WALNUT, CALIFORNIA, April 17–20 — Fittingly, a baton event elicited the most interest in this year’s women’s division of the Mt. SAC Relays, a meet at which, in spite of its name, quartets passing sticks do not always make the biggest headlines.
In the 4 x 100, a team of Edrick Floréal-trained dashers consisting of Britain’s Dina Asher-Smith, Ireland’s Rhasidat Adeleke, Jamaican Lanae-Tava Thomas and Saint Lucia’s Julien Alfred lined up against a Bobby Kersee-coached foursome of Keni Harrison, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, Jenna Prandini, and Morolake Akinosun.
The draw of this matchup was McLaughlin-Levrone on the second leg. Last summer, a troublesome knee led to her withdrawal from the World Championships after she had won the U.S. 400 title in a world leading time, and this would be her first outing of ’24.
Oregon would start in 3, with Formula Kersee in 4, Floréal’s Team International in 5, Ivory Coast in 6 and USC, Stanford and BYU filling 7, 8 and 9.
At the gun, Asher-Smith blasted out of the blocks and quickly made up the stagger on Ivory Coast’s Dinedye Denis, distancing herself from the field.
Adeleke took a clean stick from Asher-Smith and charged down the back straight, while McLaughlin-Levrone had work to do after taking Harrison’s pass. Adeleke’s pass to Thomas was clean, but McLaughlin-Levrone’s exchange with Prandini was not, and Prandini had to work the curve.
Alfred got a huge lead from Thomas and had no worries heading to the line in 42.03. When Akinosun got the baton from Prandini she was 10 meters down and that’s how it remained. Formula Kersee would finish in 42.93, with Ivory Coast 3rd in 43.17.
The Floréal-coached relayists minus Thomas would later tangle in the 200, with Alfred taking the victory in 22.58, followed by Adeleke (22.61) and Asher-Smith (22.80).
Other running highlights included Finland’s Nathalie Blomqvist taking the 5000 in a respectable 14:59.70.
Former Baylor Bear Maggie Montoya led the field through 1600 in 4:50.4 before Blomqvist stepped up the pace and, after a series of 71-second laps, built up an 8-second lead, crossing 3000 in 9:01.23.
At 4K, Blomqvist extended her advantage to 21 seconds, and it would grow to nearly 27 once she crossed the line in a PR 14:59.70 over Montoya (15:26.66).
In the field, Washington frosh Hana Moll took control of the pole vault after first-attempt misses at 14-1¼ (4.30) and 14-5¼ (4.40). The NCAA Indoor and World U20 champ would clear 14-9 (4.50) on her first attempt before springing over a meet record 15-1 (4.60) and finally missing 3 times at 15-6¼ (4.73). Cal’s Amari Turner finished 2nd at 14-5¼.
Canada’s reigning world champion, Camryn Rogers, maintained her hammer dominance at Mt. SAC, throwing 250-4, (76.30), the No. 2 mark in the world this year, over her former Cal teammate Anna Purchase (231-8/70.63).
MT. SAC WOMEN’S RESULTS
100(-0.4): 1. Morolake Akinosun (adidas) 11.14; 2. Jadyn Mays (Or) 11.19; 3. Destiny Smith-Barnett’ (Lbr) 11.23;
4. **Jassani Carter (USC) 11.30; 5. *Samirah Moody (USC) 11.31.
200(0.0): 1. Julien Alfred’ (StL) 22.58; 2. Rhasidat Adeleke’ (Ire) 22.61; 3. Dina Asher-Smith’ (GB) 22.80; 4. Jessica Gbai’ (CI) 22.91; 5. Mays 22.94.
400: I–1. Na’Asha Robinson (unat) 51.56.
II–1. Bailey Lear (unat) 51.00; 2. Kendall Ellis (NBal) 51.25.
800: 1. Sammy Watson (adidas) 2:02.25; 2. *Josefine Eriksen’ (Ut-Nor) 2:03.69; 3. Jaqueline Weber’ (Bra) 2:03.91;
4. Stephanie Brokaw (unat) 2:04.07; 5. Skylyn Webb (Sauc) 2:04.34.
1500: 1. Stephanie Brokaw (unat) 4:11.64; 2. Grace Barnett (Asics) 4:12.11; 3. Hanna Hermansson’ (Swe) 4:12.41; 4. Olivia Howell (Tx) 4:14.64.
St: 1. Jessica Furlan’ (Can) 9:50.88; 2. Poppy Tank’ (GB) 10:00.17; 3. Ryley Fick (unat) 10:04.03; 4. Stevie Lawrence’ (GB) 10:05.56; 5. Jessica Scheriff’ (GB) 10:06.29.
