Watkins Picks Up One Of Five Event Wins For Arkansas; Carmen Alder Wins Another 1,500m Race; Braelyn Combe Anchors Santiago CA To US#2 In 4x1,600 Relay

By Keenan Gray of DyeStat

Sam Givner photos

INTERVIEWS | RESULTS/VIDEOS

WALNUT, Calif. - NCAA 60-meter runner-up Jelani Watkins of Arkansas ran an NCAA#3 20.35 seconds to claim victory in the men's collegiate 200 meters Friday afternoon at the 66th Mt. SAC Relays.

Watkins' time moves him to No. 9 in Arkansas school history and led a 1-2-3 Razorback finish. Jamarion Stubbs was second in 20.61 and Tevijon Williams was third in 20.71.

WATCH THE MT. SAC RELAYS LIVE SATURDAY ON RUNNERSPACE+

Watkins was one of five event wins Arkansas picked up on day three at Hilmer Lodge Stadium, along with Asia Thomas in the women's collegiate 200 (23.33), Josh Rammage in the men's collegiate 800 (1:50.14), Cooper Williams in the men's collegiate high jump 'A' section (2.10m/6-10/75) and the women's 4x400 relay 'C' team (3:33.12). The 4x400 relay time for the 'C' team would rank NCAA#15.

BYU's Carmen Alder ran to another 1,500 win in the women's elite invitational in 4:08.77, just two-tenths off her lifetime best from her victory at the Stanford Invitational. Alder also led a 1-2-3 BYU finish in the race with Carlee Hansen in second in 4:11.12 and Zariel Macchia in third in 4:21.90.

Paris Olympian Allie Wilson finished fourth in 4:26.15. 2021 Tokyo 800 bronze medalist Raevyn Rogers, competing in her first 1,500 in four years, finished seventh in 4:29.64.

Stanford standout Alyssa Jones jumped an NCAA#3 6.60 meters (21-8) to win the women's collegiate long jump by almost a foot.

Cal State-Northridge's Jay Louison-Roe won the men's collegiate triple jump with a 15.81m (51-10.50), good for NCAA#6. Washington's Trevontay Smith also jumped a personal best and NCAA#10 15.73m (51-7.25).

Luis Eduardo Viafara won the men's elite invitational 1,500 in 3:49.34.

Sabrina Salcedo Garcia, who represented Mexico at the World Cross Country Championships in January, won the women's elite invitational 5,000 in a solo 16:04.55.

Santiago (Corona) CA Runs US#2 In Girls 4x1,600 Relay

Sofia Ramirez, Nicole Samsen, Addyson Johns and Braelyn Combe of Santiago (Corona) CA ran a near sub-20-minute effort to win the girls invitational 4x1,600 relay in a US#2 20:00.52.

Nike Indoor Nationals mile champion Combe anchored Santiago to a 55-second win over Torrey Pines, which finished in US#10 20:55.21, highlighting Friday night's high school races.

Josiah Bowman of Sage Creek CA, winner of last weekend's seeded 800 at Arcadia in 1:49.54, ran a US#4 4:07.63 mile to win the boys invitational section.

Amaya Bharadwaj of Palo Alto CA ran a US#7 4:47.10 to take the girls invitational mile win.

Jaxon Northcutt of Mt. Carmel CA won the boys invitational 3,200 in 8:57.28 and Isla Bulmer of Claremont CA won the girls invitational 3,200 in 10:34.84.

Campolindo CA, with Caden Ehrhorn, Clark Gregory, Chase Nickens and Nikola Van Delf, put together a US#6 17:24.08 to take the boys invitational 4x1600.