Senior thrower Michael Pinckney, graduate hurdler Yanla Ndjip-Nyemeck, and sophomore middle distance runner Marie Warneke led the UCLA track & field team at the New Mexico Collegiate Classic in Albuquerque. The two-day event, held at the Albuquerque Convention Center, saw UCLA athletes secure four event wins and eight top-three finishes.
Cade Sommers contributed to the team’s success by winning the men’s “B” pole vault. Other first-place finishes included Pinckney in the men’s weight throw, Ndjip-Nyemeck in the women’s 60m hurdles, and Warneke in the women’s 800m.
The women’s 4×400 relay team of Kayla McBride, Taylor Snaer, Ava Simms, and Naomi Johnson finished second with a time of 3:29.43. This performance was the second-fastest indoor time in school history and would have ranked seventh nationally before this weekend.
On Friday, Paige Sommers cleared 4.29 meters in the women’s “A” pole vault, moving her to fifth on UCLA’s all-time indoor list. Tamaal Myers placed third in the men’s 600m with a personal record of 1:19.07, which also improved his ranking to fourth in school history.
During Friday’s events, Warneke set a facility record and personal best in the 800m with a time of 2:04.52, advancing to third on UCLA’s indoor top-10 list. Cade Sommers improved his personal record by clearing 5.25 meters for his win in the pole vault “B” section.
Pinckney won his fourth consecutive weight throw competition this season with a mark of 21.37 meters. Teammates Simon Skoumal and Jake Stafford both achieved personal records in that event; Skoumal moved up to tenth place on UCLA’s all-time list.
Sophia Hartwell took second place in Saturday’s triple jump with a mark of 12.78 meters, breaking her previous personal best and moving to sixth on UCLA’s all-time indoor list.
Ndjip-Nyemeck secured UCLA’s only win on Saturday by dominating each round of the women’s 60m hurdles—finishing first in prelims (8.10), semifinals (8.03), and finals (8.00). Her final time marked her second-fastest as a collegiate athlete.
The Bruins will compete again next week at two meets from February 13-14: most athletes will attend the Tyson Invite hosted by Arkansas in Fayetteville while distance runners will travel to Seattle for Washington’s Husky Invite.
