Hamilton Obliterates 20-Year-Old Program Record In Weight Throw Debut

California track & field posted another standout day in its second week of competition, adding another school record and four additional program top-10 marks at the Don Kirby Invitational in Albuquerque, N.M., on Friday.
 
The program record came courtesy of senior Rowan Hamilton, who transferred to Cal this past offseason and had never competed in an indoor meet. His debut was particularly notable because he had also never competed in an NCAA meet, having spent the previous five seasons at British Columbia, an NAIA institution; nevertheless, he performed splendidly, crushing Cal's 20-year-old weight throw record on his very first attempt to eventually take second place in the contest. That mark of 21.98m (72-1) was a whopping 2.22m (7-3) farther than the old program lead.
 
"Today was a great day for Rowan," said assistant coach Mo Saatara, who leads the throws. "It was a challenge for him to compete in a new event, but he did a great job executing our plan."
 
Cal's standout throws were not limited to the men – for the second meet in a row, freshman Adrianna Coleman posted a top-10 weight throw mark, improving her PR by 1.35m (4-5.5) to 19.50m (63-11) for Cal's fifth-best result all-time and third place in the competition.
 
The Golden Bears' horizontal jumpers also continued to impress in their return to Albuquerque. Senior Mason Mangum, who leads Cal's 11th-ranked men's long jump squad, improved his personal best to 7.70m (25-3.25) to move from fifth to third on the program list and take fourth place; meanwhile, sophomore Jason Plumb also reached the final with a new PR of 7.45m (24-5.5). Classmate Seth Johnson was the third member of the squad to achieve a new career mark at 6.45m (21-2).
 
On the women's side, senior Busola Akinduro led a trio of flight-winning female Bears with a personal-best 5.98m (19-7.5), tying for the No. 5 mark in Cal history. Her younger teammates Torre Anderson and Ashanti Elie leaped 5.89m (19-4) and 5.53m (18-1.75), respectively; Anderson's jump was also a personal record, while Elie's was her collegiate debut in the event.
 
Elie's day continued with her main event, the high jump, where she lived up to last year's All-CA First Team billing with a leap of 1.71m (5-7.25) for a new personal best to tie the No. 8 mark in program history. Anderson also PR'd in that competition, crushing her former best mark by clearing the bar at 1.66m (5-5.25). Over at the pole vault, Will Siemens reached his own career high of 4.82m (15-9.75) in the men's "B" contest.
 
The unseeded 200m races also featured a slew of personal bests. Junior Isaiah Shaw (21.58) and senior Ryan Lacefield (24.24) placed fourth and sixth, respectively, in the men's and women's races, leading a group of PR-setters that also included Masina Mayo (25.02) and Jaymie Ruskovich (25.04). Fellow sprinter Loreal Wilson added a personal record of her own in the unseeded 400m with a time of 56.76.
 
Cal also sent distance representatives to both the Husky Classic in Seattle and the David Hemery Valentine Invitational in Boston. In the former meet, sophomore Georgia McCorkle was the standout performer in the women's 3000m, shaving nearly 20 seconds off her personal best to finish in 9:39.44; senior Gabriel Abbes, meanwhile, paced Cal's men in the same event at 8:35.36. Senior Claire Yerby was the Bears' only competitor in Boston, posting a mile time of 4:54.88.
 
DON KIRBY INVITATIONAL
Men's Results
"B" Pole Vault: 5. Parker Terrill 4.82m (15-9.75); 7. Will Siemens 4.82m (15-9.75) (PR)
Pole Vault: 9. Skyler Magula 5.42m (17-9.25)
Long Jump: 4. Mason Mangum 7.70m (25-3.25 – PR, Tied-Cal Top 3); 7. Jason Plumb 7.45m (24-5.5 – PR); 11. Chukwunonso Udeh 7.29m (23-11); 30. Obi Nwafor 6.95m (22-9.75); 35. Luke Buddie 6.82m (22-4.5); 43. Javon Hampton Jr. 6.62m (21-8.75); 47. Seth Johnson 6.45m (21-2 – PR)
Unseeded 200m: 4. Isaiah Shaw 21.58 (PR); 18. Chase Williams 21.84
Weight Throw: 2. Rowan Hamilton 21.98m (72-1 – School Record); 7. Ivar Moisander 19.51m (64-0); 10. Michael Gupta 18.24m (59-10)
High Jump: T9. Riley Knott 2.02m (6-7.5); T13. Jai Williams 2.02m (6-7.5); 22. Seth Johnson 1.87m (6-1.5); 24. Luke Buddie 1.87m (6-1.5)
Invitational 200m: 23. George Monroe 21.62
 
Women's Results
Long Jump: 17. Busola Akinduro 5.98m (19-7.5 – PR, Cal Top 5); 23. Torre Anderson 5.89m (19-4 – PR); 51. Ashanti Elie 5.53m (18-1.75)
High Jump: 4. Ashanti Elie 1.71m (5-7.25 – PR, Tied – Cal Top 8); T10. Torre Anderson 1.66m (5-5.25 – PR); Toby Lai NH
Weight Throw: 3. Adrianna Coleman 19.50m (63-11 – PR, Cal Top 5); 13. Angie Schykerynec 17.71m (58-1); 16. Audrey Jacobs 17.27m (56-8)
Unseeded 400m: 17. Loreal Wilson 56.76 (PR)
Unseeded 200m: 6. Ryan Lacefield 24.24 (PR); 43. Masina Mayo 25.02 (PR); 46. Jaymie Ruskovich 25.04 (PR); 55. Loreal Wilson 25.26; 84. Jayden Hill 25.94
"B" Pole Vault: 14. Paige Martin 3.53m (11-7)
 
HUSKY CLASSIC
Men's 3000m: 87. Gabriel Abbes 8:35.36; 101. John Sesteaga 8:54.13
 
Women's 3000m: 67. Georgia McCorkle 9:39.44 (PR); 95. Sophie Tau 9:54.29; Addie Johnson DNF
 
DAVID HEMERY VALENTINE INVITATIONAL
Women's Mile: 118. Claire Yerby 4:54.88
 
UP NEXT
Cal will have representatives competing at all three meets again tomorrow. The David Hemery Valentine Invitational kicks off at 6 a.m. PT, while the Don Kirby Invitational starts at 8 a.m. and the Husky Classic begins at 9 a.m.
 
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