Pan American gold medalist from Mexico runs 13:30.71, with Myler rallying in final lap to pass Gesabwa and clock 15:45.48 at Azusa Pacific; McLaughlin secures top seed in 100-meter hurdles and 400 finals, with Walker taking over NCAA Division 2 lead in 400-meter hurdles following program record on home track

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor/Photos by Chuck Utash

Makenna Myler gained national notoriety in October for running a mile in 5 minutes, 25 seconds while nine months pregnant.

Fernando Daniel Martinez Estrada achieved his career highlight in 2019 by capturing a gold medal for Mexico in the men’s 5,000 meters at the Pan American Games in Peru.

Both athletes were back in the spotlight again Friday at the Bryan Clay Invitational at Cougar Stadium on the campus of Azusa Pacific University, each producing a personal-best performance to win their respective 5,000 races.

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Myler, a Brigham Young University graduate competing for Valor Track Club in Orange County, covered the final lap in 68.6 seconds to rally past Kenyan-born athlete Risper Biyaki Gesabwa, now representing Mexico, by a 15:45.48 to 15:46.76 margin.

Myler, competing in her first 5,000 in 14 months, improved her previous-best by 36 seconds.

Ayla Granados of the HOKA Aggies ran a personal-best 15:48.51 to take third, with Lexi Zeis of Roots Running Project also eclipsing the 16-minute barrier for the first time to clock 15:52.84. Jenna Hinkle, a teammate of Granados with the HOKA Aggies, also celebrated her first sub-16 effort by finishing fifth in 15:59.33.

Eve Jensen of San Francisco was the top collegiate athlete, placing ninth in 16:27.41.

Martinez Estrada wasted little time moving to the front of the men’s race and never relinquished control, clocking 13:30.71, an improvement of more than 15 seconds from his 2019 performance at the same event.

Jake Heslington, a former BYU standout, secured second in 13:38.58.

Garrett Reynolds, competing for UC Santa Barbara, was the top collegiate competitor in eighth place in 13:47.03, as 15 athletes eclipsed the 14-minute barrier.

Luisa Mariela Real Crespo added another victory for Mexican athletes competing Friday, winning the women’s 800 in 2:03.48 ahead of American Dana Mecke (2:03.76), competing for Colorado Springs Track Club Elite and Tracksmith.

Alicia Douglas of Colorado Springs Track Club Elite triumphed in the women’s 3,000-meter steeplechase in 10:14.71, with Cornell graduate Briar Brumley, competing for Central Park Track Club, placing runner-up in 10:16.97.

Santa Clara’s Christian Raslowski won the men’s 3,000 steeplechase in 8:56.80, with Academy of Art’s Elliot Slade clocking 1:49.98 to prevail in the men’s 800.

In the invitational track prelims, New Balance athlete Sydney McLaughlin ran a personal-best 12.92 seconds to secure the top qualifying mark in the 100-meter hurdles, an improvement from her 13.03 effort April 3 in Arizona. McLaughlin also led all qualifiers in the women’s 400 heats by running 51.16.

Candace Hill, representing ASICS, ran a wind-legal 11.13 in the women’s 100-meter dash prelims.

Brazilian athlete Vitoria Rosa led all women’s 200 qualifiers in a wind-legal 23.11.

Ameer Webb, a Nike professional athlete, clocked a wind-aided 20.52 in the men’s invitational 200 prelims, in addition to running a wind-legal 10.09 in his 100-meter dash qualifying race. Brazil’s Paulo Andre Camilo led all qualifiers in a wind-aided 10.05.

Brazil also had Anderson Henriques clocking 46.17 in the invitational 400 prelims and Gabriel Constantino running a wind-aided 13.45 in the 110-meter hurdles prelims.

Brazil secured a sweep in the men’s and women’s 4x100 relay finals Friday. The women’s team prevailed in 43.45, with Azusa Pacific achieving the top collegiate effort in 45.52, with the men’s quartet clocking 38.66, followed by Academy of Art in 41.39.

Khalifah Rosser, a former NCAA Division 2 champion at Cal State Los Angeles, led all men’s 400-meter hurdles qualifiers in 49.86.

Azusa Pacific’s Jaylah Walker not only eclipsed the program record, but produced the fastest women’s 400-meter hurdles performance in Division 2 this season by clocking 58.42.

Malaina Payton, representing Oiselle, won the women’s long jump with a sixth-round effort of 22-1.50 (6.74m), following her personal-best 22-4.25 (6.81m) on April 3 at Cougar Stadium competing at the Azusa Pacific University Invitational.

Academy of Art standout Marie-Jeanne Ourega, the all-conditions leader in Division 2, took second with a wind-aided leap of 20-11.75 (6.39m), also in the sixth round.

Former Long Beach State jumper Kemonie Briggs, representing Leap Squad, won the men’s competition with a wind-aided mark of 26-0.75 (7.94m) in the second round.

USC graduate Nick Ponzio, representing Velaasa, won the men’s shot put with a fifth-round effort of 69-9.75 (21.28m).

Fresno Pacific’s Christy Norris-Dow prevailed in the women’s shot put with a sixth-round mark of 44-8 (13.61m).

Brazil’s Fernanda Martins secured victory in the women’s discus with a 190-foot throw (57.92m) in the second round.

Southern Utah graduate Jayson Kovar captured the men’s discus competition with a sixth-round throw of 182-5 (55.61m).

Azusa Pacific’s Elle Alexander won the women’s hammer with a second-round throw of 176-3 (53.72m).

Hugo Santana of Cal State Bakersfield opened the men’s hammer competition with a 171-10 (52.37m) throw and never looked back to earn the win.

Biola’s Troy Yarter triumphed in the men’s javelin with a sixth-round throw of 175-6 (53.51m).

Cal State San Bernardino junior Chloe Wood, competing unattached, won the women’s javelin with a sixth-round mark of 141-8 (43.19m).

Academy of Art’s Darria Matthias was the top qualifier in the women’s collegiate 100-meter dash in a wind-legal 11.77 seconds.

UC Riverside’s Monea Jennings led all qualifiers in the women’s 100-meter hurdles in a wind-aided 14.75.

American Paralympian Breanna Clark produced the top prelim mark in the women’s 200 in 24.69.

Point Loma Nazarene’s Madelynn Worley was the fastest in the women’s 400 prelims in 58.19.

Demetre Coffey, who competed at Santa Rosa Junior College, secured the top qualifying mark in the men’s 100-meter dash with a wind-aided 10.98 effort.

Azusa Pacific’s Nikolas Trofort ran the fastest men’s 200 prelim time with a wind-aided 21.94 performance.

Academy of Art’s Markarios Page clocked 48.65 in the men’s 400 qualifying to earn the top spot for the final.