WALNUT, CALIFORNIA, April 16–19 — A track & field sage once said, “You’ve got to get uncomfortable to get comfortable again.”
Those insightful words of wisdom were uttered anew here by Fred Kerley when asked how his appearance in the 400 felt after a 2-year absence. Mt. SAC marked a familiar return for Kerley in more ways than one. Not only was he reacquainting himself with the friendly confines of Hilmer Lodge Stadium, but also the 400m, a friend he last flirted with in March of 2023, the season after he won Worlds 100 gold in Eugene.
After enduring a couple of Grand Slam Track defeats a fortnight ago, Kerley was ready to get back in the saddle with a solid performance in Walnut.
The multi-medaled Kerley lined up in lane 5, surrounded by USC alum Johnnie Blockburger in 6 and Arizona State’s Jayden Davis in 4.
Kerley chased Blockburger down the backstretch, hitting halfway in 21.2. Midway through the bend, Kerley made up the stagger on Blockburger, but would find himself even with Davis as they entered the straight.
Side-by-side with 30 meters left, Kerley’s strength (and experience) prevailed, as he pulled away from Davis for a 44.73–44.84 victory. Blockburger claimed 3rd in 45.26.
Afterwards, Kerley described his 400 outing as “just a workout,” emphasizing that the 100 “is still my main event.”
Acknowledging that his GST foray is part of the long-term plan, Kerley asserted that he always shows up when it counts most, adding, “You’ve got to know how to lose in order to win. So that’s what these last couple of weeks have been.”
The sage added one final certainty about the 400, professing something many can relate to, “Muscle memory is a bitch.”
Elsewhere on the track, former World Record-holder Keni Harrison took the 100 hurdles in 12.70, ahead of UCLA’s Yanla Ndjip-Nyemeck’s 12.87.
Mu Back On Track And Married
A GLANCE AT the elite women’s 5000 start list revealed a surprising entrant, the Tokyo Olympic 800 gold medalist. The on-track life of Athing Mu-Nikolayev — now with a hyphenated name after marrying in March — has been beset by mishap and injury the past two seasons. Now here she was, opening her 2025 campaign by toeing the line at an unfamiliar distance, 5000 meters.
The pace was not world class, but the steady stream of 78-second circuits found Mu-Nikolayev in the lead pack before she stepped aside mid-race after a final 76.8. She had passed 3000 in 9:41.75.
The race was won by Utah Valley’s Caila Odekirk in 16:02.24, but post-race interviews were centered on the newlywed Mu-Nikolayev.
Queried about being in a 5000, she confessed “It was definitely long. Longer than 800 meters, or 1500 meters, but it was fun.
“The splits were pretty good. We had a really good pacer and the girls that were running were pretty good. It’s more fun to do it out here than it is to do it at practice.”
When asked if she had missed anything about racing, Mu-Nikolayev said, “I think… having fun. I feel like it’s been a little challenging over the past couple of years to kind of just sit and enjoy. So doing something like this, where it’s way out of my — well relatively speaking, way out of my comfort zone — [and] just coming out and just running and seeing how far I can take my body in a race is fun, instead of going out and trying to do something great every single time I step on the track. So, that’s fine, I think that just being able to be free, that’s a missed feeling, but I think we’re getting it back.”
Mu-Nikolayev definitely has a plan for 2025, but staying injury free is at the forefront.
“I kind of have not put too many goals out there. I think, of course, we know there’s Worlds this year, and the last time I ran in Tokyo was for the Olympics 4 years ago. So hopefully doing that full circle moment will be really fun. [I] just pray for a healthy and safe season for me, to not get injured and just be able to compete and have fun again — and, you know, hopefully make it to the Worlds and kick some butt there.”
Other results saw Arkansas’ NCAA 60 champ Jordan Anthony join the sub-10 club with his 9.98, ahead of Ilias Garcia (10.05) and Benjamin Azamati (10.07).
On the field, Camryn Rogers claimed another hammer crown with her 256-4 (78.14) fifth-round effort, while on the men’s side Harvard’s Kenneth Ikeji upset NCAA leader Trey Knight, 246-8 to 243-11.
In the men’s long jump, USC’s JC Stevenson, the defending NCAA champ, hit his longest mark of the year, 26-3¾ (8.02) — with Paralympian Derek Loccident at 26-5½ (8.06). Arizona’s Zach Landa took the men’s shot in 67-8¾ (20.64).
The most notable relay result came via USC’s 4×1 foursome of Samirah Moody, Dajaz Defrand, Madison Whyte and Jassani Carter, who passed the stick in 42.36 for the collegiate lead.
A pair of world leading performances in the multis got the meet underway.
Hakim McMorris led the way in the decathlon, helped along by personal bests in the discus, pole vault (outdoor) and 1500. His 8258 was a 95-point PR ahead of Austin West (8049) and Kendrick Thompson (8009).
