At Friday’s 2025 NCAA West Regional in Sacramento, the Cal Poly Women’s Cross Country team celebrated their eighth place showing for the third consecutive season, matching the third highest finish in program history.
But when taking a closer look at the individuals, something unexpected happened. Junior Kelli Gaffney became the first runner from the women’s program to reach the NCAA Cross Country Championships since 2018.
Officially confirmed during an NCAA selection show the day after the regional meet, Gaffney qualified by finishing as one of the top four individual runners at the West Regional who were not on a team that had an automatic or at-large berth.
“I didn’t think that was going to be the result of that day,” Gaffney said. “All the tears, all the emotions came out, and I’m usually not an emotional person when it comes to racing and finishing.”
Gaffney ran a lifetime best 6K time of 20:07.5, placing 16th overall and earning All-Region honors by finishing in the top 25 as a single runner.
She will compete at the NCAA Championships on Saturday, Nov. 22, at the Gans Creek Course in Columbia, Mo. For head coach Michelle Chewens, Gaffney is the first athlete she has sent to Nationals since taking over the program in 2022.
“This was something just deeper and more special just because of Coach Michelle,” Gaffney said. “She’s always had my back, she’s always believed in me and trusted me, and she’s had that faith that I could get there.”
Chewens guided Gaffney through adversity during her freshman and sophomore years, as a challenging transition from high school to college running and a string of minor injuries made progress difficult.
The 2025 season was the first time Gaffney felt like she was healthy and consistent enough to compete at a high level for an entire season. Chewens pushed her hard, ramping up the volume and intensity of her workouts. When Gaffney ran what she thought would be her final race of the year, Chewens saw the opportunity.
“She knew it was possible, and she was screaming at me ‘That could be you, you could be the one to make it to Nationals,’” Gaffney said.
Chewens was running along the finish line with tears in her eyes right beside Gaffney. Joining along were Gaffney’s close teammates Tatiana Cornejo and Mackenzie Hack.
“I think me and Mackenzie shed a few tears a little bit,” Cornejo said. “All the emotions of being at that race and [Gaffney] having a race that good without even expecting it is such a memorable moment.”
Cornejo, who redshirted the 2025 season due to a preseason injury, has consistently been a top performer in past regional meets, earning All-Region honors in 2023 and 2024. This year, she has been cheering on and motivating Gaffney from the sidelines in every step toward the national stage.
“I couldn’t be happier to just have a team around me that’s so supportive,” Gaffney said. “There’s so many people I really couldn’t have done this without.”
Gaffney will represent Cal Poly and the Big West conference in the women’s 6K at the NCAA Championships on Saturday, Nov. 22, at 7:20 a.m. PST.
But her achievement is more than the single race. Gaffney has given a renewed confidence and a tangible reality for the future of the entire program.
“Kelli’s the first girl to make it, and this is just the gate that has been opened,” Cornejo said. “Once one person makes it, we all know that we can get to that point as well, together.”