From the beginning of the season, Cal Poly Track and Field had two main goals: to win the Big West and send as many athletes to NCAA Regionals as possible.
With their Big West victory on the men’s side, just one goal was left to accomplish, and the Mustangs did just what they set out to do.
Cal Poly had a program record 18 entries and 20 total athletes named as West Regionals competitors on Thursday.
Athletes who qualified are the owners of one of the top 48 individual marks or top 24 relay times in the West Region. In order to move on to the NCAA Championships, they will have to finish in the top 12 of their event.
Mustang Qualifiers
Men’s 4×400 relay
The group of freshman Vincent Atilano, graduate student Chase Walter, sophomore Alex Franco and junior MacGregor TeSelle made Cal Poly history, becoming the first men’s 4×400 team in program history to qualify for NCAA Regionals.
In the final regular season meet of the season at Franson Last Chance Invite, the group broke a 46-year-old Cal Poly record in the event with a time of 3:06.72 that earned them a spot in regionals.
They are seeded 19th in the event.
Men’s 400-meter
Walter also qualified for regionals in the men’s 400-meter. A former Cal Poly baseball pitcher, Walter’s rise on the track has been incredible, capping off his Mustang career with NCAA Regionals appearances in multiple events.
His time of 46.06 is seeded 40th in the event.
Women’s 5,000-meter
Junior Tatiana Cornejo makes her return to regionals, following up her stellar 2024 where she became the first Big West Women’s Track Athlete of the Year in Cal Poly history, with another West Preliminaries berth in the women’s 5,000-meter.
Cornejo said she and the team have been looking forward to NCAA competition since day one.
“We’re just trying to better ourselves and each other and working towards the bigger goal, rather than just conference,” Cornejo said.
Her time of 15:44.39 is seeded 21st in the event.
Men’s 800-meter
Redshirt junior Aidan McCarthy and junior Lewis Westwood both qualified for the men’s 800-meter run for Cal Poly.
After missing last outdoor season with an injury, McCarthy has had an amazing 2025.
After placing third at the indoor NCAA Nationals in the men’s 800, he became a First Team All-American. He once again has a chance to make waves at nationals, seeded second in the event outdoors with a time of 1:45.53 that he ran at the Franson Last Chance Invite.
Westwood makes his second straight West Regionals qualification, this time in the 800. His time of 1:47.97, which he also ran at the Franson Last Chance Invite, is seeded 31st in the event.
Men’s 1,500
The trio of junior Carson Smith, sophomore Chris Caudillo and senior Spencer Pickren all qualified for regionals in the men’s 1,500.
Smith makes his second straight Regionals appearance, seeded 19th in the event with his time of 3:38.76.
Caudillo also makes his return to regionals in the 1,500 after qualifying as a freshman last year. His time of 3:37.94 is seeded 10th in the event.
Pickren is set to compete in the 1,500 for the third straight year. His time of 3:41.16 is seeded 40th in the event.
Men’s Steeplechase
Both senior Bryce Kueker and redshirt junior Michael Chambers earned a bid to regionals in the men’s steeplechase.
Chambers won the event at the Big West Championships with a time of 8:42.35, which earned him his spot in regionals. His time is seeded 25th in the event.
Chambers is hopeful for his Nationals chances.
“If you had asked me at the beginning of the season if nationals was in the cards, I probably would have laughed,” Chambers said. “But at this point, I’m truly just believing in myself and thinking that anything’s possible.”
Kueker ran a time of 8:36.72 during the season, which is seeded 10th in the event.
Chambers, Kueker, and the rest of the steeplers showcased growth throughout the season, according to sprints, jumps and hurdles coach and steeplechase advisor Mohammad Nourani.
“On top of the regular distance training they’re doing, it’s a lot of additional work,” Nourani said. “So the fact that they’re able to, like, get it to a point where it’s really efficient in their race, that’s something I’m really proud of.”
Women’s 10,000
Sophomore Kelli Gaffney makes her regionals debut in the women’s 10,000. She ran a 34.12.94 that is seeded 44th in the event.
Pole Vault
Junior Lexi Evans and freshman Ben Feyrer made regionals in the women’s and men’s pole vault, respectively.
Evans follows up her second straight Big West title in the event with a third straight Regionals qualification. She cleared a mark of 14 feet, 5.25 inches at the Mark Conover Classic to earn her regionals bid, and is seeded 15th in the event.
Feyrer makes his regionals debut as a freshman, clearing a mark of 17 feet, 0.75 inches at the Big West Championships to earn a regionals bid. His mark is seeded 42nd in the event.
Women’s Triple Jump
Senior Melody Nwagwu makes her second straight Regionals appearance in the women’s triple jump. Nwagwu cleared a mark of 41 feet, 9.75 inches at the Big West Championship to place second and earn All-Big West honors.
Her mark is seeded 40th in the event.
Men’s Shot Put
Graduate Student Corban Payne locked up his second straight Regionals appearance at the Mt. SAC Relays, tossing a mark of 60 feet, 4.5 inches.
Following up on his first Regionals appearance last year, Payne believes he can take the next step and make nationals.
“I think I was like 12 spots shy of going to Nationals, and I think I can close that gap,” Payne said.
Men’s Javelin
Senior Colby Neron makes his West Regionals debut in the men’s javelin, clearing a mark of 230 feet, 11 inches at the Bulldog Invite.
Neron is seeded 14th in the event.
Men’s Hammer Throw
The pair of senior Travis Martin and junior Rory Devaney made regionals in the men’s hammer throw.
Martin and Devaney have been going back and forth with the program record in the event since Martin transferred to Cal Poly last year. The two are seeded highly in the West Regionals after their performances this season.
Both Martin and Devaney surpassed the 70-meter mark at the Big West Championships. Those throws earned them their spots at regionals.
Devaney is seeded 8th with a toss of 230 feet, 9 inches, while Martin is seeded 7th with a toss of 232 feet, 3 inches, which is the current Cal Poly record.
The Mustangs will travel to EB Cushing Stadium in Texas to compete at the NCAA West Regionals from May 28-31.