd Cal history), Discus (55.97m)
Iffy Joyner – Discus (62.17m) (4th Cal history)
Garrett MacQuiddy – 1500m (3:41.33) (7th Cal history)
Mason Mangum – Long Jump (7.49m)
Ivar Moisander – Hammer (68.16m) (4th Cal history)
Jake Porter – Shot Put (18.23m)
Will Sornberger – 400m Hurdles (51.85), 4x400m (3:07.20)
Jai Williams – High Jump (2.11m)
Women's Qualifiers (season-best marks in parentheses)
Ezinne Abba – 100m (11.10w) (11.12 School record), 200m (22.91) (2nd Cal history), 4x100m (43.99) (School record)
Busola Akinduro – Triple Jump (13.01m) (8th Cal history)
Erin Archibeck – 5000m (16:08.05) (9th Cal history)
Jasmine Blair – Discus (57.26m) (2nd Cal history)
Aly Conyers – 400m (54.15)
Asha Fletcher – Long Jump (6.10m), Triple Jump (13.13m)
Amelia Flynt – Shot Put (16.53m) (2nd Cal history), Discus (53.09m)
Jada Hicks – 100m Hurdles (13.34) (3rd Cal history), 4x100m (43.99) (School record)
Anna Purchase – Hammer (70.63m) (2nd Cal history)
Felicia Renelus – Triple Jump (12.83m)
Camryn Rogers – Hammer (75.73m) (NCAA record)
Aysha Shaheed – 4x100m (43.99) (School record)
Krissy Smoot – Shot Put (15.61m) (6th Cal history)
Maisie Stevens – 100m (11.42w) (11.43 5th Cal history), 200m (23.57w) (23.72 10th Cal history), 4x100m (43.99) (School record)
Rebecca Tomann – Hammer (60.79m) (10th Cal history)
Amari Turner – Pole Vault (4.05m) (5th Cal history)
Hawa Wague – High Jump (1.76m)
Alternate Competitors
Jordyn Grady – 4x100m
While Camryn Rogers (women’s hammer) and Mykolas Alkena (men’s discus) are essential locks as well as NCAA Championship favorites, several other Cal Bears, particularly throwers could also earn National Championship berths.
Iffy Joyner (discus) and Pac-12 champ Josh Johnson (shot put) are the only Bears other than Rogers to have made the NCAA Championships.
While it might not be as obvious as the Cal swimmers (particularly male swimmers who can drop time by merely shaving), expect the best performances of the season and plenty of PRs to come out of this weekend.
GO BEARS!
The ambiguousness here is because I don’t know what is the record. Cal did win the 1922 NCAA Men’s Track and Field national title.
Ivar Moisander has qualified for men's hammer throw with a 9th place finish https://twitter.com/CalTFXC/status/1529537985078755329
Go Bears!
Looks like Hakim is Malik's brother. McMorris family talent!