By William Jack and Jonathan Shone, May 14, 2024
Cal Poly Pomona’s men’s and women’s track and field teams completed a triumphant weekend at Stanislaus State to clinch their third-consecutive CCAA Championship title May 4.
The men’s team earned 23 personal records and set 17 NCAA provisional qualifying marks throughout the competition, racking up 250 total points in the process to edge out second-place Chico State by a mere 30 points.
The Broncos saw no shortage of standout performances in numerous events. Ryan Fields ran a 13.91 to win the 110-meter hurdles, and Alessio Sommacal claimed victory in the 400-meter hurdles, clocking a 50.95-second finish. Both competitors exchanged runner-up finishes to each other. In the field events, Ian Strode reached 5.06 meters to triumph in pole vault, Justin Cardoza leaped 14.18 meters in conquering triple jump and Darius Hill registered a school-record mark of 7.64 meters to take home the long jump title.
Lorenzo Boyd was a top contender for the green and gold, claiming silver in both the 100-meter and 200-meter sprint events. Most notably, Boyd won the 100 preliminary posting a school-record time of 10.34, along with the 200 preliminary running a time of 21.08, the third-fastest mark in program history.
Cardoza scored a team-high 24 points behind a strong showing in all three of the jumping events to earn the CCAA Track Athlete of the Meet honor.
“Going into that weekend, those were the goals that I really wanted,” said Cardoza. “I wanted to be the field athlete of the meet, I wanted to get the most points and I just wanted to win all of my events.”
Reflecting on the experience, Sommacal identified the importance of team unity and selflessness as crucial factors in maximizing the team’s capabilities.
“It’s not just about individual victories, it’s about the team,” said Sommacal. “We didn’t let the weather or the conditions get to us because we were running for something bigger than ourselves. We were running for the points, the three-peat and our school.”
On the final day of competition, the Broncos demonstrated tenacity and resilience, despite the cold and rainy weather.
“We were soaked, freezing and feeling terrible, but we didn’t let that distract us,” said Sommacal. “We were focused and confident because we knew that all our hard work and training had led us to this moment.”
CPP’s women’s team showcased excellence and consistency to accentuate the program’s stellar production this weekend, clinching the CCAA title with 159.5 points and surpassing runner-up Chico State by 29 points.
The women’s team shattered 22 personal records and established seven NCAA provisional qualifying marks during the competition.
Ayana Fields led the charge for the sprinters, clinching a victory in the 200 with a time of 24.32, a second-place finish in the 400 and anchoring the winning 4×400-meter relay alongside Jaelyn Thomas, Yuna Queniat and Ari Milton. Thomas and Milton further bolstered the squad’s achievements, with Thomas securing third place in the 400 race and participating in the second place 4×100-meter relay team, while Milton garnered another podium finish in the 110 hurdles.
“I am really proud of us ladies; we handled business and got the job done,” Thomas said. “We showed everyone what a team means and for that I’m truly grateful.”
The three-time All-American also underscored the impact Chris Bradford, the Broncos’ head coach, has had on boosting the team’s morale and camaraderie in the wake of adversity.
“Coach Bradford always emphasizes ‘a team that works together always wins’,” Thomas said. “He creates a team of trust which is set up to build more than a team, but a family.”
Shona Christensen had a standout performance for the Broncos in shot put, posting an impressive mark of 43-10 or 13.36m to grant the women’s team their lone victory in the field events. Keiana Hamm leaped 1.58m to finish second in high jump, Nyah Paulding posted a 11.15m mark for runner-up in triple jump and Isabelle Carreon set a height of 3.86m for third in pole vault.
In the distance events, Vivian Martinez ran third in the 1500-meter run clocking in a 4:40.88 and Sarah Lindenthal captured another third-place finish in the heptathlon.
With noteworthy performances from both the men’s and women’s teams, CPP’s track and field program aims to capitalize on this momentum to achieve winning results at the upcoming NCAA Division II Championships which will be held in Emporia, KS from Thursday, May 23 to Saturday, May 25.
I’m truly grateful.”
The three-time All-American also underscored the impact Chris Bradford, the Broncos’ head coach, has had on boosting the team’s morale and camaraderie in the wake of adversity.
“Coach Bradford always emphasizes ‘a team that works together always wins’,” Thomas said. “He creates a team of trust which is set up to build more than a team, but a family.”
Shona Christensen had a standout performance for the Broncos in shot put, posting an impressive mark of 43-10 or 13.36m to grant the women’s team their lone victory in the field events. Keiana Hamm leaped 1.58m to finish second in high jump, Nyah Paulding posted a 11.15m mark for runner-up in triple jump and Isabelle Carreon set a height of 3.86m for third in pole vault.
In the distance events, Vivian Martinez ran third in the 1500m clocking in a 4:40.88 and Sarah Lindenthal captured another third-place finish in the heptathlon.
With noteworthy performances from both the men’s and women’s teams, CPP’s track and field program aims to capitalize on this momentum to achieve winning results at the upcoming NCAA Division II Championships which will be held in Emporia, Kansas from Thursday, May 23 to Saturday, May 25.
Feature Image Courtesy of CPP Athletics