Competing in discus, hammer and shot put for first time since 2019 NCAA Division 1 Outdoor Championships, Wilson sweeps all three throwing events for Bruins at season-opening meet at Drake Stadium; Washington, led by multiple victories each from Body and Eikeng, wins both team competitions

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor/Chuck Utash photos

The best combination women’s collegiate thrower in the country was back in the ring Wednesday at the Jim Bush Legends Invitational, and she demonstrated the potential for another promising spring outdoor season.

UCLA junior Alyssa Wilson, an All-American in the discus throw, hammer throw and shot put, had the opportunity to compete in all three events for the first time since the 2019 NCAA Division 1 Outdoor Championships in Austin, Texas, and won each competition at the four-team meet at Drake Stadium in Los Angeles.

WOMEN'S PHOTOS | MEN'S PHOTOS | RESULTS

Wilson prevailed in the discus with a throw of 169 feet, 10 inches (51.77m), followed by the hammer with a 209-11 (63.99m) effort and capped her day with a mark of 51-7.25 (15.73m), all in less than three hours in her outdoor opener, as UCLA hosted a meet for the first time in nearly 23 months as a result of the pandemic.

The Bruins are also scheduled to play host Saturday to the Bob Larsen Track Meet at Drake Stadium.

Despite Wilson’s sweep in her first competition since winning Mountain Pacific Sports Federation indoor titles in the shot put and weight throw 13 months ago at the Dempsey Indoor facility in Seattle, it was Washington that prevailed in the scored women’s competition by a 176-149 margin over UCLA.

The Huskies also won the men’s team battle over the host Bruins by a 157-126 margin, led by a pair of hurdling victories from Julian Body.

Body, a senior, captured the 110-meter hurdles in 14.22 seconds and the 400 hurdles in 52.62, as the only multiple-event individual winner in the men’s competition.

Jarel Sayles ran on both victorious relays for UC Irvine, which prevailed in the 4x100 in 42.80 and the 4x400 in 3:18.18.

UCLA swept the 100, 200 and 400, with Cristian Moore clocking 10.54, Ismail Turner running a wind-aided 20.91 and Myles Misener-Daley secured victory in the 400 in 47.22.

The Bruins also received victories from Harrison Schrage in the long jump, producing a leap of 24-9 (7.54m), as well as Tate Curran in the pole vault with a 17-0.75 (5.20m) clearance and Zaylon Thomas in the high jump with a 6-6.75 (2.00m) effort.

UC Riverside’s Brian Nnoli triumphed in the triple jump with a leap of 47-4.25 (14.43m), with Washington winning three of the four throwing events.

Elijah Mason achieved an opening-round throw of 191-2 (58.27m) in the discus, freshman Jayden White also relied on a first-round mark of 208-9 (63.63m) to win the hammer throw, with Dalton Sugg producing his best effort in the javelin with a final-round throw of 200-8 (61.16m).

UCLA’s Jacob Wilson edged Washington freshman Sam Van Peursem by a 60-5 (18.41m) to 59-9.50 (18.22m) margin in the men’s shot put.

Washington junior Ida Eikeng was another multiple-event winner in the women’s competition, earning victories in the 100 hurdles in 13.55 and the long jump with a leap of 19-5.50 (5.93m).

UC Irvine senior Kayla Richardson, a transfer from USC, won the 100-meter dash in 11.80 and took second in the 200 against UCLA’s Catherine Leger by a 24.16 to 24.19 margin. Richardson also contributed to the Anteaters’ 4x100 victory, as the relay prevailed in 46.26 when UCLA was disqualified.

Washington’s Olivia Ribera won the 400 in 55.39, with UCLA’s Nyree Brown securing victory in the 400 hurdles in 1:03.76.

The Bruins also earned a win in the women’s 4x400 in 3:57.99.

Washington’s Makenna Barton and Ashleigh Helms both cleared 12-9.50 (3.90m) in the pole vault, with Lauren Heggen taking the triple jump for the Huskies with a mark of 40-8.25 (12.40m) and Kathleen Horn emerging victorious in the javelin with a throw of 162-3 (49.46m).

UC Riverside’s Purnima Gunarathna cleared 5-3 (1.60m) in the women’s high jump.