June 19, 2007

BERKELEY - California will send 11 Golden Bears, including NCAA champions Alysia Johnson (women's 800-meter run) and Kelechi Anyanwu (women's discus throw), to the USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships scheduled for June 20-24 in Indianapolis. The meet will take place at the IU Michael A. Carroll Track & Soccer Stadium on the campus of IUPUI.

As Wednesday, June 20, will consist solely of junior national competition, the senior national competition will actually begin on Thursday, June 21. The first event on Thursday that features a Cal athlete - in this case Alysia Johnson - is the first round of the women's 800-meter run scheduled for 4:45 p.m. ET.

Along with Cal's two national champions, the following Bears will compete in Indianapolis: Senior Giliat Ghebray (men's 5,000-meter run), senior Kevin Davis (men's 3,000-meter steeplechase), senior Carrie Johnson (women's hammer throw), junior Thomas Mack (men's 110-meter hurdles), sophomore Inika McPherson (women's high jump), sophomore Mackenzie Pierce (women's 800-meter run), sophomore Emilee Strot (women's discus throw), junior David Torrence (men's 1,500-meter run) and junior Ed Wright (men's high Jump).

The USA Outdoor Championships will serve as the qualifying meet for the U.S. athletes who will compete at the 2007 IAAF World Outdoor Championships from Aug. 4 through Sept. 2 in Osaka, Japan, and at the 2007 Pan American Games scheduled for July 13-29 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Follow the Action on NBC, ESPN2
NBC and ESPN2 will provide televised coverage of this week's USA Outdoor Championships. ESPN2 will start with a live broadcast from 8-9 p.m. ET on Friday, June 22, and will run a tape-delayed broadcast from 7-8 p.m. on Saturday, June 23. NBC will show two live broadcasts, with the first running from 2-3 p.m. ET on Saturday and the second running from 1-3 p.m. on Sunday, June 24.

Cal Bios
The following Bears will compete at the USA Championships:

Kelechi Anyanwu
Women's Discus Throw
Senior, San Jose, Calif.

Outdoors (2007): Won the national title in the discus with a school-record toss of 188-11 (57.58 meters) on June 8 at the NCAA Championships in Sacramento...recorded a then school-record and regional-qualifying 185-11 (56.66 meters) to win the discus at the Jim Click Shootout and a regional-qualifying and lifetime-best 50-7.50 (15.43) to win the shot at the Big Meet...at the NCAA West Regional, she posted a 48-9 (14.86) to take eighth in the shot put and a 160-2 (48.81) to place 12th in the discus. Indoors (2007): Threw a lifetime-best 49-9.50 (14.97) in the shot at the MPSF Championships to tie teammate Emily Strot for fourth.

Kevin Davis
Men's 3,000-Meter Steeplechase
Senior, Fresno, Calif.

Outdoors (2007): Took second place in the 3,000-meter steeplechase in the NCAA West Regional Championships with a time of 8:43.98...ran a regional-qualifying and lifetime-best time of 8:40.52 to take second in the steeplechase at the Pac-10 Championships; that gave Davis the second-fastest time entering the regional...clocked a lifetime-best 4:01.39 to place second in the mile at the California Collegiate Challenge. Indoors (2007): All-American anchored Cal's school record-breaking distance medley relay that clocked a 9:33.77 to take second place at the NCAA Championships...anchored the DMR that won the title at the MPSF Championships in a provisional-qualifying time of 9:34.99 and broke the previous school record of 9:37.60 set in 1979...Posted an NCAA provisional-qualifying time of 4:04.38 to take third in the mile at the MPSF Championships...Ran a provisional-qualifying mile of 4:02.02 at the Husky Classic.

Giliat Ghebray
Men's 5,000-Meter Run
Senior, Union City, Calif.

Outdoors (2007): At the NCAA Championships, ran a 14:44.01 to finish 23rd in the 5,000-meter run semifinal...is NCAA regional-qualifying and lifetime-best 13:42.16 in the 5,000 at the Payton Jordan Cardinal Invitational ranks him third on Cal's all-time list...ran a 14:15.78 and took ninth place in the 5,000 at the NCAA West Regional...gained All-America honors with his 13th-place finish in the 5,000 at the 2006 NCAA Championships...also ranks fifth on Cal's all-time list in the 10,000 with his 2006 time of 29:44.11...ran an outdoor season-best 8:04.54 to win the 3,000 at the Big Meet. Indoors (2007): Took third in the 3,000 with an NCAA provisional-qualifying and lifetime-best time of 7:56.51 at the MPSF Championships...that time ranks him second on Cal's all-time list, including outdoor times...competed in the 3,000 at NCAA Championships but did not finish...ran on the victorious distance medley relay that set a then school-record 9:34.99 at MPSFs; the record was subsequently broken. Personal: Yosef Ghebray, Giliat's younger brother, is a freshman distance-runner on the Cal team.

