ATHLETICS Panorama: UCLA frosh Guttormsen clears 18-8 3/4 indoors in New York!

UCLA's Sondre Guttormsen (NOR)

While the headline event of the weekend in the U.S. was the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix in Boston, the Dr. Norm Sander Columbia Challenge was going on at the Armory Track in New York, with multiple highlights:

● A 1:16.65 win for Byron Robinson in the men’s 600 m, just ahead of Erik Sowinski (1;16.75) and Michael Cherry (1:17.19).

● A very fast 2:18.98 for the men’s 1,000 m from Craig Engels of the U.S., fastest on a standard track this season, ahead of Johnny Gregorek (2:19.78) and Quamel Prince (2:20.05).

● UCLA freshman Sondre Guttormsen (NOR), last year’s California State High School champion at 17-10, won the vault with a lifetime best of 5.71 m (18-8 3/4), not only a lifetime best indoors, but equaled the all-time school record set way back in 1978 by Olympic silver medalist Mike Tully!

Joe Kovacs won the shot with a throw of 20.77 m (68-1 3/4), ahead of David Pless (19.91 m/645-4) and UCLA’s Dotun Ogundeji (19.52 m/64-0 1/2).

Ajee Wilson won the women’s 600 m in 1:25.91, the no. seven performance in U.S. history. Wilson edged Olivia Baker (1:26.75) and Cecilia Barkowski (1:27.71) for the win.

● A Jamaican indoor record in the women’s 1,000 m for Natoya Goule at 2:37.55, , beating Americans Laura Roesler (2:38.11) and Claudia Sanders (2:38.95).

For complete results, click here.

The USA Track & Field nationals in the 50 km Walk was held Saturday in Santee, California. No results available as yet.