Rogers adds to Canadian record, eclipses meet’s all-time mark and elevates to No. 7 competitor in world history at 255-4 (77.84m), joining Benjamin, Cunningham and Ihemeje among the global leaders; Campbell, Distin, Geist, Robinson, Schaefer and Welcome all produce top collegiate marks

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

WALNUT, Calif. – For all the remarkable track performances and exceptional field event competitions being showcased Saturday inside Hilmer Lodge Stadium at the 63rd Mt. SAC Relays, the most significant result of the day occurred 500 yards away from the facility in the college’s hammer throw cage.

It’s a scenario Camryn Rogers has become familiar with throughout her career as a prep athlete in Canada and one of the most dominant throwers in collegiate history representing Cal, as the reigning World Athletics Championships silver medalist has been regularly performing in front of limited audiences, despite being one of the elite athletes in the entire sport.

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Even though the afternoon crowd was minimal to watch the women’s invitational elite hammer throw competition surrounded by the historic Mt. SAC cross country course, Rogers’ performance loomed largest among all the top global performances, opening her series by improving on her own Canadian record with a mark of 255 feet, 4 inches (77.84m) to elevate to the No. 7 all-time competitor in the world.

Rogers also eclipsed the meet record of 251-10 (76.76m) produced last year by reigning World champion Brooke Andersen. Rogers finished second last year with a throw of 248-5 (75.73m), and was again runner-up to Andersen in July at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore.

Anna Purchase, Rogers’ training partner and former teammate at Cal, was second Saturday at 229-6 (69.97m). Purchase, a British athlete and senior for the Golden Bears, remains the collegiate leader this season at 239-7 (73.02m).

There were several strong throwing performances inside the stadium as well, including collegiate leaders in both the men’s and women’s invitational elite shot put competitions.

Arizona’s Jordan Geist, the reigning NCAA Division 1 Indoor champion, triumphed with a fourth-round mark of 69-8.75 (21.25m), prevailing against Mexican athlete Uziel Aaron Munoz Galarza at 68-5.25 (20.86m), also on his fourth attempt.

Geist also finished eighth in the collegiate/open section of the hammer throw with a 212-10 (64.89m) effort.

Wisconsin’s Josie Schaefer produced a second-round shot put mark of 62-3.25 (18.98m) to hold off Chinese athlete Zhang Linru at 61-3.50 (18.68m) and former Oklahoma All-American and Ironwood Track Club professional athlete Jessica Woodard at 59-3 (18.06m).

Schaefer was also eighth in the invitational elite discus throw at 186 feet (56.70m), a competition won by Dutch athlete Jorinde van Klinken from Oregon with a fourth-round performance of 211-5 (64.45m).

Laulauga Tausaga-Collins, a World Championships qualifier for the United States, was second at 205-10 (62.74m).

There was another collegiate-leading mark from reigning Division 1 indoor and outdoor high jump champion Lamara Distin of Texas A&M, albeit in a runner-up performance.

Distin cleared 6-4 (1.93m), forcing Nike and Red Bull professional athlete Vashti Cunningham to produce a third-attempt clearance at 6-6 (1.98m) in order to keep her streak of eight consecutive victories at the Mt. SAC Relays alive, one that began as a prep athlete in 2014.

Cunningham broke a tie with Canadian athlete Debbie Brill, who won seven high jump competitions at the Mt. SAC Relays from 1970-1985, for most all-time victories in the event at the meet.

Washington’s Nastassja Campbell was among four athletes to clear a collegiate-leading 14-11 (4.55m) in the women’s invitational elite pole vault, and was able to prevail on fewer attempts against American professional competitors Sophie Gutermuth, Kristen Leland and Rachel Baxter, a three-time high school champion at Mt. SAC Relays during her prep career at Anaheim Canyon High.

Campbell matched the No. 16 all-time collegiate competitor with her second-attempt clearance.

Georgia’s Mikeisha Welcome produced a wind-legal mark of 46-2 (14.07m) in the fifth round to prevail in the women’s invitational elite triple jump, also taking over the collegiate lead and ascending to No. 12 in NCAA outdoor history.

Austin Miller, representing Vaulthouse, elevated to No. 4 in the world this year with a first-attempt clearance at an outdoor-best 19-0.25 (5.80m) to triumph in the men’s invitational elite pole vault competition. Miller cleared 19-0.50 (5.81m) indoors Feb. 4 at Virginia Tech.

Italian athlete Emmanuel Ihemeje, winner of multiple NCAA triple jump titles during his career at Oregon, secured victory in the men’s invitational elite section with a wind-aided mark of 57-3.75 (17.47m).

Ihemeje still managed to take over the world lead with a wind-legal effort of 56-8.75 (17.29m) in the second round. Russell Robinson of Miami (Florida) took over as the collegiate leader by placing second with a 56-2 (17.12m) third-round performance.

Cravont Charleston, a former Mt. SAC standout sprinter and professional athlete representing Tracksmith, won the invitational elite men’s 100-meter dash with a wind-aided 9.87 seconds.

