RIVERSIDE, Calif. - UC Riverside track & field kicked off the 2026 season this weekend with the UW Invitational at Washington and the Ron Mann Classic at Northern Arizona.
UCR's first highlight of the season came in Arizona, where Gabriella Colon-Gipson, Addy Hackett, Esra Mor, and Camryn Alo all hit lifetime bests in the women's weight throw. Melanie Ceballos also posted her first career long jump win in her return to the Ron Mann.
Meanwhile in Seattle, Ashraf Abdelmagid kicked off his final season with the No. 2 all-time men's 3000 time for the year's first top-10 mark. The next top-10 mark came in Flagstaff, where Yuchua Yang posted a 16.45m/53-11.75 in the weight throw for eighth all-time.
Abdelmagid won his heat in Saturday's mile with a 4:03.24, placing eighth overall and collecting his second top-10 mark of the day.
Maxwell Jefferson and Arthur Celestine Jr. advanced past preliminaries in the men's 60mH. Jefferson, who posted a top-10 time in the prelims, bested it in the finals with a 7.97/8.01A for second in program history. Additionally, Addae Ma'at and Kazu Kimura both put up top-10 long jump marks.
UCR tore up the women's 60 with a school record from Didi Nakamoto, alongside top-10 marks from Kamea Hunter and Natalia Carrillo. Diyana Hackley and Elena Mack put their stamp on the Ron Mann with top-10 marks in the women's 400, while Spencer Hotch ran the ninth fastest men's 400 in his Highlander debut.
Hotch was one of three of the top five UCR spots in the men's 400, led by Mallik Bolton's 48.30. Mateo Garcia also grabbed a top-10 mark with a 16.48m/54-01.00 in the shot put.
Beyond rewriting program top-10s, UCR also highlighted the Arizona trip with multiple NCAA and Division I top marks. Kyan Thomas, one of the Highlanders' three NCAA West qualifiers last season, won his ninth career triple jump with a top 80 Division I mark, while Andrew Robinson finished second with a top 90 Division I mark. The Highlanders' men's 4x400 relay of Andrew Garcia, Carter Burns, Hotch, and Bolton clock in at No. 93 in Division I after Friday's performance in Flagstaff.
UC Riverside returns to action on Valentine's Day weekend with trips to the Battle Born Classic in Nevada and Valentine Invite in Boston. Live results for both meets will be available on GoHighlanders.com.
UW Invitational Results
Men's 3000 meters
1, Jayden Holdsworth, Utah State, 7:58.18.
6, Ashraf Abdelmagid, 8:05.99.
Women's 800 meters
1, Kaiya Robertson, Boise State, 2:05.15.
55, Isatu N'Diaye, 2:15.81.
Women's 1 Mile, Seeded
1, Tatiana Cornejo, Cal Poly, 4:38.53.
99, Morgan Nygren, 5:03.18.
119, Isatu N'Diaye, 5:06.25.
Men's 1 Mile, Seeded
1, Elliott Metcalf, Unattached, 4:01.52
8, Ashraf Abdelmagid, 4:03.24.
68, Tyler Kaan, 4:13.00.
Ron Mann Classic Results
Men's 60 meters Prelims
1, Jeremiah Watson, Worldclass Athletics, 6.83
10, Michael Petrick, 7.00.
13, Derrick Brown, 7.01.
15, Derek Pangilinan, 7.03.
17, Kazu Kimura, 7.05.
Women's 60 meters Prelims
1, Knowledge Omovoh, Knoli Track Club, 7.37/7.43A.
3, Didi Nakamoto, 7.53q.
5, Kamea Hunter, 7.57q.
7, Natalia Carrillo, 7.65q.
21, Anika Smith, 7.88.
34, Hailey Gavin-Wences, 8.05.
Women's 60 meters
1, Knowledge Omovoh, Knoli Track Club, 7.37/7.43A.
4, Didi Nakamoto, 7.48/7.52A.
