Best in the Big West: Cal Poly sweeps Track & Field titles

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. -The Cal Poly men’s and women’s track & field swept both team titles on the final day of the 2024 Big West Track & Field Championships, Saturday at Miller & Capriotti Athletics Complex.

It is Cal Poly’s first men’s team championship and second-ever women’s crown. The last Mustang women’s title came in 2021. It is the first time since 2010 that the same team swept both men’s and women’s team titles, when CSUN accomplished the feat.

In the women’s team competition, Cal Poly scored 130.75 points. UC Irvine (120) and Hawai’i (102.5) finished second and third, respectively. On the men’s side, Cal Poly (185) took first, Cal State Fullerton (168) was second and Long Beach State (152) was third.

Cal State Fullerton’s Abel Jordan and Andrew Aguilar were awarded the Men’s Track Athlete of the Meet and Men’s Field Athlete of the Meet, respectively. Aguilar was second in the decathlon, fourth in the pole vault and eighth in the 400m hurdles for a total of 14 points. Jordan was first in the 100m, second in the 110m hurdles and was a member of the winning 4x100m and 4x400m relay teams for 23 points.

UC Irvine’s Jolie Robinson was the Women’s Field Athlete of the Meet and Cal Poly’s Tatiana Corenjo was the Women’s Track Athlete of the Meet. Robinson won the heptathlon, finished second in the long jump, fifth in the javelin and eighth in the high jump for 23 points. Cornejo won the 800m and 1500m events for 20 points.

Cornejo placed first the women’s 1500m with a time of 4:28.25. Maddie Kackley (4:28.53) of UC Davis and Cal State Fullerton’s Mia Bergman (4:29.07) were second and third, respectively. Cornejo won the 800m, crossing the line in 2:10.52. UC Irvine’s Malia Gay (2:10.58) and Cal State Fullerton’s Grace Goldsworthy (2:11.96) claimed silver and bronze, respectively. Long Beach State got the top two spots in the men’s 800m with Kash Powell (1:50.90) and Alex Kalmar (1:52.51). Cal State Fullerton’s Jonathan Pfieffer was third (1:52.90).

The Mustang men showed their strength in the distance events, taking the top three spots in the 1500m, 5000m and 10000m (contested Friday). In the 1500m, Davis Bove (3:43.40), Carson Smith (3:44.42) and Chris Caudillo (3:45.23) went 1-2-3. In the 5000m, William Fallini-Haas (14:26.15), Bove (14:26.37) and Spencer Pickren (14:30.38) swept the podium.

UC Davis took all the spots on the podium in the women’s 5000m with Brianna Weidler (16:08.79), Dani Barrett (16:33.78) and Maddie Kackley (16:40.24). Weidler won the 12.5 lap race for the second year in a row broke her own meet record by roughly a second that was set last season.

Cal Poly’s Melody Nwagwu won the women’s triple jump with a 12.80m/42’0” effort on the final attempt. UC Santa Barbara’s Kennedy Johnson (12.76m/41’10.5”) and UC Riverside’s Chelsea Aninyei (12.05m/39’6.5”) took second and third, respectively. Combined with winning the long jump on Friday, Nwagwu completed the long jump-triple jump double gold, a feat that had not been completed since 1991.

CSUN took the top two spots in the men’s triple jump with Dillon Peters (15.43m/50’7.5”) and Bryson Williams (15.39m/50’6”). Long Beach State’s Novye’ James (15.33m/50’3.5”) placed third.

Hawai’i won both of the women’s 4x100m (45.03) and 4x400m (3:39.47) relay events. In the 400m relay, Cal State Fullerton (45.63) and CSUN (45.80) were second and third, respectively. In the 1600m relay, Cal State Fullerton (3:40.29) and UC Riverside (3:43.71) claimed silver and bronze, respectively.

Cal State Fullerton won both the men’s 4x100m (39.65) and 4x400m (3:08.87) relays. In the 400m relay, Cal Poly (40.59) and CSUN (41.14) took home silver and bronze, respectively. In the 1600m relay, CSUN (3:08.93) and Cal Poly (3:08.96) were second and third, respectively.

