Ivar Moisander

Competing in Austin, Texas, the Bears put on a show for the last time. Although no Cal athlete walked away with a national title, veteran Bears ended their careers strong and rookies managed to impress.

Competing May 24-27, Cal earned 15 spots at the NCAA track and field championships in Austin, Texas. Additionally, decathlon pre-qualifier senior Hakim McMorris and 4x100m relay alternate junior Ryan Lacefield will join the team at the championships.

Competing at the Pac-12 championships, both of Cal’s teams, the men and women, took fourth place. It was none other than the Cal throwing squad that carried the team with four podium finishes.

Facing both Pac-12 and nonconference competitors in San Diego, the Bears were able to find individual successes, with the men’s hammer throw and pole vault squads leading the way.

Battling at the penultimate meet of the indoor season, junior Jada Hicks and sophomore David Foster earned two program records. Many Bears did not make the cut for nationals, but notable performances were still seen across the board.

The lineup reveals an obvious weak spot: Not a single member of Cal’s distance squad qualified for NCAA championships.

While the name exudes comedic potential (if only to 12-year-old boys and 21-year-old sportswriters in need of a lede), the event itself will be no joke.

Saturday’s Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Invite in Albuquerque, New Mexico, will serve as Cal track and field's indoor season opener.