BERKELEY, Calif. – The Cal Poly Humboldt men's track & field team turned heads at the 2025 Brutus Hamilton Invitational, highlighted by a historic performance from freshman Michael Payan, who shattered a 23-year-old program record in the pole vault, previously held by Justin Miller who vaulted 16' 8.75" in 2002, after clearing 5.17 meters (16'11.5"). His mark not only earned him a second-place finish in the meet but also ranks fourth nationally in NCAA Division II.
The pole vault performance was one of several standout showings from the Lumberjacks, who posted a flurry of personal bests across the board in a strong field of competition.
In the sprints, Ryan Castro led the charge with a sixth-place finish in the 100 meters, clocking 10.66 seconds. Junior Paul Domingue posted a personal record of 10.89, while Cristian Megas (10.98), Adam Smith (11.20), and Aidan Shelton (11.26) all contributed to a deep 100-meter group performance.
Freshman Dylan Ochoa made his mark in the 400 meters, running a new PR of 48.50 to place ninth overall. He also helped anchor the 4x400 relay team—alongside Connor Pratt, Jamie Saunders, and Joey Bowser—to a third-place finish in 3:21.74. Earlier, Ochoa teamed with Bowser, Megas, and Castro to place fifth in the 4x100 relay at 41.91 seconds.
In the throws, sophomore Joseph Gonzalez was dominant in the shot put to put him second all-time in program history, recording a personal best of 16.26m (53'4.25") to finish fourth. He also added an 11th-place finish in the discus with a throw of 43.93m (144'1"). In the javelin, Damian Greenwood hit a new personal best of 51.36m (168'6"), good for fourth overall.
Other top performances included:
The Lumberjacks will look to continue their momentum as they head into the final stretch of the outdoor season, eyeing postseason qualifiers and team records alike.
For more information on Cal Poly Humboldt Track & Field, please visit humboldtathletics.com, download our mobile app, and follow us on all social media platforms.
