As the Big West Championships inch closer and closer, Cal Poly Track and Field continues to put on impressive performances.
Record-breaking outings from the men’s 4×400 team and sophomore Rory Devaney in the hammer throw highlighted the Mt. Sac Relays, which ran from Thursday, April 18, through Saturday, April 20.
The team of senior Chase Walter, freshman Alexander Franco, sophomore MacGregor TeSelle and senior Joey Souto competed in the men’s 4×400 relay and took first place with a time of 3:09.98. Their effort was the fastest in Division I program history and is believed to be the fifth fastest time in school history.
The team’s performance comes as no surprise, as they’ve impressed in previous meets, such as when they put up the fastest time by the Mustangs in 16 years at the UCSB Invite on March 30. They look to continue their dominance as the regular season comes to a close.
Junior Melody Nwagwu improved on her previous personal best in the women’s triple jump, leaping 41 feet, 8.5 inches and taking third in the event.
Nwagwu has been steadily improving her leaps, taking No. 7 on Cal Poly’s all-time list in the event at the Triton Invitational and moving even further up to No. 5 at the recent Long Beach Invitational. The Aurora, Colorado native has been a threat all year.
Meanwhile, Devaney smashed his teammate junior Travis Martin’s former record in the men’s hammer throw by over four feet with a throw of 221 feet, 10 inches, good for third in the collegiate division of the event. Martin took fourth in the event with a toss of 216 feet, 7 inches.
Continuing the trend of solid throwing performances, senior Kevin Schmitt took third in the men’s collegiate javelin with a PR of 205 feet, 5 inches.
Cal Poly’s throwing teams have been shining all season, led by athletes such as Devaney and Martin. On the April 16th edition of the USTFCCCA #EventSquad rankings, they ranked No. 5 in the nation in the men’s javelin and No. 19 in the men’s hammer throw.
As a dominant squad on a Mustang team that’s impressed all year, their performances will be important as the Big West Championships loom on the horizon.
Up next, Cal Poly will split the team and attend the final two meets before the Big West Championships, as the top distance runners compete at the Payton Jordan Invitational at Stanford on Friday, April 26, and the rest of the squad heads to the Fresno State Invitational and competes from April 26 to Saturday, April 27.
Full Results:
Women:
200-meter Collegiate: 17, Shelby Daniele, 24.09.
Triple jump Collegiate: 3, Melody Nwagwu, 41-8.5.
Discus Collegiate A: 12, Isabella Rigby, 146-7.
Men:
200-meter Collegiate: 3, MacGregor TeSelle, 20.88.
10,000-meter Elite: 5, Colton Swinth, 29:43.65.
4×400-meter relay Collegiate: 1, Cal Poly (Chase Walter, Alexander Franco, MacGregor TeSelle, Joey Souto), 3:09.98.
Javelin Collegiate: 3, Kevin Schmitt, 205-5.
Shot put Collegiate: 6, Corban Payne, 56-1.25.
Discus Collegiate B: 7, Rory Devaney, 165-1.
Hammer Collegiate: 3, Rory Devaney, 221-10. 4, Travis Martin, 216-7.