By Cesar Rivas, April 29, 2025
With the Cal Poly Pomona track-and-field regular season coming to a close, it was the distance runners that stole the show at the Mt. SAC Relays April 17-19.
The Broncos saw 14 personal records, six new entries to the CPP Top 10 and 14 NCAA Provo marks hit within both the men’s and women’s teams.
Some athletes on the women’s team included a fourth place finish from Vivian Martinez in the 5,000-meter race, as well as Galilea Jimenez in the 3000-meter steeplechase. Jade Kingston and Paige Moore finished and sixth and seventh in the 10,000-meter race.
Martinez spoke about setting a new personal record, as well as landing herself within the CPP Top 10 for the 5k.
“I did have a PR, only by a second, but with the help of my support system, I learned that you can never be mad with a PR,” Martinez said. “… I was super happy about my performance, and I think I have a lot more left in the tank to get close to the 40-year-standing women’s 5k record.”
Neshara Smith continues to put up Provo times that landed her within the CPP Top 10 in the 100-meter hurdles.
Samira Stevenson, Jessica James, Ta’Ahjah Fann and Hannah Luster also placed themselves in the CPP Top 10 in the 4×100 meter relay race.
On the men’s side, Collin Joyce and Isaiah Bond placed second and third, while also hitting an NCAA Provo mark in the triple jump.
Nnamdi Onwaeze and Alessio Sammacal also hit Provo marks in the 110-meter hurdles, while Tom McDonnell and Ricardo Vargas also placed second and third and set new personal records in the 10K.
“Ricardo and I helped each other out, and it ended up working out pretty well, keeping us on check for pace,” McDonnell said. “I would take one lap and then he would take the next lap and kind of do that trade off when we we’d start feeling it slow down, and we’d pick it back up and work off of each other. It was really helpful.”
Despite track being an individual sport and having a racer mindset, McDonnell credits all his teammates that helped him and Vargas finish second and third in their event.
Assistant head coach and distance coach Wes Ashford said the team is starting to reach its full potential.
“They’re coming along really well,” Ashford said. “It shows that the hard work that they’re putting in is starting to pay off in their races.”
The Broncos’ last chances to qualify and prepare for the NCAA DII Outdoor Championships May 22-24 are the CCAA Championship in two weeks from May 1-3, and the Last Chance Qualifiers for regionals taking place May 9 and 11.
“Conference championships are next up, so we’re just getting our minds right, ready to compete and to try to win some conference championships, individual conference championships, as well as the team conference championship,” Ashford said.
Feature image courtesy of CPP Athletics