Alysia Johnson
Women's 800-Meter Run
Junior, Canyon Country, Calif.

Outdoors (2007): The 2007 Pac-10 Women's Track Athlete of the Year blazed to a school-record 1:59.29 to win the national crown in the 800 on June 9 at the NCAA Championships...that was the second-fastest time at the NCAA meet and the third-fastest time for a woman collegian overall...it was also the second-fastest Pac-10 time ever...at the NCAA West Regional Championships, won the 800 with a time of 2:02.12 and anchored Cal's third-place 4x400-meter relay (3:36.62)...that relay (Kandi Bonty, Mackenzie Pierce, Brook Turner and Johnson) ranks third on Cal's all-time list...set Cal's school record in the 800 with a regional-qualifying and winning time of 2:01.48 at the California Collegiate Challenge...that time shattered Louise Romo's previous Cal record of 2:01.59 ...Johnson's previous PR was 2:01.80 set when she took fourth in the USA Outdoor Championships in 2006...ran a 2:01.74 to win the 800 at Pac-10s...ran a regional-qualifying 54.43 to win the 400 at the Brutus Hamilton Invitational... anchored Cal's fastest and regional-qualifying 4x400-meter relay that set a school-record 3:35.46 to win at the California Collegiate Challenge. Indoors (2007): Won the 800 title at the NCAA Championships with an indoor school record time of 2:03.47...that was Cal's first overall NCAA title since 2000...Cal's third indoor title by a woman and the first since 1990...took second in the 800 with a provisional-qualifying 2:05.63 at the MPSF Championships...in the 400, paced Cal with a provisional-qualifying 54.48 to win the race at the Dan DeHart Invitational.

Carrie Johnson
Women's Hammer Throw
Senior, Fallbrook, Calif.

Outdoors (2007): Placed sixth in the hammer with a throw of 211-0 (64.32) at the NCAA Championships...took fourth place in the hammer at the NCAA West Regional with a 211-4 (64.42 meters), which was just one inch off her personal best...threw that lifetime-best and regional-qualifying 211-5 (64.43 meters) in the hammer to take second at the Stanford Invitational...the 211-5 mark ranks her second in school history behind Cal throws coach Jennifer Joyce (214-0)...Johnson took fourth in the hammer at Pac-10s with a regional-qualifying throw of 207-6 (63.24)...also ranks fifth on this year's team in the discus (145-9, 44.43, Big Meet) and the shot put (41-7.25, 12.68, Big Meet).

Thomas Mack
Men's 110-Meter Hurdles
Junior, Bakersfield, Calif.

Outdoors (2007): Finished 11th in a time of 13.74 in the semifinal of the 110-meter hurdles at the NCAA Championships; did not reach the final...posted a regional-qualifying and lifetime-best 13.87 in the 110-meter hurdles prelim at the California Collegiate Challenge, in which he took fifth in a regional-qualifying 14.07 in the final...clocked a 13.98 to place fourth in the 110 hurdles at the NCAA West Regional...led off the 4x100-meter relay that posted a season-best 41.34 to win at the Big Meet...in all, Mack won four events at the Big Meet, including the 200 (lifetime-best 21.62), 100-(wind-aided 10.57) and 110 hurdles (wind-aided 13.95). Indoors (2007): Ran a provisional-qualifying and lifetime-best 7.96 in the 60-meter hurdles prelim at the MPSF Championships...clocked a season-best 22.59 in the 200 at the Dan DeHart Invitational.

Inika McPherson
Women's High Jump
Sophomore, Port Arthur, Texas

Outdoors (2007): Took sixth place in the high jump with a mark of 5-10.75 (1.80) at the NCAA Championships...collected a Cal outdoor season-best 6-00.50 (1.84 meters) when she took second place in the high jump at the NCAA West Regional...that mark ranks her second on Cal's all-time list and stands as her collegiate-best mark...she recorded a 6-2 (1.88) before entering Cal...posted a regional-qualifying 5-10.75 (1.80 meters) to win the high jump at the Big Meet...also notched Cal's fifth-best long jump (17-0-.50, 5.19, Jim Click Shootout). Indoors (2007): Set the indoor school record in the high jump with a 6-0 (1.83) at the NCAA Championships, in which she took seventh place.

