AZUSA, Calif. – Track and field got their final tune-up for next weekend's PacWest Championships, hosting the Bryan Clay Invitational on their home track. The event's namesake is a Cougar alumnus and two-time Olympic medalist in the decathlon, including the 2008 gold medal in Beijing.
Friday Highlights
Hayden McKee put up one of his best efforts of the season in the high jump, clearing 1.93m (6' 4"). Alexa Hume cleared 45m in the hammer throw, while on the men's side in that same event Brett Olson recorded a toss of 49.13m (161' 2"). On the track, Nicholas Melendres turned in his fastest 800m of the season, finishing in 1:54.15. Robert Thompson earned a spot in the 100m finals with a prelim time of 10.66, then finished 4th in the final with a 10.77.
Saturday Highlights
In the invitational division of the shot put, Hannah Richardson took third place with a throw of 15.05m (49' 4 ½"). Meanwhile in the open division, Kristina Rakocevic again put on a show, claiming second place with a toss of 13.92m (45' 8"), with Madison Gallacher joining her in qualifying for the event finals. Olson threw his discus 45.5m (149' 3"). Sawyer Shirley came close to his season best in the javelin, with a throw of 46.87m (153' 9"). A trio of Cougars placed between 5th and 7th in the pole vault, as Dezlyn Lundquist and Alexus Salazar both cleared 3.5m (11' 5 ¾"), with Alexis Wachowski right behind at 3.35m. Rakocevic continued her impressive season with a discus throw of 51.81m (169' 11"), good enough for third place, while Olson and Cruz Torres both finished in the top five in the men's open shot put.
On the track Saturday, besides Thompson's run in the 100 finals, Max Franklin placed 8th overall in the men's 400m hurdles, hitting the finish line in a time of 51.99 seconds. Thompson also ran in the 200m, placing in the top 15 with a 21.42. Dominic Gonzalez-Shelmire cracked the top 20 in the 400m, completing his lap around the track in 47.51.
Up Next: All the competitions and invites have led up to this. The Cougars will compete in the 2026 PacWest Conference Championships next weekend at Point Loma in San Diego. The women will be competing for their 10th consecutive PacWest title, while the men look to reclaim the throne for what would be their 9th time in 10 years.
