Hammed Suleman Claims Pac-12 Long Jump

Junior Goes 25-11.50, Wins By Nearly a Foot and a Half


Collin Jarvis was the Pac-12 runner-up in the men's 3000-meter steeplechase.

May 11, 2013




LOS ANGELES - With a leap of 25-11.50 on his third attempt, junior Hammed Suleman soared to a Pac-12 title in the long jump, becoming the first Golden Bear to win the event in 17 years and highlighting Cal's first day of competition at the conference championships Saturday at USC.

Suleman, the Pac-12 runner-up in the event last year, recorded the two best marks of the day as he also went 25-10w on his first attempt. After a foul on his next try, Suleman recorded his winning effort of 25-11.50w, aided by a tailwind of 2.3 meters per second. He then passed on his next three attempts, finishing nearly a foot and a half ahead of runner-up Trevor Ferguson of Oregon, who posted a distance of 24-6.25.

"Hammed was outstanding today with his win and career best," director of track & field said. "He took only three jumps so he could be primed to win the triple jump, as well."


Only three Bears have ever gone further than Suleman in school history - school-record holder Curtis Rogers (26-6.25 in 1985), Chris Huffins (26-3.50 in 1993) and Lee Adkins (26-0.75 in 1994). The last person from Cal to claim the conference long jump crown was Chris Ferreira in 1996.

On Sunday, Suleman will vie for a second Pac-12 championship when he competes in the triple jump. He enters the event with the No. 2 mark in the country this year, having gone 53-4.50 at the Texas Relays in March.

Overall, the Cal men stand in sixth place after Saturday's action, which featured seven finals with all other events preliminaries. The Golden Bear women are in ninth place through eight events.



Pac-12 long jump champion Hammed Suleman


In addition to Suleman, Collin Jarvis took second in the men's 3000-meter steeplechase in 8:47.82, coming jump just short of defending his title despite running faster than in 2012. His time was a PR and keeps him in seventh place on Cal's all-time performer chart.
Malaina Payton was the top scorer for the Cal women, placing third in the long jump with a mark of 20-9.25. Bears also picked up points in the high jump (Gianna Fernandez, 5th, 5-8.75), shot put (Chioma Amaechi, 6th, outdoor PR 52-3.75) and hammer (Shelby Ashe, 6th, 200-9).

Chase Wheeler took eighth in the men's long jump at 23-10.00 to give the Bears two scorers in the event. In the men's shot put, Ethan Cochran was seventh (55-7.00) and Sullivan Parker eighth (55-4.25).

Among the top qualifiers for Sunday's finals was Ray Stewart, who posted the No. 2 time in the men's 110-meter hurdles (13.73). He won the event in 2011 and redshirted last year following knee surgery. Randy Bermea reached the final in both the 110 and 400 hurdle events, and Ryan Holmes will join Bermea in the 400-meter hurdles.

Charnell Price will also run in two individual events Sunday, having qualified third in the 100 meters (11.46w) and sixth in the 200 meters (23.65). Her wind-aided time in the 100 was a PR under all conditions.

Although he did not reach the final, finishing 10th in qualifying, Tom Blocker established a lifetime best in the men's 100 meters, going 10.45. The time puts him in a tie for sixth all-time at Cal, and no Bear has run faster over the distance since 1991.

Pac-12 Championships
Cromwell Field at Loker Stadium / Los Angeles, Calif.

Complete Results

California Results

Men
100m (prelims) - 10. Tom Blocker 10.45; 12. Dash Oliver 10.49w; 15. Charles Saseun 10.71; 20. Julius Travis 10.81

200m (prelims) - 11. Tom Blocker 21.36; 21. Charles Saseun 23.50

400m (prelims) - 18. Kyle Ezold 49.32

1500m (prelims) - 16. Jordan Locklear 3:50.37; 17. Matt Carpowich 3:51.84; 22. Thomas Joyce 3:58.88

10,000m (final) - James Slater DNF

110m hurdles (prelims) - 2. Ray Stewart 13.73q; 8. Randy Bermea 14.62q

400m hurdles (prelims) - 6. Randy Bermea 52.82q; 7. Ryan Holmes 52.99q

3000m steeplechase (final) - 2. Collin Jarvis 8:47.82; 16. Seamus Land 9:29.55

Long Jump - 1. Hammed Suleman 25-11.50w (7.91m); 8. Chase Wheeler 23-10.00 (2.26m)

Shot Put - 7. Ethan Cochran 55-7.00 (16.94m); 8. Sullivan Parker 55-4.25 (16.87m); 12. Cody Bickham 48-0.75 (14.65m)

Women
100m (prelims) - 3. Charnell Price 11.46wq; 12. Esther Higgwe 11.83w; 15. Carisma Lyday 11.95w

200m (prelims) - 6. Charnell Price 23.65q

400m (prelims) - 9. Alima Kamara 54.14

1500m (prelims) - 13. Sydney Gray 4:29.42; 18. Kelsey Santisteban 4:33.12

100m hurdles (prelims) - 14. Golde Ibia 14.10; 17. Jaci Powell 14.25

400m hurdles (prelims) - 12. Tiarra Pittman 1:01.13; 15. Taylor Lawson 1:03.96

3000m steeplechase (final) - 13. Christine Bowlus 10:53.90

High Jump - 5. Gianna Fernandez 5-8.75 (1.75m); 11. Kristin Rimbach 5-7.00 (1.70m)

Long Jump - 3. Malaina Payton 20-9.25 (6.33m); 13. Sunny Margerum 17-6.75 (5.35m)

Shot Put - 6. Chioma Amaechi 52-3.75 (15.94m); 9. Torie Owers 49-9.75 (15.18m)

Hammer - 6. Shelby Ashe 200-9 (61.20m)

Javelin - 14. Cheri Chan 126-10 (38.66m); 16. Jaci Powell 122-11 (37.47m)







Courtesy Cal