Photo by: Owen Main
Cal Poly TF/XC Signs 20 to National Letters of Intent
11/28/2022 1:15:00 PM | Cross Country, Track and Field
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. — The Cal Poly track & field and cross country programs recently signed 20 athletes to National Letters of Intent.
The signees are made up of 11 distance runners, three throwers, three sprinters, two jumpers and one hurdler.
Info on all 20 signees can be found below, along with some of their top marks and achievements.
MEN
Jonah Bazerkanian · Distance · Royal HS
A two-time Coastal Canyon League XC champion, Bazerkanian (Simi Valley, Calif.) captured third in the 1,600-meter at the CIF state meet as a junior, running a personal best of 4:11.89.
The Royal High standout also earned ninth at the 2021 CIF Division II State XC Championships with a 5K time of 15:37.9. His current best time in the 3,200 is 9:04.65.
Baden Bunch · Sprints · Redwood HS
During junior season, Bunch (Greenbrae, Calif.) secured second in the 100 and 200 at the Marin County Athletic League Championships and qualified for the CIF North Coast Section Meet of Champions in both events.
Owning personal bests of 10.86 in the 100 and 22.35 in the 200, Bunch also anchored Redwood's 4x100 relay team to a third-place finish at the 2022 NCS Empire Area meet.
Chris Caudillo · Distance · Clovis HS
The defending CIF state champion in the 1,600-meter, Caudillo was one of the most sought-after distance runners in the U.S. in the class of 2023, and his times in the 3,200 (8:45.19) and 1,600 (4:03.83) as a junior ranked sixth and ninth nationally respectively.
Caudillo (Clovis, Calif.) won the CIF Central Section Masters title in the 1,600 and 3,200 this spring, while also grabbing first in the 800 at the 2022 CIF-CS Division I meet. He placed second in this year's CIF Division I State XC Championships, won the 2021 NXR California Regional with a personal-best 5K time of 14:53.2 and is a two-time CIF-CS Division I cross country champion.
Jude Devries · Distance · Montgomery HS
In his first year of running, Devries (Santa Rosa, Calif.) placed seventh at the CIF North Coast Section Division III XC Championships as a junior and qualified for the state meet. This fall, he captured fourth at the CIF Division III State XC Championships, running a personal-best 5K time of 15:19.5.
Devries secured North Bay League titles in the 1,600 and 3,200 this past spring, and currently owns PRs of 4:19.14 in the 1,600 and 9:29.32 in the 3,200.
Dheeraj Gurusamy · Distance · Granada HS
A two-time CIF State XC meet qualifier, Gurusamy (Livermore, Calif.) secured third in the 1,600-meter at the 2022 CIF North Coast Section Meet of Champions, earning a spot at state as a junior.
The defending East Bay Athletic League 1,600 champion, Gurusamy has recorded personal bests of 9:20.71 in the 3,200 and 4:15.76 in the 1,600 during his career at Granada. His 3-mile time (14:22.30) this fall ranks 32nd nationally.
Bille Issa · Distance · West Ranch HS
Issa, who owns the 12th-fastest 3-mile time (13:57.90) in the U.S. this year, finished sixth at both the Woodbridge Cross Country Classic and Clovis Invitational this cross country season for West Ranch, and grabbed third at the CIF Southern Section Division III Finals.
The 2022 CIF-SS Division II champion in the 3,200, Issa (Stevenson Ranch, Calif.) placed fourth in the 3,200 at the CIF-SS Masters Meet as a junior, running a personal best of 9:02.59 to qualify for state.
Travis Martin · Throws · De Anza College · Willow Glen HS
In his first year at De Anza College, Martin placed ninth in the discus (146 feet, 6 inches) at the 2022 CCCAA Championships. He has recorded personal bests of 147-5 in the discus, 140-7 in the hammer and 40-11.75 in the shot put during his collegiate career with the Mountain Lions so far.
