RIVERSIDE, Calif. - UC Riverside opened the 2026 outdoor season on Friday with an impressive showing at the RCC Invitational.

The Highlanders put up seven event wins and four stadium records on the day, finishing third on both the men's and women's sides. UCR logged most of its men's points in the long jump (18) and most of its women's points in the 400 (25). 

Addy Hackett got the day going with a fourth-place finish in the women's hammer, logging a 45.56m/149-05.00. On the men's side, Yuchua Yang also picked up a top-five finish with a 51.26m/168-02.00.

Baptiste Garderes clocked a stadium-record 9:28.49 to win the men's 3000 steeplechase by almost a minute. Joy Weber (4:45.38), Ingrid Tamayo (4:57.82), and Sophie Moser-Smith (5:04.40) ran the women's 1500 shortly after, while Finn Babbitt (4:01.49) led UCR in the men's 1500. 

Maxwell Jefferson, fresh off an All-MPSF performance in 60-meter hurdles, won his heat and the event in the men's 110-meter hurdles with a 14.61.

Mercy Ehiemere (55.24) and Diyana Hackley (55.46) went 1-2 in their 400 meter heat with all-time top 10 marks, while Melanie Ceballos (57.30) and Elena Mack (57.39) were next to pace UCR. All told, the Highlanders occupied four of the top six spots in the event. 

Carter Burns (49.36) and Arthur Celestine Jr. (49.87) finished in the top 10 on the men's side. 

Kendall Dorton won her heat in the women's 100 (12.10) and placed seventh, while Jacoby Madise (10.85) led the way with a ninth-place finish. 

Dorton grabbed her second heat victory in as many attempts later in the day, running a 24.72 in the women's 200 to win the event. 

UC Riverside swept the long jump with stadium-record wins from Aaron Fruge (7.58m/24-10.50) and Melanie Ceballos (5.93m/19-05.50). The Highlanders scored 18 points on the men's side and 14 on the women's side. Also in the winning jumpers category was Chelsea Aninyei, who bested her stadium record from 2024 with a 12.55m/41-02.25. 

Andrew Garcia (22.07), Spencer Hotch (22.20), and Hayden Gray (22.50) went 1-2-3 in their men's 200 heat. All three were a part of UCR's All-MPSF 4x400 relay team. 

UC Riverside returns to action on Friday, March 13, at the Aztec Coastal Track Classic & Distance Carnival from San Diego State. 

RCC Invitational Results

Women's 100m
1, Hailey Hunt, Unattached, 11.42; 7, Kendall Dorton, 12.10; 14, Anika Smith, 12.30; 17, Nilah Okon, 12.37; 21, Hailey Gavin-Wences, 12.57

Men's 100m
1, Jason Wells, Cal State San Marcos, 10.46; 9, Jacoby Madise, 10.85; 12, Aaron Fruge, 11.04

Women's 200m
1, Kendall Dorton, 24.72; 8, Anika Smith, 25.51; 15, Hailey Gavin-Wences; 25.83; 20, Nilah Okon, 26.16

Men's 200m
1, Brandon Orlow, UC San Diego, 21.37; 6, Andrew Garcia, 22.07; 8, Spencer Hotch, 22.20; 9, Jacoby Madise, 22.23; 11, Mallik Bolton, 22.50; 12, Hayden Gray, 22.50; 17, Carter Burns, 22.67

Women's 400m
1, Mercy Ehiemere, 55.25; 2, Diyana Hackley, 55.46; 5, Melanie Ceballos, 57.30; 6, Elena Mack, 57.39; 11, Staci Cheatham, 58.93; 12, Zoe Lamur, 59.09; 20, Vanessa Chavira, 1:01.78

Men's 400m
1, Jordan Agbettor, UC San Diego, 48.62; 6, Carter Burns, 49.36; 9, Arthur Celestine Jr., 49.87; 

Women's 800m
1, Dasha LeFaivre, UC San Diego, 2:14.98; 17, Raisa Guerrero, 2:23.53; 33, Marissa Hehir, 2:34.17

Men's 800m
1, Shane Badcock, Unattached, 1:51.17; 6, Anthony Barrera, 1:54.84; 14, Caleb Pascua, 1:56.77; 18, Baptiste Garderes, 1:58.88; 23, Jordan Herrera, 2:00.75

Women's 1500m
1, Sylvana Northrop, UC San Diego, 4:26.28;10, Joy Weber, 4:45.38; 20, Ingrid Tamayo, 4:57.82; 23, Sophie Moser-Smith, 5:04.40

Men's 1500m
1, Dylan Jubak, Cal State Fullerton, 3:57.43; 7, Finn Babbitt, 4:01.49; 9, Eshaan Hussain, 4:04.28

Men's 3,000m steeplechase
1, Baptiste Garderes, 9:28.49

Women's 3,000m
1, Christel Elkins, UC San Diego, 9:51.38; 3, Nicole Alfred, 10:10.66; 5, Lexi Corvese, 10:18.68; 7, Anna Field, 10:20.83; 18, Victoria Valenzuela

Women's 100m hurdles
1, Jahzara Davis, Cal State Fullerton, 13.57; 8, Vanessa Chavira, 14.81; 12, Taylor Oden, 15.01

Men's 110m hurdles
1, Maxwell Jefferson, 14.6

Men's 400m hurdles
1, Giovanni Moya, Cal State San Marcos, 54.05; 7, Logan Buckman, 56.29

Women's 4x400m relay
1, Aguilar/Enoru/Dickens/Thomas, UC San Diego, 3:47.63; 4, Cheatham/Guerrero/Weber/Corvese, 4:14.38

Men's 4x400m relay
1, Collins/Babino/Durazo/Schulte, Riverside City College, 3:16.67; 4, Buckman/Pascua/Burns/Barrera, 3:32.54

Women's Long Jump
1, Melanie Ceballos, 5.93m/19-05.50; 6, Nyah Fields, 5.59m/18-04.25; 8, Santia Ali, 5.51mm/18-01.00; 11, Zoe Lamur, 5.43m/17-09.75; 12, Mia Green, 5.43m/17-09.75; 

Men's Long Jump
1, Aaron Fruge, 7.58/24-10.50; 3, Kazu Kimura, 7.05m/23-01.75; 7, Andrew Robinson, 6.83m/22-05.00; 9, ZeShaun Daley, 6.79m/22-03.50

Women's Triple Jump
1, Chelsea Aninyei, 12.55m/41-02.25; 3, Mia Green, 12.02m/39-05.25; 8, Santia Ali, 11.39m/37-04.50; 14, Nyah Fields, 11.00m/35-01.25

Men's Triple Jump
1, Kenneth Tucker, UC San Diego, 14.93m/48-11.75; 3, ZeShaun Daley, 14.78m/48-06.60

Women's Discus
1, Kristina Rakocevic, Azusa Pacific, 51.68m/169-06.00; 5, Camryn Alo, 43.27m/141-11.00; 17, Angel Chang, 35.43m/116-03.00

Men's Discus
1, Zachary Lewis, UC San Diego, 53.21m/174-07.00; 12, Trenton Jepma, 41.45m/136-00.00; 23, Mason Torres, 37.47m/122-11.00

Women's Hammer Throw
1, Hannah Richardson, Azusa Pacific, 50.74m/166-05.00; 4, Addy Hackett, 45.56m/149-05.00

Men's Hammer Throw
1, Bryan Chang, UC San Diego, 57.02m/187-01.00; 5, Yuchua Yang, 51.26m/168-02.00