In First 400 in Two Years, Kerley Runs 44.73 To Take Men's Elite Race, Showing His Endurance In Long Sprints Hasn't Changed; Camryn Rogers Breaks Facility And Meet Record In Hammer In First Competition Since Paris

By Keenan Gray of DyeStat

Dominic Stone photos

RESULTS/VIDEOS|INTERVIEWS

WALNUT, Calif. - Fred Kerley, once a 400 meter specialist, couldn't stay away from a familiar event too much longer.

The Paris Olympic bronze medalist in the 100 returned to the 400 for the first time in two years on Saturday at Hilmer Lodge Stadium, showing his strengths as a versatile sprinter are still there in a winning effort of 44.73 seconds in the men's elite race on the final day of the 65th Mt. SAC Relays. 

"You have to get uncomfortable to get comfortable again," Kerley said. "That's what that 400 was doing to get uncomfortable, actually know how to work, actually know how to run again."

Racing the event wasn't the only thing uncomfortable for Kerley. His competition, specifically Arizona State's Jayden Davis, didn't make the race easy either.

For three-fourths of the race, Davis held the advantage over Kerley and the rest of the field before heading into the final stretch. With Davis the first one into the homestretch, Kerley found an extra gear to hang with Davis.

Wit 50 meters to go, Kerley's strength carried him to the finish line, surging right past Davis at the end for the win, proving vintage Kerley is alive and well in the 400.

"Muscle memory is a b****," Kerley said. "You always have muscle memory no matter what. I already have 43s in my legs. 44 is like a walk in the park; it's all about getting into that tip top shape again."

Getting into tip top shape will be a longer process this year due to the World Outdoor Championships in Tokyo being in September. Kerley's focus remains with the 100 and 200, but the idea of running more 400s after today isn't off the table given the length of the 2025 outdoor season.

"That's up to coach," Kerley said. "He saw what I needed to do in the 400 today, but he wants me to run a little faster. So, you definitely probably see another 400 later on, but you'd probably see it sooner."

If Kerley is running the 400, then maybe a young sprinter like Jordan Anthony can fill in for the 100.

The NCAA indoor champion for 60 meters did what no Arkansas athlete has done before, running 9.98 to win the men's elite 100 meter, becoming the program's first wind-legal sub-10 performer in the discipline. 

“I haven’t ran outdoors in about three years,” Anthony said, “1,095 days that i’ve been counting, so I had no choice but to come out here and leave my print out here”

That was just the beginning of a great day for the Razorbacks, who tallied three wins.

Rivaldo Marshall produced the fourth-fastest time in the NCAA this season in the men's 800 meters, winning the elite race in a personal best 1:45.59. Teammate Tyrice Taylor finished second in 1:45.81, good for fifth in the NCAA.

The 4x400 relay team, featuring Brandon Battle, Steven McElroy, Jaden Smith and TJ Tomlyanovich, produced an NCAA#2 time of 3:01.82 to win an epic elite men's race that also saw Arizona State run 3:01.85 and South Florida run 3:02.13, which rank third and fourth in the NCAA. respectively.

Great Britain's Tade Ojora, former USC standout, won the men's elite 110-meter hurdles in 13.50, edging Arizona's Zachary Extine right at the tape.

James Smith II, representing AZ Flames Track Club, clocked a personal best 48.87 to win the men's elite 400-meter hurdles.

Texas State's Drew Donley ran an NCAA#10 time of 20.51 to claim victory in the men's elite 200 meters. His teammate Kason O'Riley won the men's high jump at 2.20 meters (7-2.50).

Noah Malone, Paris Paralympics gold medalist, won both the men's 100-and 200-meter paralympic races in 10.58 and 21.36, respectively. Derek Loccident, another Paris Paralympian, won the men's elite long jump, jumping 8.06m (26-5.50).

Harvard's Kenneth Ikeji won an intense men's elite hammer competition, throwing 75.20m (246-8) to beat Bowerman watch-list athlete Trey Knight of CSU-Northridge by almost a meter.

USC's Racquil Broderick threw the discus 61.74m (202-6) to crush the men's elite field by over 12 feet.

Washington's Scott Toney vaulted 5.40m (17-8.50) to win the men's elite pole vault contest.

Arizona's Zach Landa was the only competitor to surpass the 20 meter line, throwing 20.64m (67-8.75) to win the men's elite shot put.

Stanford's Xavier Drumgoole posted a mark of 15.65m (51-4.25) in the men's triple jump, winning the elite title.

Camryn Rogers Bests Facility & Meet Records In Hammer

Camryn Rogers' first competition since winning an Olympic title couldn't have been scripted any better.

The native of Vancouver, B.C., who now trains and lives in California, not only threw one of her best marks in hammer in two years, but she destroyed the Mt. SAC meet and facility records along the way, throwing 78.14m (256-4) to take the win in the women's elite field.

"I'm excited," Rogers said. "To be able to come out and throw a 78 first meet and still feel like you have a long ways to go was a pretty good place to be in especially having it be the very beginning of the season and having a ton of meets left to go."

All six of Rogers' throws would have won the competition. Her worst throw still traveled 75.25m (246-10). Second place, belonging to Texas State's Lara Roberts, was 70.97m (232-10).

Samirah Moody, Dajaz Defrand, Madison Whyte and Jassani Carter of USC produced the NCAA's fastest time in the women's 4x100 meter relay this spring, running 42.36 to beat Duke over a second.

Defrand and Moody both picked up individual wins of their own, with Defrand winning the 100 in 11.35 and Moody winning the 200 in 22.58.

Keni Harrison, who is aiming for a return to the world stage for the United States after missing the Paris Olympics last summer, made her season debut in the 100-meter hurdles, running 12.70 to take the women's elite title.

Duke's Lauren Tolbert showcased her 800 meters strength to win the women's elite 400 meters in 51.72 over BYU's Sami Oblad in 51.79.

Former Colorado Buffalo Abbey Glynn ran 56.40 to win the women's elite 400-meter hurdles.

Sammy Watson hung on to win the women's elite 800 meters in 2:03.20 despite a late charge from Iowa's Alli Bookin-Nosbisch in 2:03.60.

Taylor Swanson, two-time Paris Paralympics medalist, won both the women's paralympic 100 and 200 meters races, clocking 13.08 and 27.72, respectively.

USC's Ashley Erasmus threw the shot put 17.65m (57-11), winning the women's elite competition. 

Nicole Warwick, representing VS Athletics, jumped 6.49m (21-3.50) in the women's elite long jump, beating Stanford's Alyssa Jones by less than three inches. 

Texas Tech earned field event wins from Temitope Adeshina in the women's elite high jump at 1.90m (6-2.75) and Busola Akinduro in the women's elite triple jump.

California's Caisa-Maris Lindfors produced the sixth best discus throw in the NCAA, throwing 61.44m (201-7) to get the win in the women's elite field.

Nastassja Campbell, former Washington Husky, vaulted 4.30m (14-1.25), winning the women's elite pole vault competition.