Cal Poly Track and Field took on Southern California, as members of the team broke school records in four different meets across the region.
The Mustangs put on plenty of outstanding performances, competing at the Bryan Clay Invitational, the Leopard Invitational, the Mt. SAC Relays and the Beach Invitational.
Bryan Clay Invitational
Cal Poly’s top distance runners set the standard at the Bryan Clay Invitational, where they recorded nine of the top 10 marks in program history.
Just a month after placing third at the NCAA championships and earning First Team All-American honors in the indoor 800-meter, junior Aidan McCarthy set a new PR of 3:36.49 in the 1,500-meter to place fourth in his outdoor debut.
McCarthy hadn’t ran outdoors since the 2023 USATF Outdoor Championships. The Pleasanton native picked up right where he left off, improving on his 1,500 time, which ranks second fastest in school history. McCarthy’s time is currently No. 3 in the West Region, and No. 7 in Division I this season.
Junior Tatiana Cornejo also put up an outstanding performance in the women’s 1,500, taking first in her heat and eighth overall with a time of 4:15.14. Her impressive run puts her at third in the Cal Poly record books.
Cornejo has put together an impressive season, also breaking a 42-year old record in the 5,000 at the Stanford Invitational just two weeks ago.
Both McCarthy and Cornejo earned Big West Athlete of the week for their performances.
Mt. SAC Relays
The Mustang throwers and relay teams continued a strong week for Cal Poly.
In the elite section of the men’s shot put, junior Corban Payne tossed a lifetime best of 60 feet, 4.5 inches, good for No. 2 in school history and fourth overall in the event. The mark currently ranks No. 24 in the West Region, and is just one foot away from the school record set in 1999 by Andy Sverchek.
Junior Rory Devaney put together standout individual performances in the elite invite of both the men’s discus and hammer throw. In the discus, Devaney took sixth with a season best toss of 180 feet, five inches. He continued his performance in the hammer throw, where he threw a lifetime best of 226-11 to improve his second ranked toss in Cal Poly history.
Senior Travis Martin, the current school record holder in the hammer, placed seventh in the event (221-2). Martin and Devaney’s tosses rank seventh and eighth respectively in the West Region, and No. 12 and 13 in Division I.
Both Mustang 4×400 relay teams shined at the meet as well.
Graduate Student Chase Walter, sophomores Alexander Franco and Levi Romero, and freshman Vincent Atilano ran the fifth fastest time in school history (3:09.26) to place second in the men’s 4×400 relay.
On the women’s side, freshman Avery Adelman and sophomores Elianah DeMange, Jordan Jackson and Kalia Estes ran a time of 3:42.49, the team’s fastest since 2008 and third best in Division I program history.
Leopard and Beach Invitationals
Eight Mustang distance runners raced at the University of La Verne’s Leopard Invitational, highlighted by freshman Renae Searls winning the women’s steeplechase by over 10 seconds with a time of 10:34.54, the fourth fastest in school history and an Ortmayer Stadium facility record.
Searls ran a 27-second personal best time in only her second time running the event.
On the men’s side, two-time All-Big West honoree in the 10,000 Colton Swinth ran his best time by 15 seconds to place second in the 5,000 (14:15.64).
The Beach Invitational took place at Jack Rose Track, where the Mustangs will be competing at the 2025 Big West championships in about two weeks.
At the meet, senior Anna Grexton and freshman Brooklyn Epperly stole the show, posting top-10 marks in school history in their events.
Grexton moved to No. 3 in school history in the hammer throw, tossing a personal best of 180 feet, 10 inches while Epperly climbed to No. 9 in school history (155 feet-10 inches).
Cal Poly track and field’s season continues in Goleta, where they will compete at the UCSB Invite on Saturday, April 26.
Full Results
Bryan Clay Invitational
WOMEN
800-meter Open: 25, Elianah DeMange, 2:11.68. 151, Ella Echsner, 2:19.91.
1,500-meter invite: 8, Tatiana Cornejo, 4:15.14.
1,500-meter Open A. 41, Melisse Djomby Enyawe, 4:29.44.
3,000-meter steeplechase Open: 42, Sydney Sundgren, 10:38.76. 43, Isabel Sanchez, 10:38.95.
5,000-meter Open Heat 2: 18, Hana Catsimanes, 16:57.89.