5000: 1. Nathalie Blomquist’ (Fin) 14:59.70; 2. Maggie Montoya (RootsRP) 15:26.66; 3. Carmen Graves (OisDen) 15:32.41.
100H: I(1.7)– 1. ***Nonah Waldron (USC) 13.15.
II(1.8)–1. Talie Bonds (VSA) 12.76; 2. **Aaliyah McCormick (Or) 12.81; 3. *Yanla Ndjip-Nyemeck’ (UCLA-Bel) 13.17.
400H: I–1. Dinedye Denis’ (CI) 56.45.
II–1. Jacy Pulse (SD) 56.17; 2. Abbey Glynn (Co) 56.41; 3. *Shana Grebo’ (Or-Fra) 56.71.
Open 400H: 1. ***Akala Garrett (Tx 55.93.
4 x 100: 1. Team International’ 42.03 (Asher-Smith’, Adeleke’, Thomas’, Alfred’); 2. Formula Kersee 42.93 (Harrison, McLaughlin-Levrone, Prandini, Akinosun); 3. Côte d’Ivoire 43.17; 4. USC 43.47; 5. Oregon 43.63.
4 x 400: 1. Colorado 3:33.76; 2. South Dakota 3:34.44; 3. BYU 3:35.29.
Field Events
HJ: 1. tie, *Bara Sajdoková’ (Il-CzR) & *Rose Yeboah’ (Il-Gha) 6-1½ (1.87); 3. **Emma Gates (Az) 5-11½ (1.82); 4. Cierra Allphin (BYU) 5-11½.
PV: 1. ***Hana Moll (Wa) 15-1 (4.60) (14-1¼ [2], 14-5¼ [2], 14-9, 15-1, 15-6¼ [xxx]) (4.30 [2], 4.40 [2], 4.50, 4.60, 4.73 [xxx]); 2. Amari Turner (Cal) 14-5¼ (4.40); 3. *Tori Thomas (Il) 14-1¼ (4.30); 4. Nastassja Campbell (Wa) 14-1¼.
LJ: 1. Madisen Richards (unat) 21-8¼w (6.61) (21-2¾/6.47); 2. Alysah Hickey (Or) 21-1¼ (6.43).
Open LJ: 1. Hannah Waller (SDi) 21-1¼ (6.43).
TJ: 1. Temitope Ojora’ (USC-GB) 44-1½ (13.45); 2. *Rachela Pace’ (Fres-Mlt) 43-6 (13.26); 3. *Darja Sopova’ (Il-Lat) 43-5 (13.23).
SP: 1. *Chrystal Herpin (Tx) 57-7½ (17.56); 2. ***Nina Ndubuisi’ (Tx-Ger) 56-9¼ (17.30); 3. *Cierra Jackson (Fres) 55-2¼ (16.82).
DT: 1. *Caisa-Marie Lindfors’ (Cal-Swe) 197-4 (60.15); 2. Jordyn Bryant (Fres) 195-9 (59.68); 3. Elena Bruckner (unat) 195-7 (59.62); 4. Jasmine Blair (Cal) 192-2 (58.59); 5. Patricia Kamga’ (Swe) 191-9 (58.45).
HT: 1. Camryn Rogers’ (Can) 250-4 (76.30); 2. Anna Purchase’ (GB) 231-8 (70.61); 3. Joy McArthur’ (Jpn) 221-7 (67.54); 4. Mayyi Mahama (UCLA) 215-7 (65.71); 5. Amber Simpson’ (Il-GB) 214-8 (65.43); 6. Alyssa Wilson (Shore) 214-1 (65.26).
JT: 1. Arianne Morais’ (UTEP-Nor) 187-10 (57.26); 2. Federica Botter’ (UCLA-Ita) 187-9 (57.22); 3. *Kelsi Oldroyd (UtV) 178-3 (54.34); 4. **Carolina Visca’ (Cal-Ita) 174-11 (53.31).
Hept(4/17-18): 1. Michelle Atherley (unat) 6372 (WL) (12.83, 5-7/1.70, 44-8¾/13.63, 23.28w, 20-7¾/6.29, 130-10/39.89, 2:11.52);
2. Beatričė Juškevičiūtė’ (Lit) 6192; 3. Nina Schultz’ Chn) 6164; 4. *Jadin O’Brien (NDm) 6115; 5. **Pippi Lotta Enok’ (Ok-Est) 6011; 6. Alex Gochenour-Brondyke (unat) 5920; 7. Avery McMullen (Co) 5828; 8. *Angel Richmore’ (Ok-Swe) 5777; 9. *Jenna Fee Feyerabend’ (SDi-Ger) 5750; 10. Taylor Chocek (Or) 5688; 11. JaiCieonna Gero-Holt (WaHS) 5240.