The outcome was a bit closer in the heptathlon, as Lithuania’s Beatričė Juškevičiūtė got a PR in the shot, but needed another PR in the 800 (2:12.44) to hold off Oklahoma junior Pippi Lotta Enok. The ’23 NCAA champ, Enok also notched PRs in the shot and 800 (2:13.19), yet finished 37 points short of Juškevičiūtė’s 6295 world leader at 6258.
MT. SAC RELAYS MEN’S RESULTS
100: I(1.5)–1. Ilias Garcia (SHARKS) 10.05 PR. II(1.2)–1. **Jordan Anthony (Ar) 9.98 PR. III(0.1)–1. Benjamin Azamati’ (Gha) 10.07.
200(2.9): 1. *Drew Donley (TxSt) 20.51w.
400: 1. Fred Kerley (SHARKS) 44.73; 2. **Jayden Davis (AzSt) 44.84 PR; 3. Johnnie Blockburger (unat) 45.26.
800: 1. Rivaldo Marshall’ (Ar-Jam) 1:45.59 PR; 2. *Tyrice Taylor’ (Ar-Jam) 1:45.81 PR.
110H: II(1.6)–1. Joshua Hornsby (CSF) 13.51 PR. III(1.2)–1. Tade Ojora’ (GB) 13.50.
400H: 1. James Smith (AzF) 48.87 PR; 2. **Hugo Menin’ (UTSA-Fra) 49.77 PR.
4 x 100: 1. South Florida 38.87; 2. Arkansas 39.15.
4 x 400: 1. Arkansas 3:01.82; 2. Arizona State 3:01.85; 3. South Florida 3:02.13.
HJ: 1. Kason O’Riley (TxSt) 7-2½ (2.20) =PR.
PV: 1. Scott Toney (Wa) 17-8½ (5.40).
LJ: 1. *JC Stevenson (USC) 26-3¾ (8.02).
TJ: 1. ***Xavier Drumgoole (Stan) 51-4¼ (15.65) PR.
SP: 1. Zach Landa (Az) 67-8¾ (20.64) PR.
DT: 1. **Racquil Broderick’ (USC-Jam) 202-7 (61.74).
HT: 1. Kenneth Ikeji’ (Harv-GB) 246-9 (75.20).
JT: 1. Chandler Ault (unat) 231-1 (70.45).
Dec: 1. Hakim McMorris (VSA) 8258 PR (10.70, 24-9¼/7.55, 47-4½/14.44, 6-4¾/1.95, 46.92, 14.37, 145-6/44.35, 15-9/4.80, 160-10/49.03, 4:21.08); 2. Austin West (unat) 8049.
MT. SAC WOMEN’S RESULTS
200(0.8): 1. Samirah Moody (USC) 22.58; 2. Deajah Stevens (unat) 22.73; 3. **Taylor Snaer (UCLA) 22.84 PR.
400: 1. *Lauren Tolbert (Duke) 51.72 PR; 2. Sami Oblad (BYU) 51.79 PR.
800: 1. Sammy Watson (unat) 2:03.20.
100H(0.0): 1. Keni Harrison (adidas) 12.70; 2. Yanla Ndjip-Nyemeck’ (UCLA-Bel) 12.87 PR.
400H: 1. Abbey Glynn (unat) 56.40; 2. *Antonia Sanchez Nunez’ (Az-Mex) 56.81.
4 x 100: 1. USC 42.36; 2. Duke 43.42.
4 x 400: 1. South Florida 3:29.07; 2. Duke 3:30.46.
HJ: 1. **Temitope Adeshina’ (TxT-Ngr) 6-2¾ (1.90).
PV: 1. Nastassja Campbell (unat) 14-1¼ (4.30).
LJ: 1. Nicole Warwick (VSA) 21-3½ (6.49); 2. *Alyssa Jones (Stan) 21-¾ (6.42).
TJ: 1. Busola Akinduro’ (TxT-Can) 42-11¾ (13.10).
SP: 1. ***Ashley Erasmus’ (USC-SA) 57-11 (17.65).
DT: 1. Caisa-Marie Lindfors’ (Cal-Swe) 201-7 (61.44).
HT: 1. Camryn Rogers’ (Can) 256-4 (78.14); 2. **Lara Roberts’ (TxSt-Aus) 232-10 (70.97) PR.
JT: 1. **Lilly Urban’ (Nv-Ger) 181-11 (55.45) PR; 2. Jana van Schalkwyk’ (UCLA-SA) 178-10 (54.50).
Hept: 1. Beatričė Juškevičiūtė (Lit) 6295 PR (WL) (13.32, 5-5¼/1.66, 48-3½/14.72, 23.96, 19-11½/6.08, 150-9/45.94, 2:12.44);
2. Pippi Lotta Enok (Est) 6258 PR; 3. Allie Jones (US) 6058; 4. Erin Marsh (US) 6031 PR.
