LOS ANGELES, Calif - Caltech's track and field teams delivered a mix of standout performances at Saturday's Occidental Distance Carnival with first-year athletes taking a charge across multiple events.
 
In field events, first-year Kyra Phaychanpeng (Chino Hills, Calif. / Chino Hills) showcased her versatility, placing 10th in the discus event with 32.28 meters and 19th in the shot put with 8.3 meters before joining the track squad for the 100 meter dash. Senior Clara Stevens (Vienna / Flint Hill School) added a 13th-place finish in the hammer throw.
 
On the track, sophomore Ivy Brainard (Charlotte, N.C. / Providence Day) secured 11th place in a competitive 100-meter dash field of 42 runners. Brainard later anchored the 4x100-meter relay team, teaming with Isha Goswami (Saratoga, Calif. / Saratoga), Lily Randall (Astoria, Ore. / Astoria), and Phaychanpeng to clinch fifth place.
 
Starting the highlights for the men is first-year Brendan Rudberg (Shoreline, Wash. / Shorecrest) who stole the show in the pole vault, clearing 4.40 meters to claim victory, while teammate Lucas Smith (Hailey, / Idaho Wood River), also a first-year, took sixth with 3.80 meters. Senior Ezra Johnson (Columbus, Ohio / Columbus Academy) delivered a 37.50 meter toss fifth-place finish in the discus, and junior Sidd Shendrikar (Los Angeles / New Roads School) leaped to 9th in the long jump to the tune of 6.07 meters.
 
First-year Maxwell Braithwaite (Webster, N.Y. / Webster Thomas) impressed in multiple throws, placing seventh in discus with a best throw of 36.97 meters and placing 17th in shot put with 10.82 meters. Daniel Amelinez-Robles (Madison, Wis. / Vel Phillips Memorial) earned a podium spot with a third-place hammer throw of 49.35 meters.
 
First-year Brady Akau (Kapolei, Hawaii / Kamehameha Schools Kapalama) on the track finished 17th place in the 400-meter dash, while Miles Jones (San Diego, Calif. / Rancho Bernardo) navigated a crowded field of 208 runners to take 15th in the 5000 meters.
 
The meet highlighted Caltech's emerging talent, particularly in field events, as the team gears up for the remainder of the 2025 season.