Mackenzie Pierce
Women's 800-Meter Run
Sophomore, Winston-Salem, N.C.

Outdoors (2007): At the NCAA Championships, Pierce ran the second leg of the 4x400-meter relay that included Brook Turner, Evelyn Smith and Kandi Bonty and that ran a 3:36.10 at the NCAA Championships...the 3:36.10 ranks third on Cal's all-time list...clocked a 2:18.74 in the 800 to take 27th at NCAAs...ran the second leg of the 4x400-meter relay, which included Kandi Bonty, Brook Turner and Alysia Johnson, that took third in 3:36.62 at the NCAA West Regional and now ranks fourth on Cal's all-time list...took sixth place in the 800 at the regional with a 2:07.49...ran a lifetime-best and regional-qualifying 2:04.78 to take fourth in the 800 at the Payton Jordan Invitational...that time ranks her fifth on Cal's all-time list in the 800...ran the second leg of the 4x400-meter relay that set a school-record and regional-qualifying 3:35.46 to win at the California Collegiate Challenge. Indoors (2007): Clocked a provisional-qualifying 2:08.72 in the 800 at the Husky Classic...ran the third leg of the 4x400 relay that set an indoor school record of 3:37.64 and took third at the MPSF Championships.

Emilee Strot
Women's Discus Throw
Sophomore, Gresham, Ore.

Outdoors (2007): At the NCAA Championships, tossed the discus 153-7 (46.82 meters) and finished 24th in the qualifying round and also took 19th in the shot put qualifying round with a mark of 49-6.25 (15.09)...led Cal with a fifth-place finish in the shot put (49-7.75, 15.13 meters) and a sixth-place finish in the discus (173-5, 52.85 meters) at the NCAA West Regional...paced the Bears this season with a regional-qualifying javelin throw of 143-3 (43.67 meters) to take seventh at Pac-10s...second to teammate Kelechi Anyanwu this year in the discus (181-4, 55.28, Pac-10 Championships, 2nd place) and shot put (49-11.25, 15.22, Stanford Invitational)...was ninth in the shot (47-11.25, 14.61) at Pac-10s.

David Torrence
Men's 1,500-Meter Run
Junior, Tarzana, Calif.

Outdoors (2007): Ran a 3:43.43 to place 13th in the 1,500-meter run preliminary at the NCAA Championships...set the school record in the mile at the California Collegiate Challenge, winning in 3:58.62 to break the almost-50-year old record held by former Cal great Don Bowden...posted a 3:48.72 to finish 11th in the 1,500 at the NCAA West Regional...ran a regional-qualifying, lifetime-best and Cal season-best 1:49.87 to win the 800 prelim at the Pac-10 Championships, in which he took fifth in the final in 1:50.76...clocked a regional-qualifying 3:47.05 to take second in the 1,500 at Pac-10s...ran an 8:16.63 in the 3,000 at the Big Meet to rank seventh all time at Cal. Indoors (2007): Led off the distance medley relay that set a school-record 9:33.77 and took second place at the NCAA Championships...ran a provisional-qualifying and then lifetime-best 4:01.80 in the mile and a lifetime-best 1:53.40 in the 800 at the Husky Classic...clocked an altitude-adjusted 8:19.78 in the 3,000 at the Dan DeHart Invitational.

Ed Wright
Men's High Jump
Junior, Oakland, Calif.

Outdoors (2007): Took sixth place and claimed All-America honors at the NCAA Championships with a mark of 7.25 (2.20 meters)...set a new lifetime-best mark with a 7-3.25 (2.22 meters) to win the high jump at the NCAA West Regional... the 7-3.25 ties Wright for seventh on Cal's all-time list...won the Pac-10 title in the high jump with a 7-3 (2.21 meters), which tied his previous lifetime-best mark...he also reached 7-3 to win the Payton Jordan Cardinal Invitational. Indoors (2007): Posted a Cal indoor school-record and NCAA provisional-qualifying 7-2.5 (2.20) to win the high jump at the MPSF Championships.