Cal track and field wrap up 2014 at NCAA Outdoor Championships

California track & field finished out its 2014 season in spirited fashion over the weekend, when four Golden Bears competed at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore. at the NCAA Outdoor Championships. The event was broadcasted by ESPN 3, and showcased what was to be the final competition for some of Cal’s seniors.

Reigning Pac-12 long jump champion Hammed Suleman concluded his collegiate career for the Golden Bears with his best leap at a distance of 24-1.50, but was outmatched by Nebraska’s Patrick Raedler, who took the ninth and final qualifier from him by a quarter of an inch.  

Sophomore Thomas Joyce’s stellar season continued in Eugene, as he seized the final qualification spot in the 1500-meters for Saturday’s final with a time of 3:41.67. He would go on to place 11th in that race.

“At the NCAA Championships, the difference between reaching a final is so small,” Director Tony Sandoval said to the team’s website. “Thomas makes it by just .02 seconds, while Hammed just misses by a quarter of an inch.”

Derek White finished ninth in his flight and 17th overall in the discus, concluding a memorable season for the senior. He leaves Cal ranked third all-time at the school in hammer and eighth in discus.

According to the official website, California was represented by ten student-athletes overall at the NCAA Outdoor Championships this past week, with six individual competitors in seven individual events, as well as the men’s 4×100-meter relay team. The men finished as the No. 1 ranked team in the country, and both the men’s and women’s teams swept the Big Meet against Stanford for the first time since 2000.

During indoor season, the men’s team captured the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Championship for the first time in school history.