WALNUT, CALIFORNIA, April 16–18 — The 66th Mt. SAC Relays couldn’t have asked for better conditions. It was a sprinter’s paradise in Walnut amid cloudless skies, with temps in the low 80s and swirling breezes that both helped and hindered those strutting their early outdoor stuff.
It took a while, but Arizona State finally has a new school record-holder in the 400 meters. Ron Freeman’s 44.41 from his ’68 bronze medal performance in the Mexico City Olympics has finally been erased. By Wildcat junior Jayden Davis — but not without a challenge from a seasoned vet.
(Note: Freeman’s time run in October in Mexico City falls outside of T&FN’s definition of the collegiate season, but schools set their own rules.)
Davis’ Sun Devil predecessors included not only Freeman, but Olympic medalist Herman Frazier (‘76 400 bronze 44.95, 4×4 gold), Lewis Banda (44.58, 2004) and Justin Robinson (44.47, 2023). It would be a hard egg to crack, but Davis was up to the task.
Lining up in lane 7, some might have given the advantage to multi Olympic and World Championships relay gold medalist Vernon Norwood, as he would be able to keep his eyes on Davis from lane 5. Other worrisome opponents included Paul Dedewo in 2, William Jones in 4, Mexico’s Luis Avilés in 6 and Washington junior Alexander Rhodes in 8.
Davis went out the fastest, crossing 200 in 21.3, with Norwood back at 21.5. Norwood’s turn brought him closer, but down the stretch, Davis’s strength prevailed and he was able to finish in a school- and Hilmer Lodge Stadium record 44.29 (=10, x AmC). Norwood finished next in 44.58 followed by Rhodes in 44.94 (PR) and Jones in 44.96.
Davis, who ran 44.84 here in 2025, said, “I knew I had run a really good 200, so I knew I was in the lead, my goal was to just run downhill at 300. And then, I knew I was like two steps away, so, main thing I was trying to keep my form and hold him off. I know Vernon’s a great competitor, one of the best 400-meter runners, so I knew this is what I had to do if I wanted to win.”
The 400 wasn’t the only standout dash, as a handful of Arkansas Razorbacks showed that they are ready to make their presence known.
Not only did Jelani Watkins, Jamarion Stubbs and Tevijon Williams sweep the Collegiate 200 on Friday night, Karabo Letebele took section 2 of the elite 100 over Stubbs, 10.10–10.11.
In section 3 of the 100, Watkins blasted 9.82 pushed by a 2.8 aiding wind. An all-conditions world leader, Watkins’ was the =No. 8 a-c century performance (+2.8, a-c: =8, =8 C) and held off USC’s Eddie Nketia (9.84) and Garrett Kaalund (9.90). Indoor 200 AR/CR-setter Kaalund was followed by Ghana’s Benjamin Azamati, who also dipped under 10 (9.96).
Kaalund rebounded to take the 200 in a windy 20.10 (2.7).
A few minutes later, a bizarre occurrence set off by a careless photographer turned the invitational 800 into a pile-up. The race played out over the first lap as a likely sub-1:45. Ghanian 1:44-man Alex Amankwah led past 400 in 51.05 with Arkansas’s NCAA Indoor 1-2 pair of Tyrice Taylor and Rivaldo Marshall right behind.
Ten meters further down the track, however, along came cluelessness in the shape of a camera jockey ambling from lane 1 into 2 with his back to the race and a long monopod trailing behind. Amankwah tried to swerve outside, but not in time. He clipped the errant lensman, Marshall and Taylor slammed into his back.
In the chain reaction that followed all competitors DNFed, save Arizona State’s Dayton Carlson, who jogged in for a 1:57.14 victory.
“We’ve seen a lot of things,” Mt. SAC meet director Brian Yokoyama said, “but we’ve never seen anything like that.”
The Thursday-Friday decathlon brought an 8420-point decathlon victory for Hakim McMorris over Japan’s Yuma Maruyama at 8321 — a 162-point improvement on the PR USATF indoor hept champ McMorris set in this meet a year ago.
MT. SAC MEN’S RESULTS
100: II(1.8)–1. ***Karabo Letebele’ (Ar-SA) 10.10 PR; 2. Jamarion Stubbs (Ar) 10.11.
