SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The Sacramento State track and field teams unveiled its 2026 signing class which features 18 student-athletes. The group, which is made up of 11 women and seven men, includes several athletes who qualified for their respective state championships a year ago as well as a pair of collegiate conference champions.
 
Sprints
Women
Kylani Gaines – Fr., Riverside, Calif./Riverside Poly

• Qualified for the California State Championships in the 100-hurdles in her final three years.
• Placed eighth as a junior and was 11^th as a sophomore and senior.
• Fastest 100H time was 14.05 at the Redondo Nike Track Festival as a junior.
• Was the Ivy League champion in the event all four years.
• Also claimed league titles in the 300-hurdles in 2024, 2025 and 2026, in the long jump in 2025 and 2026 and the 100 in 2024 and 2025.
• Career bests were 12.07 in the 100, 25.82 in the 200, 43.36 in the 300H and 18-02.00 in the long jump.

 
Brynlee Hodson – Fr., Folsom, Calif./Folsom HS

• Placed fourth in the 300-hurdles at the Sac-Joaquin Section Masters Meet.
• Ran 44.45 at the Sierra Foothill League Championships for her career best in the event.
• Finished in first or second place in eight meets as a senior in the 300H.
• Was part of the 4x100 and 4x400 relay teams.

 
Brooklyn Lee – Fr., Long Beach, Calif./Long Beach Poly HS

• Was a two-time Moore League champion in the 100.
• Anchored the 4x100 relay team which finished first at the league championships her final three years.
• Fastest 100 was 11.69 as a junior.
• Ran 24.34 in the 200 as a senior for her best time.

 
Mikiyla Royal – Jr., Fresno, Calif./Central East HS/Fresno Pacific

• Was the 2026 PacWest Conference champion in the 100 and placed third in the 200.
• Set career bests in both events at the league championship with times of 11.60 and 23.88 respectively.
• Part of the 4x100 and 4x400 relay teams which won the PacWest title.
• Graduated from Central East HS in Fresno, Calif., in 2024.
• Was a two-time state meet qualifier in the 200.
• Won the Central Section Masters title as a senior in the 200 behind a career-best 24.43.
• Fastest 100 was 12.18.

 
Aliyah Stokes – Fr., Long Beach, Calif./Long Beach Poly HS

• Ran the 100, 200, 400 and 4x100 and 4x400 relays.
• Qualified for the California State Championships as part of both relay teams.
• Set personal bests in the 100 (12.29), 200 (24.78) and 400 (55.99) as a senior.

 
Lillian Hurd – Jr., Columbus, Ohio/Independence HS/Purdue Fort Wayne

• Won the Horizon League indoor title in the 400 in 2026 after running 54.50.
• Also placed second in the league in the indoor 200 in 24.43.
• Ran the leadoff leg of the 4x400 relay which won the Horizon League indoor crown.
• Qualified for the league final of the outdoor 400 as a freshman.
• During the indoor season, she won the 400 and finished second in the 200.
• A 2024 graduate of Independence HS in Columbus, Ohio.
• Qualified for the Ohio State Championships in the 200 and 400 as a senior.

 
Men
Phinehas Browne – Fr., El Cerrito, Calif./El Cerrito HS

• A three-time California State Championships qualifier in the 400.
• Ran 47.48 to win the Bayshore Area championship as a senior.
• Won the TCAL title in the 400 and placed second at the North Coast Section Meet of Champions during his final season.
• Anchored the 4x100 and 4x400 relay teams which advanced to the state meet.
• The 4x400 team finished second in the state in 3:11.75.
• Attended Oakland Tech during the 2025 season where he won the Sacramento Meet of Champions and the Oakland Section championship in the 400.
• Also claimed the section title as a sophomore.

 
Distance
Women
Sara Thompson – Fr., Camas, Wash./Union HS

• Placed third at the Washington 2A/3A/4A State Championships in the 3200.
• Ran a personal-best 10:47.01 at the GSHL District Championships.
• Best 1600 time was 5:04.70.
• Also qualified for the state meet in the 3200 as a sophomore and junior.
• Advanced the Washington State Cross Country Championships during her final three seasons.
• Fastest 5K was 18:18.7 as a junior.

 
Taylor Wellersdick – Fr., Chico, Calif./Chico HS

• Competed at the 2026 California State Championships in the 1600 and 3200.
• Was the Northern Section and EAL champion in the 800, 1600 and 3200 that same season.
• Best times were 2:15.59 in the 800, 4:49.89 in the 1600 and 10:42.65 in the 3200.
• Qualified for the California State Cross Country Championships in her final three seasons.
• Fastest 5K was 18:27.4 at the Clovis Invitational.

