Even in Albuquerque’s thin air, Cal’s track and field athletes were still able to produce a strong start to their season at the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Invitational last Saturday.
BERKELEY – Championship season is back in action for the Bears.
California track & field opens the NCAA preliminary round of the postseason with a squad of 18 student-athletes set to compete at the NCAA West Regional May 26-29 in College Station, Texas.
The Golden Bears will have 11 women and seven men competing at E.B Cushing Stadium on the campus of Texas A&M.
The top 48 declared student-athletes in each individual event 24 for relays are competing for a top-12 finish to secure a trip to the NCAA Championships (June 9-12) at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon. The NCAA East Preliminary will be held simultaneously in Jacksonville, Florida.
Final countdown: Bears ready for Pac-12 championships
Karen Chow/File
With three invitationals remaining in the outdoor season, Cal track and field has nothing left to lose. The three remaining meets the Pac-12 championships, NCAA West Regionals and the NCAA Outdoor Championships are opportunities for the Bears to showcase the fruits of their spring training.
Any level of accomplishment this season would knock the last year out of the park, barring any pandemic-related cancellations. The idea that Cal has a postseason to speak of is one to be celebrated.
Senior Josh Johnson, who is ranked No. 10 in the nation in the shot put event, relishes this year’s postseason prospects. The progress he’s made in his time with Cal is astounding starting with his very first mark of 16.89 meters in the shot put, he’s moved to a current career-best of 19.88 meters.
Mar 9, 2021
NEW ORLEANS – California track & field sophomore Anna Purchase was named National NCAA Division I Women s Athlete of the Week as announced by the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association on Tuesday.
Purchase opened the outdoor track & field season with a bang on Saturday at the Cal Outdoor Opener dual, winning the women s hammer throw competition with a mark of 66.52 meters (218-3), the second-best throw all-time at Cal.
A native of Nottingham, England, Purchase is the first men s or women s athlete in California track & field history to win the award.
Purchase s mark would have ranked ninth on the year-end descending order list in 2019 when the last outdoor season was contested.