The UCLA track and field teams began their 2026 season with victories at the Spokane Sports Showcase on Friday. Both the men’s and women’s squads secured first place in their respective team standings, with the men scoring 144 points to outpace California’s 134 in an eight-team field. The women’s team finished with 141 points, surpassing second-place USC by a margin of 31 points among twelve teams.
UCLA athletes won ten individual events and claimed victory in the meet’s only relay, the women’s 4×400 meters. In total, Bruins athletes achieved 25 top-three finishes in individual events.
The meet started with strong performances in the 60-meter hurdles. Otto Laing won for the men, posting a time of 7.81 seconds that ranks him second on UCLA’s all-time list for the event. On the women’s side, sophomore Celeste Polzonetti recorded a personal best of 8.14 seconds to finish as the top collegiate runner and move up to fifth in school history. According to current NCAA rankings, Polzonetti is fifth nationally this season while Laing holds twelfth place.
In other sprint events, senior Naomi Johnson ran a time of 7.40 seconds in the women’s 60-meter dash, tying for fifth-fastest in program history. Freshmen Steven Sabino (6.80) and Shaun McCoullum (6.83) finished second and third respectively in the men’s competition.
UCLA swept both men’s and women’s titles in the 1000 meters: Kaho Cichon won for the women with a time of 2:53.86 while Arrin Sagiraju took first for the men at 2:26.65.
In field events held earlier in the day, graduate student Sydney Johnson claimed victory in the women’s long jump with her second-best indoor mark at UCLA (6.34 meters). Senior Michael Pinckney won the men’s weight throw by more than two meters; his mark of 21.61 meters currently ranks tenth nationally this year.
Graduate transfer Chris Paige narrowly defeated teammate Zaire Waring to win the men’s 400 meters (48.43 vs. 48.48). Junior Taylor Snaer led a group finish for UCLA by placing second in the women’s 300 meters (37.50), while Gabriel Clement II set a personal record en route to second place on the men’s side (32.52).
Freshman Kaitlyn Arciaga made her collegiate debut by winning the women’s 600 meters (1:30.66), leading teammate Keilee Hall across for a one-two finish.
Shaun McCoullum added another win for UCLA by taking first place in the men’s 200 meters (21.46), marking his second top-three result of the day.
In late field action, sophomore Valentina Fakrogha led a sweep of podium places for UCLA in women’s high jump at 1.75 meters; Hannah Slover and Jordan Robinson followed closely behind at identical heights of 1.70 meters each.
Sophia Hartwell earned her first collegiate victory by winning gold in women’s triple jump with a distance of 12.38 meters; freshman Nicolas Alexis led Bruins competitors on the men’s side at that event with his best effort measured at 15.11 meters.
The meet concluded with UCLA winning decisively in women’s relay competition—the team of Ava Simms, Kayla McBride, Kaitlyn Arciaga, and Keilee Hall completed their race over five seconds ahead of USC.
UCLA will compete next weekend at the New Mexico Collegiate Classic hosted by University of New Mexico on January 23-24.
