BOULDER, COLORADO, May 10–12 — Arizona State earned a special place in history when it won the 4×4 at Potts Field in 3:01.79. When anchor Gamali Felix crossed the line a few strides ahead of UCLA, the Wildcats became the last-ever Pac-12 track champions. After 105 years, the storied conference finally locked its doors and hung a “closed” sign in the window.
The ultimate team trophy went to Washington, after the Huskies won a tight battle with USC, 150–141. They were the only squads to score over 100 in the conference’s first high-altitude contest (1604m) since 1928.
One of the beneficiaries of that thin air may have been USC senior Johnnie Blockburger, who was named the meet’s outstanding athlete after anchoring the winning 4×1 to a 38.84 win over Arizona (39.35), winning the 400 in 44.51 over UCLA’s Antonie Nortje (45.05), and capturing the 200 in 20.19w in a Trojan 1-2 with Max Thomas at 20.28. That 400 slashed his PR from the 44.71 he ran in Tucson in ’21.
But Blockburger’s heroics weren’t enough to hold off the Huskies. Washington, which won the trophy for the first time last year*, captured it again with some key late-meet points in the 5000. After USC scored its 18 digits in the 200, the Huskies looked to build a little more cushion with some distance points, just in case the Trojans came through with a big 4×4. They got 5 more from Leo Daschbach and Evan Jenkins, which provided some breathing room though ultimately USC only placed 5th in the relay.
(*=Washington also won team crowns in the antecedent Pacific Coast Conference back in 1921 and 1928)
Said Husky men’s coach Andy Powell, “It was just a great team effort. It wasn’t necessarily the guys that won [events] that won this championship, it was all the 2nd-, 3rd-, 4th-, 5th-place finishers… It’s these guys. It’s the people… We’re certainly starting to catch fire, and I think our teams are just getting better and better.”
Key Washington wins came from Joe Waskom in the steeple at 9:03.66, Preston Artis in the long jump at 25-6¼ (7.78), and Chandler Ault’s PR 254-3 (77.51) in the javelin.
USC’s other wins came from hurdler Johnny Brackins in 13.52, high jumper Elias Gerald at 7-1¾ (2.18), and frosh Racquil Broderick in the discus with his 192-5 (58.65).
Oregon’s Elliott Cook pulled off a middle-distance double, taking the 1500 in a tactical 3:54.30 over Huskies Nathan Green (3:54.57), Luke Houser (3:54.78) and Waskom (3:55.13). He came back to win the 800 in 1:48.18. Stanford’s Ky Robinson took the longer races in 29:15.03 and 14:11.49.
On the field, Cal’s Rowan Hamilton won the hammer with his opening 251-1 (76.53) as USC junior Nikolaos Polychroniou threw 244-8 (74.58) for 2nd.
PAC-12 MEN’S RESULTS
(altitude 1604)
Teams: 1. Washington 150; 2. USC 141; 3. Cal 95; 4. Oregon 83; 5. UCLA 67; 6. tie, Arizona & Colorado 66; 8. Washington State 64; 9. Arizona State 50; 10. Stanford 34.
100(0.5): 1. **PJ Ize-Iyamu (Or) 10.10; 2. **Max Thomas (USC) 10.13; 3. **JC Stevenson (USC) 10.13; 4. *David Foster (Cal) 10.14; 5. *Travis Williams’ (USC-Jam) 10.16; 6. Kaleb Simpson (AzSt) 10.16.
200(2.2): 1. Johnnie Blockburger (USC) 20.19w; 2. Thomas 20.28w; 3. Simpson 20.55w.
400: 1. Blockburger 44.51; 2. *Antonie Nortje’ (UCLA-SA) 45.05; 3. **William Jones (USC) 45.27; 4. Gamali Felix’ (AzSt-Grn) 45.45; 5. ***Jayden Davis (AzSt) 45.49;… dnc—*Justin Robinson (AzSt).
800: 1. *Elliott Cook (Or) 1:48.18; 2. *Dayton Carlson (AzSt) 1:48.65; 3. *Matthew Erickson’ (Or-Can) 1:48.84; 4. **Nathan Green (Wa) 1:49.97.
