Five Things to Know: Badgers Head West for Three Meets in California

Thursday, April 16

Azusa, CA

9:30 AM

Wisconsin Badgers

Bryan Clay Invitational

matan ivri, 5000 meter champion at stanford invitational

Photo by: Suvir Grover

Five Things to Know: Badgers Head West for Three Meets in California

April 15, 2026 | Men's Track & Field

Sprinters and throwers head to Long Beach State, while middle distance heads to Bryan Clay

By: Dani Savin

MADISON, Wis. – The Wisconsin men's track and field team heads to California for a busy weekend of competition, splitting across three meets with sprinters and throwers competing at the Pacific Coast Invite on April 16 and the Beach Invite from April 17-18, while the middle distance runners head to the Bryan Clay Invitational from April 17-18.

Fans can follow along on X and Instagram @BadgerTrackXC. Live results will be posted at Finished Results. Fans can watch live on FloTrack.

1. TICKET PUNCHED: Last Saturday at the UW-Platteville Invitational, freshman Cillian Gleeson delivered a standout performance, winning the 5000 meters in 13 minutes, 54.27 seconds while competing unattached. This mark improved his personal best by more than 20 seconds and dipped under the World Athletics U-20 qualifying standard of 14:08.00 for the World U-20 Championships set for August in Eugene, Oregon. Down south at the Illini Deca-Challenge, Darius Jones II, competing unattached, surpassed the U-20 standard in the decathlon with 7,129 points, placing fifth in the event.

2. DECA DOMINATION: Last weekend at the Illini-Deca Jam, freshman Jack Schemling placed sixth in the decathlon with 5,554 points, highlighted by a third-place finish in the discus with a throw of 136 feet, 3 inches and a fourth-place mark in the javelin at 167 feet, 8 inches.

3. LOOKING BACK: Wisconsin looks to build on past success at the Bryan Clay Invitational, where last season Christian de Vaal led the way with an 11th-place finish in his section of the 5000 meters in a personal-best time of 13 minutes, 39.10 seconds, while Archie Noakes added a 21st-place finish in his section.

4. HEADING WEST: Wisconsin will send a large group of distance runners to the Bryan Clay Invitational, including Henry Risser in the 400 meters, Patrick Hilby joined by Risser in the 800 meters, Archie Noakes and Liam Newhart in the 1500 meters and Matan Ivri, Christian de Vaal, Johanny Livingstone and Newhart in the 5000 meters. A group of sprinters and throwers, featuring Farraj Al Amin, Kyle Clabough, Lorenz Forsmann, Tonovila Hicks, Zion Omotesa, Joshua Onwunili, Jack Schafer and Jacob Zednik will compete across the Pacific Coast and Beach Invitationals.

5. UP NEXT: The Badgers will split competition between the Penn Relays and Drake Relays from April 23-25.