10,000-meter invite Heat 2: 7, Kelli Gaffney, 34:12.89.
MEN
800-meter Open: 16, Jeffrey Overgaard, 1:51.99. 32, Taj Clark, 1:52.40.
1,500-meter elite invite: 4, Aidan McCarthy, 3:36.49.
1,500-meter invite: 19, Carson Smith, 3:41.25. 51, Lewis Westwood, 3:43.70.
1,500-meter Open A: 43, Ibzan Felix, 3:48.52. 54, Mateo Malko-Allen, 3:48.89.
3,000-meter steeplechase invite: 13, Bryce Kueker, 8:36.78.
3,000-meter steeplechase Open: 52, Dheeraj Gurusamy, 9:02.67.
5,000-meter open A heat 3: 1, Chris Caudillo, 13:44.89. 6, Spencer Pickren, 13:50.59.
Mt. SAC Relays
WOMEN
100-meter collegiate: 22, Desie Armstrong, 12.01.
200-meter collegiate: 32, Madison Easter, 24.61.
400-meter collegiate: 12, Jordan Jackson, 55.35.
400-meter hurdles collegiate: 19, Kalia Estes, 1:01.57. 29, Avery Adelman, 1:04.70.
4×100-meter relay collegiate: 5, Cal Poly (Desie Armstrong, Madison Easter, Ciella Seals, Cadence Roy-Williams), 45.91.
4×400-meter relay collegiate: 10, Cal Poly (Elianah DeMange, Avery Adelman, Jordan Jackson, Kalia Estes), 3:42.49.
Pole vault elite invite: 5, Lexi Evans, 13-7.25.
High jump collegiate A: 10, Melanie Castelli, 5-5.
Long jump collegiate: 15, Cadence Roy-Williams, 18-11.25. 20, Tayhlore Hoagland, 18-5.
Triple jump collegiate: 7, Melody Nwagwu, 40-3.25.
MEN
400-meter collegiate: 21, Alexander Franco, 48.11.
400-meter elite invite: 13, Chase Walter, 46.08.
400-meter hurdles collegiate: 12, Vincent Atilano, 52.63.
4×400-meter relay collegiate: 2, Cal Poly (Alexander Franco, Vincent Atilano, Chase Walter, Levi Romero), 3:09.26.
High jump collegiate B: 5, Nathan Fifer, 6-4.75.
Pole vault collegiate A: 4, Ben Feyrer, 16-4.75.
Long jump collegiate: 16, Noah Bustos, 22-11.25.
Shot put elite invite: 4, Corban Payne, 60-4.5.
Discus elite invite: 6, Rory Devaney, 180-5.
Hammer throw elite invite: 5, Rory Devaney, 226-11. 7, Travis Martin, 221-2.
Javelin elite invite: 6, Colby Neron, 217-2.
Leopard Invitational
WOMEN
3,000-meter steeplechase: 1, Renae Searls, 10:34.54.
5,000-meter: 13, Ashlyn Leath, 17:48.26.
MEN
1,500-meter Fast: 4, Tyler Downs, 3:52.48. 6, Devin Ibarra, 3:53.69. 7, Eddie Sion, 3:53.91.
3,000-meter steeplechase: 18, Teg Pandher, 9:37.16.
5,000-meter: 2, Colton Swinth, 14:15.64. 12, Aiden Aldana, 14:41.17.
Beach Invitational
WOMEN
100-meter Open: 7, Ava Fortier, 12.33.
Triple jump: 4, Grace Sloan, 37-6.75.
Shot put: 26, Taylor Hofland, 44-1.5.
Discus: 53, Brooklyn Epperley, 134-3.
Hammer throw: 13, Anna Grexton, 180-10. 45, Brooklyn Epperley, 155-10 (PR). 55, Gracelyn Brown, 155-10.
Javelin: 9, Leala Willman, 137-6. 11, Chase Kubinski, 131-8.
MEN
100-meter Open: 12, Ryan Teeple, 10.88. 22, Jonathan Yu, 11.03.
200-meter Open: 8, Ryan Teeple, 21.71.
Long jump: 3, Jonathan Yu, 21-6.75.
Shot put: 30, Albert Beerbower, 53-0.25.
Javelin: 22, Ben Lammers, 165-1.