Nairne, Williams secure meet records in sprints for Ducks, with Nelson shining in 200 matchup against Roberts; Cockrell equals mark in 100 hurdles for USC, which takes both women’s relays; Brosch lone winner for host San Diego State

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

From spectacular sprints and hurdles to fantastic finishes in the distance races, the 42nd Aztec Invitational not only showcased the strength and depth of Oregon and USC, but also provided a stage for several rising West Coast programs, including Grand Canyon and host San Diego State, in the most significant collegiate track and field competition held in California since the start of the Coronavirus pandemic.

The Oregon men and USC women prevailed in the team competitions, but Air Force, Arizona, Cal, Grand Canyon and New Mexico State all produced multiple event victories, with San Diego State earning its lone win from junior Maya Brosch with a personal-best performance in the women’s 400-meter hurdles.

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Four reigning NCAA Division 1 indoor champions also competed for the first time during the outdoor season, including a rare showdown in the women’s 200 involving collegiate 60-meter record holder Kemba Nelson of Oregon and two-time indoor 400 winner Kaelin Roberts of USC.

Nelson prevailed in a wind-aided 22.79 seconds to Roberts’ 22.99, leading eight athletes under 23.50. Nelson’s performance was an all-conditions meet record, taking down the 2014 mark of 22.98 set by former Oregon standout Jenna Prandini.

Oregon freshman Micah Willams, the reigning men’s indoor 60-meter champion, made his collegiate outdoor debut in the 200, clocking 20.47, eclipsing the 2011 meet record of 20.54 achieved by Texas A&M’s Demetrius Pinder.

Williams led a sweep for the Ducks, followed by Jacoby McNamara (20.68) and Xavier Nairne (20.73), who achieved another meet record earlier by running 10.20 in the 100-meter dash.

Nairne, a member of Oregon’s national championship indoor distance medley relay lineup, broke the 1983 mark of 10.23 held by Ron Brown, with Arizona’s Johnnie Blockburger placing second in 10.28 and USC’s Eric Allen, Jr. taking third in 10.33.

The Ducks also prevailed against USC in the men’s 4x100-meter relay by a 39.02 to 39.26 margin, contributing to their team victory with 145 points.

That total also included field-event victories from sophomore Dalton Rasmussen in the javelin with a third-round throw of 214-7 (65.41m), along with Lucas Ribeiro in the shot put, as the senior managed only one fair throw in his series with a 55-7.75 (16.96m) mark in the second round.

Senior Ben Milligan also cleared 7-4.50 (2.25m) on his first attempt to win the high jump for the Ducks.

Oregon had a pair of female athletes run 11.36 in separate sections of the 100-meter dash, with Danyel White earning the nod in a wind-legal 11.351, ahead of Jasmin Reed in a wind-aided 11.359.

Sophomore Tori Sloan added a long jump victory for the Ducks with a second-round leap of 18-11.75 (5.78m) and freshman Riley Traeger prevailed in the women’s javelin with a sixth-round throw of 147-7 (44.98m).

USC’s Anna Cockrell equaled the 2015 meet record of 13.10 in the women’s 100 hurdles, with Oregon’s Emily Sloan taking second in 13.24.

Rae-Ann Serville, representing Trinidad and Tobago, earned her second 400 victory in as many weeks for USC, clocking 53.22. Arizona’s Shannon Meisberger was second in 53.89 and San Diego State’s Jalyn Harris took third in 54.09.

Morgan Smalls won the high jump with a 5-10.75 (1.80m) clearance for USC, along with placing second in the triple jump with a third-round effort of 41-8 (12.70m), as teammate Temitope Ojora produced a wind-aided mark of 42-5.50 (12.94m) in the first round that stood for the remainder of the competition.

Both the 4x100 and 4x400 relays were captured by the USC women to secure top team honors with 127 points. USC ran 44.07 in the 4x100 to prevail against Oregon (44.96), and clocked 3:34.89 in the 4x400, with the Ducks finishing second in 3:36.95.

Brosch won the 400 hurdles in 58.74 for the Aztecs, who took second as a team with 120.50 points, just ahead of Oregon (120).

Junior Aidan Diggs won the men’s decathlon with 6,716 points for Grand Canyon, which took second in the men’s team competition with 132.50 points.

AJ Kedge won the men’s 3,000 steeplechase in 9:57.07 for third-place Air Force (131 points), with the Falcons also taking the top two spots in the men’s pole vault, as junior Ethan Gardner and senior Greg Skage both cleared 16-10.75 (5.15m). Gardner emerged victorious over his teammate based on fewer attempts.

Arizona was fourth with 96 points, receiving a victory from Calvin Wilson in the 400 in 46.63, ahead of Cal’s Henry Larkin (47.46) and USC’s Brian Herron (47.54).

The Wildcats added a pair of wins in the throwing events, with junior teammates Israel Oloyede and Jordan Geist taking the top two spots in the hammer throw Friday, both producing impressive sixth-round marks. Oloyede prevailed with a throw of 227 feet (69.20m), which followed Geist’s effort of 224-3 (68.35m).

Jakob Chamberlin, another Arizona junior, won the discus with a first-round throw of 178-10 (54.51m).

Despite finishing fifth among men’s programs with 85 points, USC secured several victories, with UCLA transfer George Gleason smashing the meet record in the men’s 5,000 by clocking 14:23.84.

Sam Van Dorpe won the 800 in 1:49.76, ahead of Cal’s Ben Micallef in 1:50.26, and the Trojans also swept the 110 hurdles and 400 hurdles. Omotade Ojora clocked 14.42 and Cameron Samuel ran 50.20, with Oregon’s Jonathan Harvey taking runner-up in both events in 14.47 and 51.29.

Jordan Scott, a Virginia transfer, captured the men’s triple jump for the Trojans with a wind-aided 54-3.75 (16.55m) performance in the fifth round.

Arizona junior Samantha Noennig, the defending Division 1 outdoor women’s shot put champion, secured victory in the discus with a third-round throw of 179-2 (54.62m). 

Cal swept the men’s and women’s 1,500 races, led by Garrett MacQuiddy clocking 3:47.68.

Annie Boos held off Grand Canyon’s Paige Hildebrandt by a 4:24.41 to 4:24.48 margin in the women’s showdown.

The Golden Bears also earned wins in the men’s long jump and women’s hammer throw, both coming from freshmen in the sixth round. Kamau Carlisle emerged victorious with a leap of 23-10 (7.26m) and Jasmine Blair produced a throw Friday of 185 feet (56.39m).

Grand Canyon placed fourth in the women’s competition with 87.50 points, highlighted by a pair of distance victories, including Alexa Hokanson capturing the 800 in 2:09.86, ahead of Cal’s Mina Anglero (2:10.50).

Elizabeth Balsan won the 5,000 in 16:53.94, with Greek athlete Niki Xydona edging UCLA’s Christina Chenault in the heptathlon by a 5,073 to 5,059 margin.

Junior Madelyn Lundberg added another victory for Grand Canyon, as she and San Diego State junior Kaitlin Heri both cleared 13-6.25 (4.12m) in the pole vault. Lundberg prevailed on fewer attempts.

New Mexico State, fifth with 85 points, achieved a pair of wins from Corinne Hanson in the 3,000 steeplechase (10:38.62) and Yemisi Oroyinyin in the shot put with a sixth-round effort of 50-6.25 (15.40m).