 
Men
Matthew Bertrand – Fr., Livermore, Calif./Granada HS

• Competed in cross country and track.
• Was a state meet qualifier in cross country as a junior and senior.
• Ran 15:48.1 at the 2025 state meet to set his career best.
• Primarily ran the 1600 in track with a career best of 4:20.31 coming at the North Coast Section Tri-Valley Area Championships as a senior.
• Fastest 3200 was 9:31.10 as a junior.

 
Justin Catanach – Fr., Novato, Calif./San Marin HS

• Primarily ran the 1600 and 3200 in track and also competed in cross country.
• Best 1600 came at the Sacramento Meet of Champions where he recorded a time of 4:19.75 as a junior.
• Fastest 3200 was 9:47.26 as a senior.
• In cross country, he ran 17:56.0 in a 5K at the Foot Locker West Regional.

 
Lucas Ruark – Fr., Mill Valley, Calif./Tamalpais HS

• Was a state meet qualifier in cross country as a sophomore, junior and senior.
• Won the MCAL title as a senior.
• Set his career 5K best in 15:34.7 at the state meet.
• Placed second at the MCAL Championships in the 1600 and 3200 and added a second-place finish in the 3200 at the Redwood Empire Area Championships as a senior.
• Ran 4:19.74 in the 1600 at the MCAL Championships and had a time of 9:32.77 in the 3200 at the Redwood Empire Area meet for his career bests.

 
Jumps
Women
Aliyah Maese – Fr., Las Vegas, Nev./Faith Lutheran HS

• A two-time Nevada state 5A champion in the high jump.
• Cleared 5-04.00 as a senior to set her season best.
• Recorded career best of 5-06.00 as a junior in the Nevada 5A Regional Championships.
• Also competed in the 100, 200 long jump, shot put and relays.

 
Maddy Vietz – Fr., Reading Blue Coat School

• Owns a best of 16.5m (5-05.00) in the high jump.
• Ran 26.32 for her fastest 200 in a meet in Yeovil, Great Britain.
• Has scored 4,566 points in the heptathlon and 3,153 in the pentathlon.
• Other bests include 15.97 in the 100-hurdles and 5.01m (16-05.25) in the long jump.

 
 
Throws
Women
Kiera Taylor – Jr., Atascadero, Calif./Atascadero HS/Cuesta JC

• Qualified for the 3C2A State Championships in the discus where she finished eighth in the hammer and ninth in the discus in 2026.
• Was the Western Conference champion in the discus and hammer as a sophomore.
• Career bests include 43.62m in the discus, 44.37m in the hammer and 12.15 in the shot put.
• Won league titles in the shot put and discus as a freshman.
• A 2024 graduate of Atascadero HS where she was a state meet qualifier as a senior in the discus.
• Was the Central Section Masters champion in the discus and captured the title in the shot put and discus at the Central Section Div. II Championships.

 
Men
Skylar Collenberg – Fr., Arcata, Calif./Arcata HS

• A two-time state meet qualifier in the shot put.
• Won the North Coast Section title and finished in sixth place at the state meet as a senior.
• Set his PR with a put of 61-11 at the Brookings Harbor Rotary Invitational.
• Qualified for the Nike Outdoor Nationals and USATF U20 Championships where he finished 25^th.
• Finished in first place in the discus at the North Coast Section Masters behind a career-best of 176-04.

 
Jacob Garbiso – Jr., Arroyo Grande, Calif./Arroyo Grande HS/Hancock JC

• The Western State Conference champion in the shot put and hammer and finished second in the discus as a sophomore.
• Placed seventh in the shot put at the 3C2A Southern California Championships in 2026.
• Bests were 15.56m in the shot put, 43.22 in the discus and 49.90 in the hammer.
• A 2024 graduate of Arroyo Grande HS.
• Was the Central Coast Athletic Association champion in the shot put as a senior and the Mountain League winner as a junior.
• High school bests were 55-05.25 in the shot and 155-01 in the discus.

 
Kalei Harbottle – Fr., Honolulu, Hawaii/Kamehameha Kapalama HS

• Won the Hawaii state title in the shot put as a senior and placed second as a sophomore and junior.
• Set his PR in the shot with a mark of 64-07.50 at the state meet.
• Placed first in four meets in the shot put and discus as a senior.
• Best discus throw was 172-00 to win the ILH Championship.