A product of Willow Glen High, Martin placed second in the shot put at the 2021 CIF Central Coast Section Finals with a toss of 50-2. He will transfer to Cal Poly following his 2023 spring season at De Anza.
Ethan Miller · Distance · Monte Vista HS
Miller (Danville, Calif.) placed sixth at the 2022 CIF Division II State XC Championships, running a personal-best 5K time (15:15.5). He also finished runner-up at the CIF North Coast Section Division II Finals on Nov. 19.
On the track, Miller owns personal bests in the 800 (2:05.39), 1,600 (4:18.70) and 3,200 (9:22.62). He secured second in the 1,600 at the NCS Tri-Valley Championship and fifth in the event at the CIF-NCS Meet of Champions as a junior.
Ryan Teeple · Sprints · Leland HS
A state qualifier in the 200-meter as a junior, Teeple (San Jose, Calif.) grabbed second in the event at the 2022 CIF Central Coast Section Finals with a personal-best of 21.83. He also won the Blossom Valley Athletic League and Mission Valley Athletic League titles in the 200.
In the 100, Teeple finished first at the MHAL Finals and qualified for the CCS meet this past season.
Ben Kin Ho Tsang · Hurdles · Independence HS
One of the top hurdlers in the state, Tsang (San Jose, Calif.) placed fifth in the 300-meter hurdles and sixth in the 110 hurdles at the CIF State Championships as a junior.
Tsang, who broke Hong Kong's record in the U18 400 hurdles (54.57 seconds) a year ago, won the 2022 Central Coast Section titles in the 110 and 300 hurdles, recording personal bests of 14.17 seconds in the 110 and 37.32 seconds in the 300. He also finished 11th in the 110 hurdles at the Nike Outdoor Nationals in June.
Jonathan Yu · Long Jump/Triple Jump · Fountain Valley HS
As a junior, Yu (Huntington Beach, Calif.) placed fourth in the triple jump at the CIF Southern Section Division I Finals and qualified for the CIF-SS Masters meet where he finished 10th in the event.
Yu won the triple jump at the California Relays and Orange Country Championships last spring and grabbed sixth in the event at the Mt. SAC Relays. He currently owns personal bests of 21 feet, 2 inches in the long jump and 47-2 in the triple.
WOMEN
Danica Brinkman · Distance · Trabuco Hills HS
During her senior cross country season at Trabuco Hills, Brinkman posted a personal-best 3-mile time (17:01.7) at the Woodbridge XC Classic, placed second at the South Coast League Finals and earned 12th at the CIF Division I State Championships with a personal-best 5K time (18:10.3).
As a junior on the track, Brinkman (Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.) recorded PRs in the 800 (2:20.29), 1,600 (5:08.68) and 3,200.
Melanie Castelli · High Jump · Notre Dame HS
Castelli (San Mateo, Calif.) placed second in the high jump at the 2022 CIF Central Coast Section Finals with a personal-best mark of 5 feet, 7 inches, and grabbed fourth at the state meet.
Elle DeMange · Sprints · Maria Carrillo HS
DeMange (Santa Rosa, Calif.) finished runner-up in the 400 meters at the 2022 CIF North Coast Section Meet of Champions to earn a spot in the CIF state championship meet.
She was also the North Bay League and the NCS Empire Area champion in the 400 as a junior. DeMange's personal bests are 26.44 in the 200 and 58.19 in the 400.
Kelli Gaffney · Distance · Great Oak HS
Gaffney, the 2022 Mt. SAC XC Invitational champion, placed ninth in the CIF Division I State XC meet as a junior and recently won the CIF Southern Section Division I individual title for Great Oak.
On the track, Gaffney (Temecula, Calif.) captured ninth in the 1,600-meter at the CIF-SS Division I Finals this past season and posted PRs in the 800 (2:22.82), 1,600 (4:58.43) and 3,200 (10:59.71).
