Gonzalez, Relays Squad Deliver Statement Performance At Humboldt Invitational
Max Combs
ARCATA, Calif. – The Cal Poly Humboldt men's track & field team turned in a strong all-around showing Saturday at the Cal Poly Humboldt Invitational at the Redwood Bowl, highlighted by event victories, relay success, personal bests, and top finishes across the board.
Competing in front of a home crowd, the Lumberjacks produced standout performances in the sprints, middle distance, throws, jumps, and relays as the squad continued their prowess midway through the outdoor season.
FIELD
The Lumberjacks were led in the field by another strong showing from Michael Payan, who captured the men's pole vault title with a clearance of 5.00m (16'4.75"), a provisional standard qualifying mark. Humboldt also showed its depth in the event as Collin Friedman placed third at 4.43m (14'6.25"), while Justin Vigna and Adam Garrison tied for fourth at 4.28m (14'0.50").
In the throws, Joseph Gonzalez delivered one of Humboldt's top performances of the day, winning the shot put with a mark of 17.01m (55'9.75") and later placing second in the discus at 47.18m (154'9"), nearing the eighth-best throw in program history. The shot put mark is a D-II qualifying provisional mark as well as a new program record, smashing the previous record of 16.34m.
Derek Ray added an eighth-place finish in the shot put at 13.51m (44'4") and placed ninth in the discus with a throw of 41.73m (136'11").
In the hammer throw, Adam Gomez placed fourth overall with a mark of 46.71m (153'3"), while AJ Perez added a seventh-place finish in the javelin at 45.75m (150'1") and Damian Greenwood followed in eighth at 44.84m (147'1").
The jumps also produced key finishes for the 'Jacks. Paul Domingue placed second in the triple jump with a mark of 14.11m (46'3.50") to move up the ranks at #6 in program history. Leo Moratti finished third in the long jump at 6.38m (20'11.25") and Joey Bowser placed fourth at 6.25m (20'6.25"). In the high jump, Alexander Dillon and Gabriel Bondurant each cleared 1.92m (6'3.50") to place second and third, respectively.
TRACK
Humboldt's track group delivered one of its most complete performances of the season, highlighted by sprint depth, distance success, and another strong relay showing.
The Lumberjacks dominated the 100 meters, led by Alonzo Paul, who won the event in 10.92. Teammates Tosh Woods and Jamie Saunders followed closely behind, each recording personal bests of 10.93 and 11.01 to place second and third, while Adam Smith added a fourth-place finish in 11.02.
In the 200 meters, Saunders continued his strong day by placing third in 22.20, followed by Paul in fourth at 22.30. Woods and Smith each crossed in 22.33, while Lucas Garin added a solid performance at 22.66.
Humboldt's middle-distance group also turned in a dominant showing in the 800 meters, sweeping the top six spots. Hunter Phillips led the way with a personal-best time of 1:53.52 to win the event, followed by Ryan Giglio in second at 1:53.81, James Woolery in third at 1:54.40, Saul Jimenez in fourth at 1:54.74, Sebastian Vaisset-Fauvel in fifth at 1:54.83, and Keegan Henry in sixth with a personal-best 1:55.12.
The distance crew stayed hot in the 1500 meters, where Elias Wiggins won the event in 3:55.51 and Nicholas Woolery followed in second with a personal-best 3:56.93. Jacob Christopher placed third in 4:00.97, while Trevor Stewart, Arlo Gagnon, and Jonah Grubbs all added personal-best performances. Humboldt also picked up another event win in the 5000 meters from Daniel Shaver, who crossed first in 15:40.74.
In the hurdles, Walker Dorris captured first place in the 110-meter hurdles with a time of 15.38, while Jevon Cloy added a fourth-place finish in 17.09.
The Lumberjacks also impressed in the relays. Humboldt's 4x100 relay team of Alonzo Paul, Tosh Woods, Adam Smith, and Cameron Bishop won the event in a season-best and #5 all-time finish of 41.35. The men's 4x400 relay team of Cameron Bishop, Bennett Feldenkirchen, Joey Bowser, and Jamie Saunders followed with another strong performance, placing second in a season-best and program-best 3:13.56 that found themselves 0.66 seconds off of qualifying standards. Humboldt added impressive depth in the event with its "C" and "B" squads finishing third and fourth, respectively.
UP NEXT
Cal Poly Humboldt will continue its outdoor season next week as the Lumberjacks travel to compete at the Mike Fanelli Track Classic and Brutus Hamilton Invitational & Multi, looking to build on another successful weekend of competition.
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