UCLA
Texas Relays
Bruins Finish Up at Texas Relays, O'Boyle Classic
March 29, 2025 | Track & Field
The UCLA track & field team split over the weekend for competitions at the Texas Relays in Austin, Texas and the Vince O'Boyle Classic in Irvine, Calif. The former ran from Wednesday through Saturday โ though UCLA didn't begin competition until Thursday โ and the latter was held on Friday and Saturday.
Across both sites, UCLA totaled 16 top-three finishes. The Bruins won four events, all in Irvine.
The weekend was highlighted for the Bruins with a standout performance in the women's 4x400 relay in Austin. In that race, the quartet of Aly Conyers, Taylor Snaer, Kayla McBride, and Naomi Johnson was able to finish the race in 3:29.41, matching the No. 9 time in school history and securing second place. That time would have led the country entering the weekend.
Graduate student Jana van Schalkwyk was the Bruins' top individual performer in Austin, as she secured a second-place finish in the women's javelin and improved on her No. 2 mark in program history with a mark of 56.47m (185-3). It was the third consecutive meet in which van Schalkwyk one-upped her collegiate-best mark.
At the O'Boyle Classic, the Bruins swept the long jump with a pair of standout efforts.
Allan Hunter won the men's competition with a mark of 7.90m, equaling the No. 10 mark in school history and drastically improving on his PR. Ollie Thorner also had a PR on the men's side at 7.11m (24-4). Then on the women's side, Sydney Johnson took home the win with a wind-aided mark of 6.79m (22-3.50). That represented an all-conditions PR, and would have been the third-longest jump in program history if it was wind-legal.
UCLA returns to competition next week with a pair of meets. A group of Bruins will head north for the first day of the 2025 Stanford Invitational on Friday, Apr. 4. Then the Bruins will host the 2025 Rafer Johnson/Jackie Joyner-Kersee Invitational at Drake Stadium on Saturday, Apr. 5.
TEXAS RELAYS TRACK RECAP
Celeste Polzonetti was the top finisher for UCLA in the first individual track event of the weekend, placing 22nd in the 100 meter hurdles with a time of 13.89. Her time was the best by a Bruin in that event so far this season. On the men's side, Di'Niko Bates just missed out on a top-10 spot, as his 13.87 was good for 11th.
UCLA had a pair of top-three finishers in the women's pole vault, as Ka'Leila Abrille and Katerina Adamiec finished 2-3 with twin marks of 4.15m (13-7.25). That was a season-best mark for both.
On Saturday morning, the Bruins recorded an eighth-place finish in the women's 4x100 relay at 44.67. The quartet of Snaer-Conyers-Naomi Johnson-Kaylen Fletcher had previously booked a spot in the final with a time of 44.07.
TEXAS RELAYS FIELD RECAP
Lyvante Su'emai was the first Bruin to finish an event in Austin, placing eighth in the women's hammer throw with a long mark of 59.82m (196-3). She later logged another eighth place finish in the discus at 52.71m (172-11).
Shortly thereafter, Kris Emig notched the Bruins' first podium of the weekend with a third-place result in the men's hammer throw. His best mark was 64.67m (212-2).
O'BOYLE CLASSIC TRACK RECAP
Sydney Johnson followed up her long jump accolades with a strong showing in the 100m hurdles, placing third and inching under her previous PR with a time of 13.98.
The top result on the men's side on Saturday came in the 100m Dash, as Elijah Major (10.51) and Ameen Tokhi (10.61) were able to secure a 1-3 finish behind wind-aided times.
O'BOYLE CLASSIC FIELD RECAP
UCLA's field competitors got off to a strong start on Saturday with a 1-3 finish in the women's high jump. Valentina Fakrogha logged the win after matching her season-best mark at 1.71m (5-07.25) while Sydney Johnson (1.66m / 5-5.25) grabbed her third top-three finish of the weekend.
Derek Smith just missed out on a podium of is own with a fourth-place result in the men's shot put at 16.08m (52-9.25). Michael Pinckney secured a fourth-place finish of his own later on in the discus, notching a season-best mark of 58.26m (191-2).
Near the end of the meet, UCLA was able to land second-place finishes in both the men's and women's triple jump. Terrence Sweetman was the Bruins' top jumper on the men's side at 14.73m (48-4) while Mackenzie Kirk (12.11m / 39-8.75) was runner-up for the women.
Smith wrapped up the weekend for the Bruins with a third-place finish in the men's discus. His longest mark was 52.18m (171-2), a personal collegiate-best for the freshman.
Players Mentioned