Lianna Guerra · Distance · Highland HS
At the 2021 CIF Division III State XC Championships, Guerra (Bakersfield, Calif.) took home 14th. This season, she posted a personal-best 5K time of 17:28.6 and earned 10th at the CIF Central Section Division II meet to help Highland secure the team title.
The Highland High standout grabbed second in the 1,600 and 3,200 at the CIF-CS Division II Championships as a junior, and ran PRs in the 1,600 (5:11.74) and 3,200 (10:55.55).
Ariella Per · Throws · Westlake HS
Per placed fifth in both the shot put and discus at the CIF Southern Section Division 2 Finals as a junior and won the Marmonte League title in both events.
At Westlake High, Per has tossed personal bests of 116 feet, 10 inches in the discus and 37 feet, 10 inches in the shot.
Natalie Porter · Throws · Rio Americano HS
Porter (Sacramento, Calif.) has qualified for the Junior Olympics in the javelin five straight years while representing Sacramento Valley Endurance.
The honors student owns a personal best toss of 31.42 meters in the javelin and 7.99 meters in the shot put.
Emma Ruvalcaba · Distance · Clovis HS
Ruvalcaba (Clovis, Calif.) earned sixth in the 1,600 and 3,200 at the CIF Central Section Division I Championships as a junior, posting PRs (5:03.26 1,600 and 10:35.99) in both events.
She competed in the CIF-CS Division 1 XC meet for Clovis last season and placed 14th in the NXR California Regional.
Sydney Sundgren · Distance · Buchanan HS
A highly-touted prospect on one of the top cross country teams in the country, Sundgren has led Buchanan to three straight CIF Division I State titles, finishing third individually at the meet in 2021 and sixth in 2019. She owns a blistering personal-best 5K time of 16:59.99, and ran the 13th-fastest 3-mile in the nation this fall.
Sundgren (Clovis, Calif.) has impressed on the track as well, recording PRs in the 800 (2:16.69), 1,600 (4:49.67) and 3,200 (10:21.73), and securing fifth in the 1,500 and mile at the Oregon Relays as a junior. She placed 10th in the 3,200 at the 2022 CIF State Championships.
The signees are made up of 11 distance runners, three throwers, three sprinters, two jumpers and one hurdler.
Info on all 20 signees can be found below, along with some of their top marks and achievements.
MEN
Jonah Bazerkanian · Distance · Royal HS
A two-time Coastal Canyon League XC champion, Bazerkanian (Simi Valley, Calif.) captured third in the 1,600-meter at the CIF state meet as a junior, running a personal best of 4:11.89.
The Royal High standout also earned ninth at the 2021 CIF Division II State XC Championships with a 5K time of 15:37.9. His current best time in the 3,200 is 9:04.65.
Baden Bunch · Sprints · Redwood HS
During junior season, Bunch (Greenbrae, Calif.) secured second in the 100 and 200 at the Marin County Athletic League Championships and qualified for the CIF North Coast Section Meet of Champions in both events.
Owning personal bests of 10.86 in the 100 and 22.35 in the 200, Bunch also anchored Redwood's 4x100 relay team to a third-place finish at the 2022 NCS Empire Area meet.
Chris Caudillo · Distance · Clovis HS
The defending CIF state champion in the 1,600-meter, Caudillo was one of the most sought-after distance runners in the U.S. in the class of 2023, and his times in the 3,200 (8:45.19) and 1,600 (4:03.83) as a junior ranked sixth and ninth nationally respectively.
Caudillo (Clovis, Calif.) won the CIF Central Section Masters title in the 1,600 and 3,200 this spring, while also grabbing first in the 800 at the 2022 CIF-CS Division I meet. He placed second in this year's CIF Division I State XC Championships, won the 2021 NXR California Regional with a personal-best 5K time of 14:53.2 and is a two-time CIF-CS Division I cross country champion.
