By Justine Sanchez, April 28, 2026
Cal Poly Pomona’s 4×400 meter team of Yasmeen Delgado, Arissa Hatcher, Jordan Garcia and Jessica James finished with a time of 3:44.31 at the UCLA Rafter Johnson Invite, the fourth fastest time in NCAA championships provisional.
This relay was the first time these four girls have raced together for a meet. However, because they have the same mileage, this 4×400 was about stamina and speed, keeping them confident in their abilities according to James and Delgado.
For Delgado, who is in the first leg, getting ready to pass the baton can cause her some anxiety at times. But when she gets ready to hand it off, her mind goes silent, focusing on the person or track in front of her.
“My role specifically is to set the tone,” Delgado said. “I don’t want to ever come in too slow so that the second, third, and fourth leg have to do much work. I want to put us in a position where we’re in the mix, hopefully give us a leg up but more definitely keep us competitive and at the front of the race”
According to James, who serves as the fourth leg, what truly sets this team apart is their strong sense of connection, chemistry and friendship on and off the track. James noted this was her favorite meet of all time. She said the second they started off, she knew it was going to be a PR and thought they would place first.
The four of them haven’t always gotten the chance to practice all together, but when they do, their Friday practices strengthen their bonds and give them the time to put their all into this last season as seniors. Garcia noted for her last year, she has given track her everything with no distractions and has seen how it’s paid off.
“With us girls, there’s something about a relay team when girls truly are just dynamic with each other and have a good friendship,” Delgado said. “Not only do I run relay with these girls, but I laugh with these girls. I shop with these girls. We eat. We catch up, so I think that really impacts the way our chemistry is in our relay.”
The team’s success has been reliant on a mix of trust, preparation and chemistry, which provides them with the right mindset and confidence going into each race. Although there are moments of being tired, they are reminded that they’re in it together.
On top of their close-knit friendship, James, Delgado and Garcia expressed how helpful and supportive the rest of their team is when they show up to cheer them on. The positivity they bring on and off the field has helped them push each other to do the best they can and not let each other down, Delgado said.
“We are all so competitive in a healthy way with each other,” James said. “We will all push each other. We know that every single run counts for each of us because we all play an important role on that relay.”
From where they first started to where they are now, the two years these girls have been working together, they have seen how their race times have increased with each meet and how they have continued to push themselves during each practice. The overall improvement has been strengthened in such a short amount of time, as three of the girls came in as transfer students. Delgado and Garcia transferred from Mt. Sac and James from Chico State.
James noted that the team sees what they’re capable of and believes their training is testimony to that, especially after this award-winning race.
“Sometimes it’s just hard,” Garcia said. “It’s tiring. It’s time consuming. It’s painful, but it’s all worth it. Your body’s capable of so much more than your brain lets you believe, so just believing that you’re strong enough, believing that you’ve done the work, and you’re right where you need to be.”
Feature image courtesy of CPP Athletics