DAVIS Calif. – Following a successful home showing at the Causeway Classic, the UC Davis Track and Field team sent 10 Aggies to compete at the prestigious Payton Jordan Invitational on Thursday. Facing a field of elite talent at Stanford, the Aggies secured an individual event victory, several new personal records, and six podium finishes to conclude the regular season.
HOW IT HAPPENED (MEN)
Jake Joerger led the way for the Aggie men, securing a first-place finish in the Shot Put with a mark of 16.38m. Joerger remained active in the field events, adding a third-place finish in the Discus with a toss of 48.99m. On the track,
Kathir Balakrishnan delivered a standout performance in the 400m Intermediate Hurdles, clocking a new personal record of 53.75 to finish second overall. In the vertical jumps,
Aidan Hagerty also set a new PR after clearing 5.22m to take home a runner-up finish in the Pole Vault.
HOW IT HAPPENED (WOMEN)
The Aggie women were highlighted by a career-best performance from
Ningning O'Brien in the Hammer throw, where she recorded a new personal record of 52.12m to finish eighth. In the vertical jumps,
Atianna Marquez (3.75m) and
Daisy Penney (3.75m) both reached the podium, finishing second and third, respectively.
Maya Ifo-Desai added a third-place finish in the Shot Put (13.52m), while
Ashleigh Christy led the effort on the track with a third-place result in the 400m Intermediate Hurdles (1:03.37).
UP NEXT: The Aggies head into postseason play as they prepare for the Big West Championships, beginning with the multis next weekend in Irvine, Calif. on Friday, May 8 and Saturday, May 9.
UC DAVIS RESULTS
Payton Jordan Invitational | Stanford, Calif
FIELD EVENTS
Shot Put (W): (1. Lucija Leko, Cal, 15.33m) 3.
Maya Ifo-Desai, 13.52m
Shot Put (M): 1.
Jake Joerger, 16.38m
Discus (W): (1. Brandy Atuatasi, Stanford, 53.40m) 5.
Ningning O'Brien, 44.08m; 6.
Maya Ifo-Desai, 43.81m
Discus (M): (1. Nikolas Iwankiw, Cal, 54.31m) 3.
Jake Joerger, 48.99m
Pole Vault (W): (1. Alyana Nicolas, Unattached, 3.90m) 2.
Atianna Marquez, 3.75m; 3.
Daisy Penney, 3.75m;
Shae Wright – NH
Pole Vault (M): (1. Kai Anderson, Cal, 5.32m) 2.
Aidan Hagerty, 5.22m
Hammer (W): (1. Valentina Savva, Cal, 67.22m) 8.
Ningning O'Brien, 52.12m; 10.
Hailey Hernandez, 49.79m
TRACK EVENTS
400m IH (W): (1. Tess Stapleton, Stanford, 57.62) 3.
Ashleigh Christy, 1:03.37; 5.
Avah Reichow, 1:04.06
400m IH (M): (1. Donovan Garcia, Degen Elite, 52.65) 2.
Kathir Balakrishnan, 53.75
ABOUT UC DAVIS ATHLETICS:
UC Davis, the No. 2 ranked public university by the Wall Street Journal, is home to 40,000 undergraduate students and 12,000 employees. Ranked No. 1 in Agriculture and Forestry as well as No. 1 in Veterinary Medicine, UC Davis is located in a true California college town nestled between world-class destinations such as the San Francisco Bay Area, Napa Valley and Lake Tahoe. Over 650 Aggie student-athletes compete in 25 Division I varsity sports, with 16 sports transitioning to the Mountain West Conference beginning in 2026–27.
For more information, visit
https://ucdavisaggies.com/.
