Third Straight Pac-12 Title For Rogers

EUGENE, OREGON – California track & field battled through a rainy Friday afternoon on day one of the Pac-12 Championships, earning itself one championship, another podium finish and three guaranteed finals appearances from several hours of competition at Hayward Field. Currently, Cal's 24th-ranked women are in second place with a total of 26 points, just six behind first-place Washington, while the 25th-ranked men stand in seventh place with five total points.

In spite of the rainwater-filled circle, the women's hammer throwers scored 22 of the team's 26 points with a 1-2-6 result in the final round. Camryn Rogers led the way once again with a top throw of 73.71m (241-10) to claim her third straight conference championship; she became just the second woman in conference history (after Arizona State alumna Maggie Ewen) to claim three Pac-12 hammer throw titles, having also won in 2019 and 2021.

"Coming in and having a meet like this, an experience like this, really prepares us for those big competitions down the line," said Rogers, who will look to return to Eugene for the NCAA Championships in June and the World Championships in July. It helps, she said, to not focus too hard on her environment: "When I'm preparing to throw, I'm trying to think as little as possible, just feeling the hammer in my hands."

Teammate Anna Purchase joined Rogers on the podium with her second-place effort of 68.93m (226-1) to add eight more points to Cal's total, while an outstanding effort by Rebecca Tomann, who won the first flight with a massive PR of 60.79m (199-5) that moved her up to 10th all-time in program history, earned the latter sixth place overall and three more points for Cal. In the pole vault, Amari Turner rounded out Cal's women scorers with a fourth-place vault of 3.93m (12-10.75).

Over on the track, standout sprinter Ezinne Abba was the fastest out of all runners in the women's 200m dash preliminary round, finishing in 23.22 to clinch a spot in the finals; before then, however, she will also race in the 100m preliminary on Saturday.

Freshman Riley Knott represented the Bears in the men's decathlon; he currently sits in fifth place with 3324 points after the first five events, having taken first in the high jump with a top height of 1.99m (6-6.25) and reaching personal bests in the long jump (6.54m/21-5.5) and the shot put (11.29m/37-0.5).

Garrett MacQuiddy ensured a spot in Sunday's 1500m final after racing to a fifth-place time of 3:41.83 in the preliminary round, while Will Sornberger advanced to his own event final by grinding out a 52.72 finish in the 400m hurdles preliminary. Meanwhile, Tyler Burns scored the men's only points of the day, finishing fourth in the pole vault with a top height of 4.91m (16-1.25).
 
Day One Results
MEN
Decathlon (Post Day 1): 5. Riley Knott, 3324 points
              -100m Dash: 11.85 (681 points, 7th place)
              -Long Jump: 6.54m/21-5.5 (707 points, 7th place) (PR)
              -Shot Put: 11.29m/37-0.5 (563 points, 7th place) (PR)
              -High Jump: 1.99m/6-6.25 (794 points, 1st place)
              -400m Dash: 55.49 (579 points, 8th place)
Pole Vault: 4. Tyler Burns 4.91m/16-1.25
1500m Run (Prelim): 5. Garrett MacQuiddy 3:41.83Q; 20. Carrick Denker 3:52.78
200m Dash (Prelim): 17. George Monroe 21.84
400m Hurdles (Prelim): 8. Will Sornberger 52.72q
 
WOMEN
Hammer Throw: 1. Camryn Rogers 73.71m/241-10; 2. Anna Purchase 68.93m/226-1; 6. Rebecca Tomann 60.79m/199-5 (10th Cal history) (PR); 21. Destiny Okoh 44.97m/147-6
1500m Run (Prelim): 19. Claire Yerby 4:29.58
Pole Vault: 4. Amari Turner 3.93m/12-10.75
200m Dash (Prelim): 1. Ezinne Abba 23.22Q; 12. Maisie Stevens 24.16; 6. Aysha Shaheed 24.26
 
UP NEXT
The Bears have a full slate on Saturday, beginning at 11:00 a.m. PT with the last five events of the men's decathlon.
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