BERKELEY – As California track & field’s offseason comes to a close with the indoor season starting in one week’s time, the Golden Bears are primed for a standout year to build upon the successes of the 2023 squad, which qualified a program-record 17 athletes to the NCAA Outdoor Championships. Six of Cal’s eight All-Americans return to the team in 2024, leading a group with increased depth and experience across the board.
The Bears are scheduled to make their first appearance of 2024 in Albuquerque, N.M. at the New Mexico Team Open on Jan. 26-27.
SPRINTS & HURDLES
The sprinters and hurdlers aim to have another strong year following a 2023 campaign that saw no fewer than six school records broken. Top hurdler Jada Hicks, who ranks No. 1 on Cal’s indoor list and No. 2 on the outdoor list, is returning for her final season of eligibility following an appearance in the 100m hurdles at last year’s NCAA Outdoor Championships; she also ran in the 4x100m relay on the biggest collegiate stage along with fellow returnees Makhaila Mills and Aysha Shaheed (the indoor 200m record-holder and No. 2 100m sprinter). On the men’s side, David Foster will once again look to be a force for the Bears, hoping to improve upon his program 60m record and No. 2 100m spot, while Gavin Schurr will likewise take aim at improving his own indoor school 200m record. Three of Cal’s indoor program-record-setting 4x400m relay-men (Aiden Lippert, Josh Keller and Isaiah Shaw) return for the Bears; Lippert also has two individual program top-10 marks to his name.
Cal’s crop of newcomers to the sprints and hurdles squad includes transfers Ariyonna Augustine, Amelia Liao, Zion Mayo and Deon McCauley. Augustine in particular has top-level NCAA experience, twice earning Second Team All-American status at Ole Miss (2022-23). The Bears will also field five incoming freshmen: Donovan Bradley, Mackenzie Motz, Zachary Pastore, Mari Testa and Trudy Watkins. Both Bradley and Testa were named 2023 MileSplit All-State First Team in Texas and California, respectively, with Bradley’s 110m hurdles time coming in as the third-fastest in the nation among high school boys.
DISTANCE
Cal’s distance runners will be headlined by senior returners Garrett MacQuiddy, who competed in the NCAA Outdoor Championships last year and became the first Bear to run a sub-four-minute mile since 2017, and Claire Yerby, who posted three entries on the program top-10 lists. The Bears will also be…
CLICK HERE to Read the Full Original Article at California Golden Bears Athletics…