LOS ANGELES—BYU men’s track swept the high jump and the 400-meter hurdles at this weekend’s Rafer Johnson/Jackie Joyner Kersee Invitational hosted by UCLA, leading the Cougars to a solid performance.

“I think the meet went well,” associate head coach Mark Robison said. “There were some amazing athletes and incredible competition. We didn't get any more regional qualifiers, but we still did some good things. I was pleased with how we competed.”

Zachary Blackham took first in the high jump with a mark of 2.06 meters. Dakoda John took second with a jump of 2.06 meters and Sam Rockwood finished in third with 2.01 meters.

In the 400-meter hurdles, Mark Carlson got first with a time of 52.37 and Korey Smith took second in 52.83. Sean Adams finished third in 52.93 seconds.

The Cougars were well represented in the throws, as Craig Merkley got first in the hammer throw with a mark of 54.78 meters and Wyatt Warnick took second in the javelin, recording a throw of 52.18 meters.

BYU runners took first and second in the 800 meters. Tanner Sork finished first, followed by Chase Horrocks with times of 1:52.50 and 1:52.95, respectively.

The Cougars return to action next weekend when they travel to Walnut, Calif., to compete in the Mt. SAC Relays, one of the more prestigious meets of the outdoor season.

PROVO, Utah—BYU men’s track hopes to qualify more athletes for the upcoming regional meet as the teams travels to Los Angeles this weekend to compete in the Rafer Johnson/Jackie Joyner-Kersee Invitational hosted by UCLA.

“There should be a lot of good competition this weekend,” head coach Ed Eyestone said. “It’s a great opportunity for our sprinters, jumpers and throwers to make an impact. The biggest goal is to qualify for regionals.”

To qualify for the regional meet, athletes have to finish in the top-48 in their event in the region. The Cougars currently have 17 athletes with times and marks that would have put them in last year’s top-48 in their respective events, a good indicator for where they sit in the current qualifications.

Dakoda John and Zachary Blackham lead BYU in the high jump, as Sam Rockwood is looking to post a regional qualifying mark. Zachary Stetler and Kyle Baker anchor a strong group of throwers, as both have posted qualifying marks. Craig Merkley and Aaron Clark hope to follow suit this weekend. 

Coming off a season-best performance at the Stanford Invitational, Mark Carlson will lead the BYU sprinters into a very competitive environment. Fellow competitors UCLA and TCU both have rich sprinting traditions. Korey Smith and Sean Adams are other key contributors for the Cougars.

Live results for the meet can be found through the event page on BYUCougars.com.