Cunningham becomes first female athlete in meet history to win six years in a row with world-leading high jump mark; Harrison also runs to world-best in 100-meter hurdles, with Muhammad producing impressive 400-meter victory over Ellis

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

For all the world-class talent on the track Saturday at the 61st Mt. SAC Relays, and there was plenty of it on display in the sprints, hurdles and relays, one athlete on the infield continued to add to one of the most impressive legacies in meet history.

Vashti Cunningham, 21, became the first female athlete in any event to win six consecutive years, clearing a world-leading 6 feet, 5.50 inches (1.97m) in the invitational women’s high jump on her second attempt at El Camino College’s Murdock Stadium in Torrance, Calif.

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Cunningham secured her fourth consecutive title as a professional, following a pair of prep victories in 2014 and 2015 representing Bishop Gorman in Las Vegas, including the national high school record 6-4.50 (1.94m) in her last appearance at Mt. SAC’s old Hilmer Lodge Stadium.

She has since added invitational wins at both Cerritos College and El Camino College, looking forward to returning to Mt. SAC’s new facility in 2020 following the school’s multi-year construction project.

Only four-time U.S. Olympic shot putter Ramona Pagel – who had a pair of five-year winning streaks from 1985-89 and again from 1992-96 – has triumphed in more consecutive years at the meet as a professional than Cunningham, who equaled American javelin thrower Kate Schmidt (1973-76), American long jumper Carol Lewis (1982-85), American pole vaulter Stacy Dragila (1997-2000) and Jamaican steeplechaser Korene Hinds (2005-08) with her fourth straight invitational victory.

Cunningham took three attempts at the meet record 6-6.75 (2.00m), but remained unsuccessful at clearing that bar or higher yet in her career.

Keni Harrison, the world record holder in the 100-meter hurdles, ran the fastest time globally this season with a wind-legal 12.63 seconds in her Mt. SAC Relays debut.

Harrison and several of the elite competitors expressed disappointment in the quick start to the race, resulting in meet officials ordering an extra section to be added for those who wished to run again.

Although Harrison didn’t, her training partner Pedrya Seymour of the Bahamas decided to do so and won in a wind-legal 12.88. Florida State junior Cortney Jones won the opening section in a wind-legal 12.82, the No. 2 collegiate mark this season.

Dalilah Muhammad, the reigning Olympic champion in the 400-meter hurdles, became only the second female athlete in meet history to achieve invitational victories in both the 400 meters and 400 hurdles.

Muhammad, who won the 400 hurdles last year in 55.25, led from wire to wire in an outside lane Saturday in the 400, running a personal-best 51.62 to prevail against USC graduate and collegiate indoor record holder Kendall Ellis (51.75).

Ellis, a first-year New Balance professional, later returned to run a 51.4 anchor split for Hayes All-Stars to secure victory in the 4x400 relay in 3:29.88. Sydney McLaughlin, also making her outdoor professional debut, led off the relay – which included Gia Trevisan and Nnenya Hailey – with a 50.1 split.

In a clash of NCAA Division 1 indoor 60-meter champions, Texas senior Teahna Daniels edged USC sophomore Twanisha Terry in the invitational 100-meter dash by a 11.20 to 11.21 margin.

USC junior Angie Annelus, the reigning NCAA outdoor 200 champion, prevailed in the invitational section in 22.81 to hold off PUMA professional Jenna Prandini (22.93).

Annelus and Terry teamed with Dior Hall and Lanae-Tava Thomas to help USC win the 4x100 relay in a collegiate-leading 42.93, just one-hundredth off the world-leading mark by the Pure Athletics professional quartet March 30 at the Florida Relays.

Sage Hurta, a redshirt athlete this season for Colorado, won the women’s invitational 800 in 2:03.46 after placing second Friday in the invitational 1,500 at the Bryan Clay Invitational at Azusa Pacific University in 4:09.48.

Colorado senior Gabby Scott won her invitational section of the 400 hurdles in 57.59, with former Kentucky standout Kiah Seymour prevailing in her section in 57.45.

The invitational discus throw competition produced the Nos. 3 and 4 marks in the world this year, with Brazil’s Fernanda Raquel Borges Martins rallying to win with a sixth-round effort of 210-6 (64.16m) to overtake Colorado State senior Shadae Lawrence, who produced the collegiate lead with a fourth-round mark of 209-7 (63.89m), setting a new Jamaican national record.

Lawrence’s throw also elevated her to the No. 6 all-time collegiate performer.

Fellow Brazilian Eliane Martins also rallied to win the invitational long jump with a sixth-round leap of 21-10.25 (6.66m), surpassing reigning USATF Outdoor champion Sha’Keela Saunders, who produced a mark of 21-7.25 (6.58m) into a strong headwind on her final attempt.

Georgia sophomore Aliyah Whisby equaled the collegiate long jump with her mark of 21-8 (6.60m) in Friday’s open section.

American Annie Rhodes-Johnigan won the invitational pole vault with a first-attempt clearance at 15-3 (4.65m) to eclipse the meet record and elevate to No. 4 in the world this year. Fellow U.S. standout Jeneva Stevens captured the shot put title with a third-round effort of 59-6.75 (18.15m), ascending to No. 9 globally this season.