Jude Devries · Distance · Montgomery HS
In his first year of running, Devries (Santa Rosa, Calif.) placed seventh at the CIF North Coast Section Division III XC Championships as a junior and qualified for the state meet. This fall, he captured fourth at the CIF Division III State XC Championships, running a personal-best 5K time of 15:19.5.
Devries secured North Bay League titles in the 1,600 and 3,200 this past spring, and currently owns PRs of 4:19.14 in the 1,600 and 9:29.32 in the 3,200.
Dheeraj Gurusamy · Distance · Granada HS
A two-time CIF State XC meet qualifier, Gurusamy (Livermore, Calif.) secured third in the 1,600-meter at the 2022 CIF North Coast Section Meet of Champions, earning a spot at state as a junior.
The defending East Bay Athletic League 1,600 champion, Gurusamy has recorded personal bests of 9:20.71 in the 3,200 and 4:15.76 in the 1,600 during his career at Granada. His 3-mile time (14:22.30) this fall ranks 32nd nationally.
Bille Issa · Distance · West Ranch HS
Issa, who owns the 12th-fastest 3-mile time (13:57.90) in the U.S. this year, finished sixth at both the Woodbridge Cross Country Classic and Clovis Invitational this cross country season for West Ranch, and grabbed third at the CIF Southern Section Division III Finals.
The 2022 CIF-SS Division II champion in the 3,200, Issa (Stevenson Ranch, Calif.) placed fourth in the 3,200 at the CIF-SS Masters Meet as a junior, running a personal best of 9:02.59 to qualify for state.
Travis Martin · Throws · De Anza College · Willow Glen HS
In his first year at De Anza College, Martin placed ninth in the discus (146 feet, 6 inches) at the 2022 CCCAA Championships. He has recorded personal bests of 147-5 in the discus, 140-7 in the hammer and 40-11.75 in the shot put during his collegiate career with the Mountain Lions so far.
A product of Willow Glen High, Martin placed second in the shot put at the 2021 CIF Central Coast Section Finals with a toss of 50-2. He will transfer to Cal Poly following his 2023 spring season at De Anza.
Ethan Miller · Distance · Monte Vista HS
Miller (Danville, Calif.) placed sixth at the 2022 CIF Division II State XC Championships, running a personal-best 5K time (15:15.5). He also finished runner-up at the CIF North Coast Section Division II Finals on Nov. 19.
On the track, Miller owns personal bests in the 800 (2:05.39), 1,600 (4:18.70) and 3,200 (9:22.62). He secured second in the 1,600 at the NCS Tri-Valley Championship and fifth in the event at the CIF-NCS Meet of Champions as a junior.
Ryan Teeple · Sprints · Leland HS
A state qualifier in the 200-meter as a junior, Teeple (San Jose, Calif.) grabbed second in the event at the 2022 CIF Central Coast Section Finals with a personal-best of 21.83. He also won the Blossom Valley Athletic League and Mission Valley Athletic League titles in the 200.
In the 100, Teeple finished first at the MHAL Finals and qualified for the CCS meet this past season.
Ben Kin Ho Tsang · Hurdles · Independence HS
One of the top hurdlers in the state, Tsang (San Jose, Calif.) placed fifth in the 300-meter hurdles and sixth in the 110 hurdles at the CIF State Championships as a junior.
Tsang, who broke Hong Kong's record in the U18 400 hurdles (54.57 seconds) a year ago, won the 2022 Central Coast Section titles in the 110 and 300 hurdles, recording personal bests of 14.17 seconds in the 110 and 37.32 seconds in the 300. He also finished 11th in the 110 hurdles at the Nike Outdoor Nationals in June.
Jonathan Yu · Long Jump/Triple Jump · Fountain Valley HS
As a junior, Yu (Huntington Beach, Calif.) placed fourth in the triple jump at the CIF Southern Section Division I Finals and qualified for the CIF-SS Masters meet where he finished 10th in the event.
