UCLA
Mt. SAC Relays
UCLA Concludes Busy Week at Mt. SAC Relays, Bryan Clay Invite
April 19, 2025 | Track & Field
The UCLA track & field team wrapped up a busy week of competition on Saturday after spending four consecutive days at the Mt. SAC Relays in Walnut, Calif., as well as a Thursday-Friday stint at the Bryan Clay Invitational hosted by Azusa Pacific.
The Bruins' most notable results came on Saturday at Mt. SAC, with a trio of Bruins recording all-time top-10 performances.
Yanla Ndjip-Nyemeck got it started with a standout performance in the 100m hurdles elite invitational, posting a time of 12.87. That time was a PR and beat out all the collegians in the field, as she was runner-up only to Olympic Silver Medalist Kendra Harrison. Ndjip-Nyemeck moved up to No. 5 in UCLA's all-time outdoor top-10 list with the performance.
Shortly after, sprinters Taylor Snaer and Kaylen Fletcher were both able to make their debut in the school's 200 meters all-time top-10 list. Snaer put in a time of 22.84, which was good for third place in the race and put her in a tie at No. 5 in school history. Fletcher meanwhile clocked in at 23.07, good for No. 10 all-time at UCLA.
Sydney Johnson had a strong showing for the Bruins early in the week in the multis competition, finishing third in the women's heptathlon. Her score of 5,497 was the second-best of her career. She was top-five in all but two events, including PRs in the 100mH (13.97) and 200 (24.50) as well as event wins in the 200 and long jump (6.21m / 20-4.5).
UCLA is off next week, and returns to action for its regular season finale with the USC Dual Meet on Sunday, May 4 at Drake Stadium.
Mt. SAC TRACK EVENTS RECAP
UCLA got started on the track side at Mt. SAC with a pair of distance races on Thursday night. Aaron Cantu had a season-best time in the men's steeplechase at 9:29.26, while Carly Corsinita was able to finish fifth in the women's 10k at 36:29.70.
The next morning, UCLA got started with the collegiate division of the women's 100mH, as Celeste Polzonetti (13.49) finished third and had a collegiate-best time. Mia Holden (14.10) also posted the best time of her freshman season. On the men's side, Davis Davis-Lyric had a season-best time of his own in the 110mH at 14.37. A few minutes later, Benjamin Kirk logged a season-best 10.73 in the collegiate division of the men's 100m.
Next up, Holden had a big PR in the women's collegiate 400m hurdles at 59.87, shaving nearly six seconds off her previous-best time and getting under a minute for the first time in her career. Zaire Waring was the Bruins' top finisher on the men's side, taking sixth at 51.54.
Naomi Johnson grabbed the Bruins' first event win of the weekend with a 23.34 in the collegiate section of the women's 200. That was her second-best time of the year.
Johnson was also the first Bruin to race on Saturday, notching a time of 53.09 in the women's elite 400, the top time by a Bruin in that event this year. Gabe Clement II had a standout race of his own in the men's elite 400, hitting a PR at 45.75.
Snaer pre-empted her standout 200 with a solid race in the women's elite 100, running a season-best 11.47 to finish fourth.
Later on, Tamaal Myers recorded the best time by a Bruin so far this year in the 400m hurdles at 50.58.
Mt. SAC FIELD EVENTS RECAP
Jana van Schalkwyk was the first Bruin to compete in a non-multis event, claiming second place in the women's javelin with a mark of 54.50m (178-9). Jana has now won or finished second at all five meets she's entered since making her UCLA debut this season.
Valentina Fakrogha got things off to a strong start on Friday morning, hitting a PR in the women's collegiate high jump at 1.80m (5-10.75) to claim second place.
In the collegiate women's long jump, Amber Jackson recorded a PR at 5.78m (18-11.75) to lead the Bruins.
Over on pole vault, Cade Sommers was able to match his season-best mark at 5.00m (16-04.75) to earn second place in the collegiate A section.
Later on, Mackenzie Kirk posted the longest triple jump by a Bruin so far this season at 12.44m (40-9.75).
Lyvante Su'emai got Saturday off to a strong start with a third-place showing in the women's collegiate hammer with a long throw of 60.35m (198-0). In the men's collegiate hammer, Jake Stafford cleared 60 meters for the first time in his career at 60.28m (197-9).
Michael Pinckney, fresh off a standout effort at the Oklahoma Throws Series, hit another podium on Saturday after finishing third in the men's discus with a mark of 57.56m (188-10).
Allan Hunter logged his second-longest jump of the year at 7.62m (25-0) to place sixth in the men's elite long jump.
Ka'Leila Abrille made it another podium for UCLA after tying for second place in the women's pole vault with a season-high clearance of 4.30m (14-4.25).
UCLA closed out the meet with decent showings from Su'emai in the women's discus (54.62m, sixth place) and Kris Emig in the men's elite hammer (68.73m, season-best).
BRYAN CLAY TRACK EVENTS RECAP
The Bryan Clay meet got off to a great start for UCLA, with a UCLA all-time top-10 time in the very first race in which the squad competed โ the women's 800. In that race, Marie Warneke ran a 2:04.84 to land at No. 7 in school history, while Rose Pittman (2:05.89) and Kaho Cichon (2:09.51) also recorded season-best times. Bennett Booth-Genthe led a quartet of Bruin entries on the men's side at 1:48.28.
Harrison Dance was UCLA's top racer in the men's 5k, posting a collegiate-best time of 14:12.70.
Cichon was the first Bruin to compete on Friday night, landing a PR in the women's 1,500 with a time of 4:25.15.
The highlight of Friday for the Bruins came in the men's 1,500, as Booth-Genthe posted the No. 4 time in school history at 3:40.96.
Players Mentioned
