CHICO, Calif. – The Cal Poly Humboldt men's track & field team delivered a strong showing Saturday at the Wildcat Invitational, highlighted by multiple event victories, program all-time marks, and a school record performance.
The Lumberjacks were led by standout efforts from Michael Payan, Joseph Gonzalez and Derek Ray as Humboldt produced top finishes across the sprints, distance races, throws, and jumps.
FIELD
Sophomore Michael Payan delivered one of the top performances of the meet, winning the men's pole vault with a clearance of 5.35m (17'6¾") to break his own Cal Poly Humboldt school record in the event.
Teammates Kai Matsuura and Justin Vigna added third and fourth-place finishes with clearances of 4.32m (14'2") and 4.17m (13'8¼"), respectively, while Adam Garrison also cleared 4.17m to place sixth.
In the throws, Derek Ray captured the shot put title with a mark of 15.72m (51'7"), which ranks 10th all-time in program history. Joseph Gonzalez finished third in the shot put with a mark of 15.58m (51'1½") before returning later in the meet to win the discus with a throw of 45.09m (147'11").
Ruari Mulrey added a fifth-place finish in the discus with a mark of 40.96m (134'4").
In the hammer throw, Adam Gomez placed fourth with a throw of 46.92m (153'11") while Benjamin Feldstein finished fifth at 43.53m (142'10").
In the jumps, Alexander Dillon cleared 1.90m (6'2¾") to place fifth in the high jump. Joey Bowser recorded a fourth-place finish in the long jump with a leap of 6.43m (21'1¼") while Leo Moratti placed sixth with a mark of 6.35m (20'10").
TRACK
Freshman Cameron Bishop highlighted Humboldt's sprint group with a pair of standout performances. Bishop placed third in the 100 meters with a time of 10.68, which ranks fifth all-time in program history, and added another third-place finish in the 200 meters with a time of 21.74, now 10th all-time at Humboldt.
Adam Smith and Thomas Clark also placed in the top six in the 100 meters, finishing fifth and sixth in 10.96 and 10.99, respectively.
Humboldt's middle-distance group delivered another strong showing in the men's 800 meters as Ryan Giglio finished second in 1:53.44, followed by Hunter Phillips in third at 1:54.55 and Elias Wiggins in fourth at 1:56.88. James Woolery placed sixth in 1:57.80.
In the hurdles, Walker Dorris placed second in the 110-meter hurdles with a time of 15.31, while Jevon Cloy finished fifth in 15.89.
The Lumberjacks also saw strong relay performances. The men's 4x100 relay team of Alonzo Paul, Bennett Feldenkirchen, Adam Smith, and Cameron Bishop finished second in 41.88.
Humboldt's 4x400 relay team of Cameron Bishop, Ryan Giglio, Joey Bowser, and Jamie Saunders placed second in 3:17.91, which ranks ninth all-time in program history.
UP NEXT
The Cal Poly Humboldt track & field teams will continue their outdoor season next week as the Lumberjacks look to build on their momentum and pursue additional qualifying marks as the season progresses. The 'Jacks will compete at the Pacific Northwest Invite, hosted by Oregon State University in Corvallis, Ore. on Friday, Mar. 20 and Saturday, Mar. 21.
For more information on Cal Poly Humboldt women's track & field, visit humboldtathletics.com, download our mobile app on Apple iOS or Google Android, and follow the Lumberjacks on Instagram, Twitter/X, and Facebook.
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