Yu won the triple jump at the California Relays and Orange Country Championships last spring and grabbed sixth in the event at the Mt. SAC Relays. He currently owns personal bests of 21 feet, 2 inches in the long jump and 47-2 in the triple.
WOMEN
Danica Brinkman · Distance · Trabuco Hills HS
During her senior cross country season at Trabuco Hills, Brinkman posted a personal-best 3-mile time (17:01.7) at the Woodbridge XC Classic, placed second at the South Coast League Finals and earned 12th at the CIF Division I State Championships with a personal-best 5K time (18:10.3).
As a junior on the track, Brinkman (Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.) recorded PRs in the 800 (2:20.29), 1,600 (5:08.68) and 3,200.
Melanie Castelli · High Jump · Notre Dame HS
Castelli (San Mateo, Calif.) placed second in the high jump at the 2022 CIF Central Coast Section Finals with a personal-best mark of 5 feet, 7 inches, and grabbed fourth at the state meet.
Elle DeMange · Sprints · Maria Carrillo HS
DeMange (Santa Rosa, Calif.) finished runner-up in the 400 meters at the 2022 CIF North Coast Section Meet of Champions to earn a spot in the CIF state championship meet.
She was also the North Bay League and the NCS Empire Area champion in the 400 as a junior. DeMange's personal bests are 26.44 in the 200 and 58.19 in the 400.
Kelli Gaffney · Distance · Great Oak HS
Gaffney, the 2022 Mt. SAC XC Invitational champion, placed ninth in the CIF Division I State XC meet as a junior and recently won the CIF Southern Section Division I individual title for Great Oak.
On the track, Gaffney (Temecula, Calif.) captured ninth in the 1,600-meter at the CIF-SS Division I Finals this past season and posted PRs in the 800 (2:22.82), 1,600 (4:58.43) and 3,200 (10:59.71).
Lianna Guerra · Distance · Highland HS
At the 2021 CIF Division III State XC Championships, Guerra (Bakersfield, Calif.) took home 14th. This season, she posted a personal-best 5K time of 17:28.6 and earned 10th at the CIF Central Section Division II meet to help Highland secure the team title.
The Highland High standout grabbed second in the 1,600 and 3,200 at the CIF-CS Division II Championships as a junior, and ran PRs in the 1,600 (5:11.74) and 3,200 (10:55.55).
Ariella Per · Throws · Westlake HS
Per placed fifth in both the shot put and discus at the CIF Southern Section Division 2 Finals as a junior and won the Marmonte League title in both events.
At Westlake High, Per has tossed personal bests of 116 feet, 10 inches in the discus and 37 feet, 10 inches in the shot.
Natalie Porter · Throws · Rio Americano HS
Porter (Sacramento, Calif.) has qualified for the Junior Olympics in the javelin five straight years while representing Sacramento Valley Endurance.
The honors student owns a personal best toss of 31.42 meters in the javelin and 7.99 meters in the shot put.
Emma Ruvalcaba · Distance · Clovis HS
Ruvalcaba (Clovis, Calif.) earned sixth in the 1,600 and 3,200 at the CIF Central Section Division I Championships as a junior, posting PRs (5:03.26 1,600 and 10:35.99) in both events.
She competed in the CIF-CS Division 1 XC meet for Clovis last season and placed 14th in the NXR California Regional.
Sydney Sundgren · Distance · Buchanan HS
A highly-touted prospect on one of the top cross country teams in the country, Sundgren has led Buchanan to three straight CIF Division I State titles, finishing third individually at the meet in 2021 and sixth in 2019. She owns a blistering personal-best 5K time of 16:59.99, and ran the 13th-fastest 3-mile in the nation this fall.
Sundgren (Clovis, Calif.) has impressed on the track as well, recording PRs in the 800 (2:16.69), 1,600 (4:49.67) and 3,200 (10:21.73), and securing fifth in the 1,500 and mile at the Oregon Relays as a junior. She placed 10th in the 3,200 at the 2022 CIF State Championships.
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