Long Beach State’s Hailey Fune’ won the women’s 100m hurdles in 13.49. Cal State Fullerton went 2-3 with Jahzara Davis (13.70) and Mia Reed (13.73). In the men’s 110m hurdles, Long Beach State’s Justin Watterson claimed gold by .01 with a time of 13.75. Cal State Fullerton got silver and bronze with Jordan (13.76) and Joshua Hornsby (13.81).

Cal State Fullerton’s Alyssa Heinlein (59.73) was first in the women’s 400m hurdles, followed by Cal Poly’s Kalia Estes (1:00.79) and UC Santa Barbara’s Abigail Monti (1:01.30). Long Beach State’s Omri Shiff (51.08) earned the men’s 400m hurdles title with a 51.08 performance. Cal State Fullerton’s Reyte Rash (51.19) and UC Santa Barbara’s Tyler Holl (51.89) took silver and bronze, respectively.

Izzy Kneeshaw of Hawai’i earned the women’s 400m crown, crossing the finish line in 54.01. Long Beach State’s Sofia Lavreshina (54.39) and Cal Poly’s Jordan Jackson (54.89) were second and third, respectively. CSUN’s Chris Pitts won the men’s 400m in 46.13. Cal State Fullerton’s Maleik Pabon (46.66) and Cal Poly’s Chase Walter (46.99) made the podium as well.

In a photo finish, Cal State Fullerton’s Trinity Barnett won the women’s 100m with a time of 11.519. CSUN went 2-3 with Kaliyah Poston (11.52) and Arianna Alexander (11.57). In a mirror ordered of finish in the men’s 100m, Cal State Fullerton’s Abel Jordan (10.19) was first, and CSUN’s Chase Mars (10.20) and James Crawford (10.29) went 2-3.

Mars (20.52) and Crawford (20.64) followed with a 1-2 performance in the men’s 200m, followed by Cal Poly’s MacGregor TeSelle (20.81). UC Riverside’s Raykiyat Olukoju (23.45) was the winner in the women’s 200m with Cal Poly’s Shelby Daniele (23.51) and CSUN’s Poston (23.59) also finishing on the podium.

In the women’s hammer throw, Montserrat Montanes i Arbo won the competition for the second year in a row with a throw of 57.74m/189’5”. UC Rvierside’s Karyssa Owens (55.80m/183’1”) and Long Beach State’s Giszelle Hrehor (55.12m/180’10”) went 2-3. CSUN’s Trey Knight took home the gold in the men’s hammer throw with a mark of 75.10m/246’4”. Cal Poly’s Travis Martin (67.44m/221’3”) and Rory Devaney (62.20m/204’1”) were second and third, respectively.

UC Santa Barbara’s Eitah Goore (5.50m/18’0.5”) took home gold in the men’s pole vault, followed by Ryan Ishibashi of UC Davis (5.02m/16’5.5”) and Long Beach State’s Daniel Palacio (5.02m/16’5.5”).

UC Irvine’s Kailah McKenzie won the women’s high jump with a clearance of 1.76m/5’9.25”. Cal Poly’s Melanie Castelli (1.71m/5’7.25”) was second. Lauren Spellman of UC Davis (1.66m/5’5.25”) and Cal Poly’s Chase Kubinski (1.66m/5.25”) were second and third, respectively.

CSUN’s Emily Hutchinson won the women’s shot put with a toss of 14.83m/48’8”, edging out UC Irvine Deandra Tyler (14.83m/48’8”) based on second-best mark. UC Irvine’s Nyla Baker (14.69m/48’2.5”) took third. UC Irvine went 1-2 in the men’s shot put with Justin Willingham (18.74m/61’5.25”) and Jacob Hawkins (17.90m/58’8.75”). Long Beach State’s Aidan Pastorian (17.87m/58’7.5”) placed third.

(Article courtesy of Big West)