1500: 1. Cook 3:54.30; 2. Green 3:54.57; 3. Luke Houser (Wa) 3:54.78; 4. *Joe Waskom (Wa) 3:55.13.
St: 1. Waskom 9:03.66; 2. Sam Affolder (Wa) 9:06.13; 3. ***Kole Mathison (Co) 9:06.55; 4. **Charles Welch (Co) 9:07.16.
5000: 1. Ky Robinson’ (Stan-Aus) 14:11.49; 2. *Michael Mireles (UCLA) 14:17.54; 3. Austin Vancil (Co) 14:18.32; 4. **Grady Rauba (Co) 14:19.54.
10,000: 1. Robinson’ 29:15.03; 2. ***Evan Jenkins (Wa) 29:40.61; 3. Vancil 29:43.17; 4. Brian Barsaiya (WaSt) 29:46.80.
110H(-1.8): 1. *Johnny Brackins (USC) 13.52; 2. *Zachary Extine (Az) 13.79; 3. **John Paredes’ (WaSt-Col) 14.00.
Heats: I(0.1)–1. Paredes’ 13.66; 2. *Di’Niko Bates (USC) 13.70.
400H: 1. Jared McAlvey (WaSt) 49.84; 2. ***Jonathan Frazier (Wa) 49.87; 3. Jonathan Birchman (Wa) 50.00; 4. **Cole Romig (Co) 50.36.
4 x 100: I–1. UCLA 39.70; 2. Washington State 39.80.
II–1. USC 38.84; 2. Arizona 39.35.
4 x 400: 1. Arizona State 3:01.79; 2. UCLA 3:02.39; 3. Washington State 3:05.37; 4. Colorado 3:06.91; 5. USC 3:06.93.
Field Events
HJ: 1. **Elias Gerald (USC) 7-1¾ (2.18).
PV: 1. Skyler Magula (Cal) 17-6¼ (5.34); 2. Max Manson (Wa) 17-6¼; 3. Simon Park (Wa) 17-2¼ (5.24); 4. **Hunter O’Brien (UCLA) 17-¼ (5.19).
LJ: 1. Prestin Artis (Wa) 25-6¼ (7.78); 2. **JC Stevenson (USC) 25-1¾ (7.66); 3. **Jason Plumb (Cal) 25-¾ (7.64); 4. Brackins 24-11¾ (7.61).
TJ: 1. **Sir Jonathan Sims (Az) 52-0 (15.85); 2. **Gavin Champ (USC) 51-4½ (15.66); 3. ***Trevontay Smith (Wa) 50-¾ (15.26); 4. *Kunle Akinlosotu (Wa) 50-0 (15.24).
SP: 1. Jeff Duensing (Cal) 65-¾ (19.83); 2. *Brandon Lloyd’ (AzSt-Jam) 63-10½ (19.47); 3. *Sam Liokumovich (Stan) 60-1 (18.31).
DT: 1. ***Racquil Broderick’ (USC-Jam) 192-5 (58.65); 2. **Michael Pinckney (UCLA) 189-7 (57.78); 3. Lloyd’ 185-8 (56.59); 4. ***Jake Stafford (UCLA) 182-3 (55.55).
HT: 1. Rowan Hamilton’ (Cal-Can) 251-1 (76.53) ; 2. *Nikolaos Polychroniou’ (USC-Gre) 244-8 (74.58); 3. Kris Emig (UCLA) 233-0 (71.03); 4. Ivar Moisander’ (Cal-Swe) 227-7 (69.38); 5. *Jayden White (Wa) 225-4 (68.68).
JT: 1. Chandler Ault (Wa) 254-3 (77.51); 2. Leif Nelson (USC) 236-4 (72.03); 3. Jared O’Riley’ (Az-Can) 228-3 (69.57).
Dec(5/11-12): 1. **Rafael Raap’ (Or-Neth) 7719; 2. **Jami Schlueter’ (Wa-GB) 7664; 3. **Seth Johnson (Cal) 7114.