Kyree King, representing Nike and Star Athletics, clocked 9.97 and reigning World 400-meter champion Michael Norman ran 10.02 to take third in his first 100 at Mt. SAC Relays since winning as a high school senior at Vista Murrieta in 2016.

Charleston and King were joined by Ilias Garcia and Brandon Carnes on an American all-star 4x100 lineup that emerged victorious in 38.53, with USC placing second in 39.18.

Rai Benjamin, Norman’s training partner and fellow Nike competitor, produced a world-leading 47.74 to triumph in the men’s invitational elite 400-meter hurdles.

Cordell Tinch, a sophomore at Pittsburg State, won the men’s invitational elite 110 hurdles in a wind-aided 13.22 seconds, the fastest all-conditions performance achieved in NCAA Division 2.

Tinch set the division record Wednesday at the Cal State L.A. Twilight Classic by clocking a wind-legal 13.32.

Arizona State sophomore Justin Robinson, the reigning USATF Indoor champion, clocked 44.98 to earn the win in the men’s invitational elite 400, with UCLA’s Ismail Turner securing second in 45.18.

Arizona senior Talie Bonds ascended to the No. 3 collegiate performer this season in the 100-meter hurdles by winning the invitational elite section in a wind-legal 12.65 seconds, with Duke assistant coach Cha’Mia Rothwell also running a lifetime-best by clocking 12.85 to earn runner-up honors.

Already the collegiate leader in the 100-meter dash, USC graduate student-athlete Caisja Chandler clocked 22.67 to prevail in the invitational elite 200, ahead of Georgia freshman teammates Autumn Wilson (22.71) and Kaila Jackson (22.78).

Jackson and Wilson took the top two spots in the invitational elite 100 by clocking a wind-aided 11.04 and 11.05, respectively.

They weren’t the only teammates to sweep first and second in invitational elite events, with Stanford’s Juliette Whittaker (2:01.79) and Roisin Willis (2:01.97) rallying past Sammy Watson (2:01.98) in the final 25 meters.

Texas A&M’s Jermaisha Arnold and Tierra Robinson-Jones not only placed first and second in the invitational elite 400 in 50.79 and 51.01, respectively, but they contributed to the Aggies finishing second in the 4x400 relay against an American all-star team of Shae Anderson, Jenna Prandini, Brittany Aveni and Kendall Ellis by a 3:25.31 to 3:25.79 margin.

Winona State’s Shereen Vallabouy, the reigning NCAA Division 2 indoor and outdoor 400 champion, matched the No. 7 performance in division history by winning her invitational elite race in 51.80.

Another American all-star lineup of Mary Beth Sant-Price, Morolake Akinosun, Ashley Henderson and Prandini prevailed in the invitational elite 4x100 in 43.07, with Jackson and Wilson leading second-place Georgia in 43.35.

Stanford’s Udodi Onwuzurike won the men’s invitational elite 200 in a wind-legal 20.14 against Georgia’s Matthew Boling in 20.27.

Boling teamed with Elija Godwin, Caleb Cavanaugh and Christopher Morales Williams to win the men’s invitational elite 4x400 in 3:02.00, ahead of Texas A&M in 3:03.30 and Arkansas clocking 3:03.33.

Nike professional athlete Isaiah Jewett triumphed in the men’s invitational elite 800 in 1:47.41. 

Bianca Stubler, a Wisconsin graduate, held off former Texas A&M All-American Deshae Wise by a 56.83 to 56.85 margin in the women’s invitational elite 400 hurdles.

Cal’s Mykolas Alekna, the collegiate leader in the men’s discus representing Lithuania, produced a fifth-round throw to repeat as champion in the invitational elite section at 224-3 (68.35m). Arkansas’ Roje Stona, representing Jamaica, was second with a throw of 218-7 (66.64m).

Will Williams rallied in the sixth round with a 27-foot performance (8.23m) to soar past Kemonie Briggs at 26-11.75 (8.22m) in the men’s invitational elite long jump.

Oregon All-American Alysah Hickey prevailed in the women’s invitational elite long jump with a fourth-round wind-legal effort 22-0.25 (6.71m), with former Ducks’ standout and World Championships qualifier and relay medalist Jasmine Todd achieving a wind-aided mark of 21-9.50 (6.64m), also on her fourth attempt.

Diego Alan del Real Galindo, a Mexican athlete, won the men’s invitational elite hammer throw with a third-round performance of 246-10 (75.25m), with Canadian competitor Adam Keenan placing second with a fourth-round mark of 243-7 (74.26m).

Mexico’s Erik Portillo and Louisiana Monroe’s Ali Eren Unlu, representing Turkey, were among four athletes to clear 7-2.50 (2.20m) in the men’s invitational elite high jump, prevailing against defending NCAA Division 1 indoor champion Romaine Beckford from South Florida and Canadian athlete Eric Chatten on fewer attempts.