UCLA
New Mexico Collegiate Classic
Bruins Set Three School Records at New Mexico Classic
February 08, 2025 | Track & Field
ALBQUERQUE, N.M. – The UCLA track and field team set a trio of school records to highlight its time at the New Mexico Collegiate Classic, which took part at the Albuquerque Convention Center on Friday and Saturday.
The Bruins book-ended the meet with new school standards. Sydney Johnson opened the weekend by breaking the school record in the pentathlon with a combined score of 4,090. Her total beat out the previous record-holder, Kendall Gustafson, by six points, and it made her just the fifth Bruin ever to eclipse the 4,000-point barrier. Johnson set or matched PRs in three of the five events, and was top-four in all but one event (including a trio of top-three finishes).
UCLA then closed the meet with a highlight-reel performance in the women's 4x400 relay, as the quartet of Aly Conyers, Taylor Snaer, Kaylen Fletcher, and Naomi Johnson beat out the field with a school-record time of 3:28.60. That time beat the previous record by nearly two seconds.
In the interim, Snaer also broke the school record in the 200m as well, clocking in at 22.92 on Friday afternoon. She became the first Bruin woman ever to break the 23-second mark. Coincidentally, Naomi Johnson (23.02) broke the school record herself in the heat directly preceding Snaer's. She ended the day with the No. 2 time in school history. In all, four of the top-10 times in school history were recorded over the weekend, as Fletcher (23.38) checked in at No. 5 and Conyers (23.77) cracked the list at No. 9.
UCLA ended the weekend with eight podium finishes. Out of 18 teams, UCLA finished sixth on the women's side and 12th on the men's side.
TRACK EVENTS RECAP
Friday's track events started with the 200m, which saw Gabriel Clement (21.13) notch a new PR and the No. 8 time in school history.
Sonia Virk made noise in the women's 600m with a time of 1:31.12 – No. 2 in school history and a PR – that garnered a third-place finish. Tamaal Myers paced the men in the 600m, finishing in fifth with a time of 1:20.88. It was his second-best time of the year in that event.
UCLA also had a strong showing in the women's 60m hurdles. Yanla Ndjip-Nyemeck ultimately placed second in the final with a season-best time of 7.06, after tying for the win in the semi and placing third in prelims. Four Bruin women secured a spot in the semifinals, including Bella Witt who set a PR in the semifinal (8.14) to improve her standing at No. 6 in school history.
On the men's side, Di'Niko Bates and Davis Davis-Lyric were both able to reach the semifinal round. Both broke the eight-second mark in the semifinal race, as Bates finished at 7.94 and Davis-Lyric at 7.97. It was the first time under eight seconds for Davis-Lyric, who jumped up to No. 6 in the program's all-time top-10 list.
Elijah Major was the Bruins' top racer in the 60m dash, ultimately reaching the semis and recording a time of 6.81. Fletcher paced the Bruin women at 7.50 in prelims.
FIELD EVENTS RECAP
Lyvante Su'emai was UCLA's top finisher in the opening field event on Friday, finishing in ninth in the women's weight throw at 17.90m (58-08.75). That mark was good enough to win her flight. Michael Pinckney led the men with a seventh-place result at 20.51m (67-03.50).
Valentina Fakrogha improved on her PR in the women's high jump, getting up to 1.78m (5-10). That mark earned her a fifth-place finish and moved her into No. 7 on the UCLA all-time top-10 list.
Camryn O'Bannon continued his strong start to the indoor season with a third-place result in the men's long jump, pulling off a long of 7.88m (25-10.25). That PR mark was good for No. 2 in program history. Asha Fletcher earned a top-10 finish in the women's long jump, coming in ninth at 6.04m (19-09.75).
The Bruin women closed out night one with a pair of top-10 finishes in the pole vault. Ka'Leila Abrille had UCLA's top mark at 4.27m (14-0), good for second place. Katarina Adamiec was sixth at 4.02m (13-02.50). Cade Sommers was the Bruins' top competitor in the men's pole vault, finishing third in "Section B" with a mark of 5.09m (16-08.25). It marked the second consecutive weekend in which Sommers improved his PR.
Fletcher was again the Bruins' top jumper in the women's TJ, finishing fifth at 12.78m (41-11.25). Ava Kellenberg turned in a PR at 12.51m (41-00.25) to land in eighth.
Similar to Friday, Su'emai (14.80m / 48-06.75) and Pinckney (17.32m / 56-10) were UCLA's top performers in the shot put on Saturday.
Players Mentioned
