By Andrew Sanchez, May 12, 2026
The Cal Poly Pomona men’s and women’s track and field teams both finished in second place at the CCAA Championship at the Mangrum Track in San Marcos April 30-May 2.
The men’s team walked away with five champions and 19 total medals for a total score of 188.5 points. Sophomore Isaiah Baca led the scoring with 18 points. The women’s team left with eight champions and 23 total medals for a total score of 209.5 points, and senior Neshara Smith led with 40 points.
“Overall, I’m proud of the team’s performance, we had an impact from just about everywhere,” Head coach Chris Bradford said. “We came up just short, but you can’t complain about the results that we ended with.”
For CPP’s women’s team, this is the first time in four years they were not crowned as champions at the meet. The men’s team has taken second in back-to-back years.
Chico State was crowned the champions in both Men’s and Women’s Track & Field, with a 74.5-point win by the men and a comeback victory by four points for the women over the Broncos.
Despite coming in second, Smith highlighted the Broncos’ efforts. She won the High Point award and CCAA Field Athlete of the Meet. Senior Jessica James also won the 2026 CCAA track athlete of the meet.
Smith began her run of gold medals by winning the women’s long jump with a 5.76 meter jump. She also won the Heptathlon, scoring a total of 4,758. She then took home the gold in women’s high jump with a 1.68 meter jump and the women’s 100-meter hurdles with a time of 13.67 seconds.
“To walk away with all the accolades, I feel so blessed and grateful,” Smith said. “I really have put in the work, so now seeing the result of it all is so exciting for me.
CCAA track athlete of the meet, James won a gold in the women’s 400 meter with a time of 54.57 seconds.
Freshman Clara Mackison became the women’s javelin champ with a 43.47 meter throw. The women’s team championships were won on the 4×400 meter relay with a time of 3:43.22, and the 4×100 meter relay with a time of 46.02 seconds.
Senior Yasmeen Delgado, a member of the 4×400 relay team, weighed in on being crowned as champions for their race.
“I just made sure to set the tone, and I think the energy was shared with all of us in wanting the win,” Delgado said. “I’m so proud of the team, and it feels like all the work paid off.”
The men’s team championship won gold in the 4×400 relay with a time of 3:11.87. The individual gold medals went to senior Cory Gamero who became the men’s discus champ with a 46.98 meter throw and Baca who won the men’s long jump with a 6.97 meter jump. Redshirt senior Thomas McDonnell won the men’s 10,000 meter with a time of 30:26.72. Graduate student Darius Hill capped off the weekend with a win in the men’s high jump with a 2.05 meter jump.
The Broncos track and field team added 15 combined NCAA Division ll provisional qualifying marks, and 12 CPP records at the APU Franson Last Chance Meet May 9-10. The next meet for the Broncos is the National Championships, which begins May 21 at Welch Stadium in Emporia, Kansas.
“We’re looking forward to the nationals now and are confident in the team,” Bradford said. “To have the opportunity to show up and win is all we could ask for.”
Feature image courtesy of the CPP Athletics