Cal Poly Track and Field traveled to the Pacific Northwest to compete in the University of Washington Invitational on Friday, Jan. 27 and Saturday, Jan. 28.
Sixteen athletes, including eight men, participated this weekend, marking the first time in Division-I school history that men have competed for Cal Poly indoors. Therefore, all marks set by men are considered the program record.
Sophomore Melody Nwagwu shattered the 40-year-old indoor long jump record with a jump of 19 feet, 3.5 inches, leaping past the previous 19-1 mark set by Janet Yarbrough in 1982.
Junior Anthony Guerra posted a lifetime-best 5,000-meter time of 14:20.42 to secure seventh place at the meet.
The 4×400-meter relay team composed of juniors Joey Souto, Chase Walter, Wesley Salzman and graduate Chris Davis led Cal Poly to a first-place finish with a time of 3:12.92.
In the 200 meters, senior Tyler Esteves led the way for the Mustangs, finishing in fourth with a time of 22.13 seconds, while Davis earned sixth (22.31). Souto and Salzman finished 10th and 11th, respectively.
The 2022 Big West men’s pole vault champion junior Mathis Bresko was in action again this weekend, clearing a mark of 16 feet, 8 inches, to take home second place.
The record-breaking jump of Nwagwu led the women’s side of the team, although she was not the only athlete to make history this weekend. Junior Amanda Olla became the first Cal Poly woman to run the 5,000-meter indoors, finishing seventh with a time of 16:42.63.
Junior Shelby Daniele continued her incredible individual season with a personal-best indoor time of 24.93 in the women’s 200-meter, placing her fourth at the event.
Also in the women’s 200-meter, junior Jadyn Snaer ran a personal best (25.48), finishing in ninth place, while junior Anisa Rind finished in 13th (25.87).
Snear and Daniele put on a performance in the women’s 60-meter, as Snear matched her school record time of 7.50 seconds in the finals to place third and Daniele shaved .03 seconds off her personal best and finished seventh in finals.
Graduate students Sydnie Rivas and Rachel Victor ran personal best times in the women’s 3,000-meter. Rivas placed fifth in school history with a time of 9:41.67, and Victor ran a 9:48.68.
Freshman Lexi Evans moved to fourth all-time in the women’s indoor pole vault with a mark of 12 feet, 11.5 inches to take home 11th place.
After a historic meet for the program, the Mustangs will be back in Seattle for the Husky Classic on Feb. 10-11 and at the Don Kirby Elite Invitational in New Mexico the same weekend.