5, Kamea Hunter, 7.53/7.57A.
7, Natalia Carrillo, 7.65m/7.69A.
Men's 60H Prelims
1, Freddie Crittenden III, unattached, 7.66q.
3, Maxwell Jefferson, 7.97q.
7, Arthur Celestine Jr., 8.31q.
Women's 60H Prelims
1, Sydnie Watkins, Northern Arizona, 8.57.
10, Taylor Oden, 9.20.
Men's 60H
1, Freddie Crittenden III, Unattached, 7.58.
6, Maxwell Jefferson, 13.81.
DQ, Arthur Celestine Jr., DQ.
Men's 200 meters
1, Josiah Johnson, Northern Arizona, 21.21.
6, Michael Petrick, 22.01
9, Derek Pangilinan, 22.24.
Women's 200 meters
1, Sydnie Watkins, Northern Arizona, 24.55.
3, Mercy Ehiemere, 24.75.
4, Didi Nakamoto, 24.89.
10, Kamea Hunter, 25.44.
13, Natalia Carrillo, 25.59.
15, Anika Smith, 25.66.
23, Hailey Gavin-Wences, 26.25.
34, Staci Cheatham, 27.25.
Men's 400 meters
1, Nicolas Martinez, Northern Arizona, 47.82.
3, Mallik Bolton, 48.30.
4, Spencer Hotch, 48.88.
5, Andrew Garcia, 48.94.
10, Carter Burns, 50.31.
Women's 400 meters
1, Diyana Hackley, 55.71.
4, Elena Mack, 56.86.
18, Staci Cheatham, 59.59.
Men's 800 meters
1, Aiden Dellimore, Unattached, 1:53.76.
4, JJ Juarez, 2:00.01.
Women's 800 meters
1, Shelby Houlihan, Unattached, 2:09.99.
14, Lily Woolery, 2:28.04.
Men's Long Jump
1, Blair Brooks, Unattached, 7.53m (24-08.50).
2, Kazu Kimura, 7.16m (23-06.00).
5, Addae Ma'at, 7.02m (23-00.50).
9, Andrew Robinson, 6.71m (22-00.25).
Women's Long Jump
1, Melanie Ceballos, 5.70m (18-08.50).
Men's Shot Put
1, Desmond Lott, Northern Arizona, 16.78m (55-00.75).
2, Mateo Garcia, 16.48m (54-01.00).
Women's Shot Put
1, Larissa Francois, Northern Arizona, 13.68m (44-10.75).
2, Gabriella Colon-Gipson, 12.90m (42-04.00).
3, Camryn Alo, 12.80, 42-00.00
Men's Triple Jump
1, Kyan Thomas, UC Riverside, 15.08m (49-05.75). (New NCAA #84, New Division I #76)
2, Andrew Robinson, 15.01m (49-03.00). (New NCAA #94, New Division I #85)
4, Addae Ma'at, 14.47m (47-05.75).
Women's Triple Jump
1, Melanie Ceballos, UC Riverside, 5.70m (18-08.50).
Men's Weight Throw
1, Desmond Lott, Northern Arizona, 21.12m (69-03.50).
6, Yuchua Yang, 16.45m (53-11.75).
9, Mateo Garcia, 15.00m (49-02.50).
Women's Weight Throw
1, Ronan Gallagher, Northern Arizona, 19.16m (62-10.50).
3, Gabriella Colon-Gipson, 16.57m (54-04.50).
4, Addy Hackett, 16.40m (53-09.75).
10, Esra Mor, 15.07m (49-05.50).
11, Camryn Alo, 15.01m (49-03.00).
Men's 4x400 meters
1, Miller/Carpenter/Hayes/Crosland, Southern Utah, 3:13.86.
2, Garcia/Burn/Hotch/Bolton, 3:16.25. (New Division I #93)
Women's 4x400 meters
1, Hackley/Ceballos/Mack/Ehiemere/Cheatham/Lamur/Woolery, UC Riverside, 3:49.53.