III(2.8)–1. **Jelani Watkins (Ar) 9.82w (a-c WL, CL) (a-c: =8, =8 C);
2. *Eddie Nketia’ (USC-Aus) 9.84w; 3. Garrett Kaalund (USC) 9.90w; 4. Benjamin Azamati’ (Gha) 9.96w.
200: III(2.7)–1. Garrett Kaalund (USC) 20.10w (a-c CL); 2. Joseph Amoah’ (Gha) 20.28w; 3. Ibrahim Fuseini’ (Gha) 20.44w.
VIII(1.6)–1. Watkins 20.35.
400: I–1. ***Jack Stadlman (USC) 45.43 PR.
III–1. *Jayden Davis (AzSt) 44.29 PR (WL, AL, CL) (=10, x AmC);
2. Vernon Norwood (NBal) 44.58; 3. *Alexander Rhodes (Wa) 44.94 PR; 4. William Jones (unat) 44.96.
110H(1.8): 1. *Karamoko Sacko (Ar) 13.42 PR.
II(3.2)–1. ***Ja’Shaun Lloyd (TxSt) 13.42w; 2. ***Abdoul Sy-Savane (Ar) 13.43w.
III(1.0)–1. Johnny Brackins (On) 13.43w; 2. Tade Ojora’ (GB) 13.47w.
400H: II–1. Finn Andrews (UCSB) 50.11 PR; 2. *Danny Tragarz (Co) 50.48 PR.
III–1. Reyte Rash (unat) 49.35 PR; 2. James Smith (AzF) 49.65; 3. *Yougendy Mauricette (USC) 50.34.
4 x 100: 1. SHARKS International’ 38.04 (WL) (Williams, Azamati’, Amoah’, Fuseini’);
2. Arkansas 38.62 (CL) (Letebele’, Williams, Stubbs, Watkins);
3. USC 39.09; 4. Arizona 39.11.
4 x 400: 1. Northwestern Louisiana 3:04.45 (Johansson’ 45.21); 2. Arkansas 3:04.61 (Rammage 45.51).
HJ: 1. **Scottie Vines (Ar) 7-5 (2.26) out PR; 2. ** BJ Jennings (TxT) 7-2½ (2.20); 3. Kason O’Riley (adidas) 7-2½.
PV: 1. James Rhoads (Wa) 18-8¼ (5.70); 2. tie, Nate Richartz (RPerf) & Christyan Sampy (unat) 18-½ (5.50).
LJ: 1. Yuki Hashioka’ (Jpn) 26-7¾w (8.12) (26-7¼/8.11) ; 2. Caleb Foster (VSA) 25-11½w (7.91); 3. *Alex Meyer (Indy) 25-10¼ (7.88) PR.
TJ: I–1. Russell Robinson (adidas) 56-3¾w (17.16) (a-c AL); 2. Thomas Gogois’ (Fra) 55-6¼w (16.92); 3. **Jonathan Seremes’ (TxT-Fra) 53-6½ (16.32).
SP: 1. Daniel Viveros (unat) 62-8½ (19.11).
DT: 1. Ralford Mullings’ (Ok-Jam) 212-6 (64.77); 2. *Racquil Broderick’ (USC-Jam) 199-9 (60.88); 3. Vincent Ugwoke’ (USC-Ngr) 197-7 (60.23); 4. ***Mico Lampinen’ (USC-Fin) 195-3 (59.51) PR.
HT: 1. Trey Knight (unat) 252-9 (77.04); 2. Daniel Reynolds (unat) 232-2 (70.76); 3. Rory Devaney’ (Ire) 229-5 (69.93);
4. Mi. Lampinen’ 225-8 (68.78) PR; 5. ***Max Lampinen’ (USC-Fin) 221-1 (67.40).
JT: 1. Chandler Ault (unat) 235-11 (71.90); 2. Laurenz Waldbauer’ (NWNaz-Aut) 230-5 (70.24).
Dec: 1. Hakim McMorris (VSA) 8420 PR (WL, AL) (10.49, 25-½/7.63, 47-9¾/14.57, 6-4/1.93, 46.50, 13.91, 138-8/42.26, 16-8¾/5.10, 164-7/50.18, 4:27.46);
2. Yuma Maruyama’ (Jpn) 8321 PR; 3. *Joshua Mooney (Ct) 8033 PR; 4. **Kenneth Byrd (Louis) 7891 PR.
