University of California, Los Angeles, Athletics
UCLA
New Mexico Collegiate Classic
Bruins Total Four Wins, Eight Medals at New Mexico Collegiate Classic
February 07, 2026 | Track & Field
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. โ Senior thrower Michael Pinckney, graduate hurdler Yanla Ndjip-Nyemeck, and sophomore middle distance runner Marie Warneke each picked up event wins to highlight the UCLA track & field team's time at the New Mexico Collegiate Classic on Friday and Saturday.
Overall, UCLA totaled four event wins โ Cade Sommers added a gold medal in the men's "B" pole vault โ and eight top-three finishes over the two-day meet, which was hosted at the Albuquerque Convention Center. Other first-place finishes came in the men's weight throw (Pinckney), women's 60m hurdles (Ndjip-Nyemeck), and women's 800m (Warneke).
The Bruins closed out the weekend with a highlight-reel performance in the women's 4x400 relay, as the quartet of Kayla McBride, Taylor Snaer, Ava Simms, and Naomi Johnson placed runner-up with a time of 3:29.43. That time was the second-fastest in indoor school history, and would have ranked seventh in the NCAA entering the weekend.
Paige Sommers was the highlight of the early events on Friday for UCLA, as she cleared a height of 4.29m (14-0.75) in the women's "A" pole vault to move up to No. 5 on UCLA's all-time indoor top-10 list. She was just a centimeter from matching her PR.
Tamaal Myers was the first Bruin to medal on the weekend, placing third in the men's 600m with a time of 1:19.07. That clip was a PR and improved his standing at No. 4 in school history.
The Bruins compiled three wins in quick fashion during the late part of Friday's meet.
Warneke started it off by going 2:04.52 in the 800m, establishing a facility record and a new PR while also jumping up to No. 3 in UCLA's indoor top-10.
Cade Sommers kept it going with a win in the "B" pole vault, as he sizably improved on his PR with a maximum clearance of 5.25m (17-2.75). Only one other vaulter in the field was able to clear the five-meter mark.
Pinckney followed with a win in the men's weight throw, hitting a mark of 21.37m (70-1.50) to pick up his fourth win in as many entries so far this season. Simon Skoumal (19.38m) and Jake Stafford (19.36m) both also hit PRs in that event, with Skoumal improving on his standing at No. 10 in school history.
Sophia Hartwell was the first Bruin to medal on Saturday, as her mark of 12.78m (41-11.25) in the triple jump was good for second place. It also smashed her previous PR and put at her No. 6 in the program's all-time indoor top-10.
Ndjip-Nyemeck picked up UCLA's lone win on Saturday, dominating the 60m hurdles from start to finish. She finished first in prelims (8.10) and semifinals (8.03) before beating out the field yet again in the final with a time of 8.00, which marked her second-fastest 60mH as a collegian.
The Bruins are back in action at a pair of meets next week, both from Feb. 13-14. The bulk of the squad will head to Fayetteville, Ark. for the Tyson Invite hosted by Arkansas. UCLA's distance runners will head to Seattle for the Husky Invite hosted by Washington. ย
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