Husky Classic
5 School Records, McCarthy's Blistering Mile Highlight Husky Classic
2/15/2025 11:00:00 PM | Track and Field
SEATTLE, Wash. — Highlighted by Aidan McCarthy running the 10th-fastest mile in the NCAA this season, two more sub-four-minute mile times and five school records, Cal Poly track and field capped off a remarkable showing at Dempsey Indoor this season on Friday and Saturday at the Husky Classic.
Taking part in its final full indoor meet as a team this year, the Mustangs made sure to tear up the track at University of Washington’s Dempsey Indoor one final time. Twenty-seven Mustangs took part in the two-day meet and a total of 16 new top-five marks in program history were recorded.
On the men’s side, five school records fell as McCarthy (mile), Spencer Pickren (3,000-meter), Corban Payne (shot put) and Noah Bustos (long jump) all broke their own program records while Chase Walter shattered a 400-meter school record that was reset just two weeks ago at the UW Invitational.
In the final event of the meet for the Mustangs on Saturday afternoon, McCarthy stole the show once again with an unreal performance in the men’s mile. The Pleasanton, Calif. native shattered his own school record in the event by over three seconds with a blistering mile time of 3:52.83 in the invite section to surpass the previous Husky Classic meet record in the event. He placed fifth overall and was the highest finishing collegiate runner, crossing the line in front of two professional runners, including 2016 NCAA indoor mile champion Henry Wynne. He now owns the 10th-fastest mile time ran in Division I this indoor season and the 11th-best 800-meter time (1:46.55). McCarthy has broken three school records this indoor season, obliterating the indoor 800 record two weeks ago at the UW Invite and resetting the 1,000-meter mark during the indoor season opener on Jan. 17. McCarthy’s current times in the 800 and mile would qualify him for the 2025 NCAA Indoor Championships on March 14-15 in Virginia Beach as the top 16 individuals in each event earn a spot to compete in the national meet.
Two more Mustangs ran sub-four-minute miles during the Husky Classic on Saturday. Junior Carson Smith improved upon his fourth-best time in school history with a personal best of 3:59.22, while junior Lewis Westwood became the sixth in program history to run a sub-four-minute mile with a time of 3:59.37, No. 5 in school history.
Payne reset his own school record in the men’s shot put for the second straight meet, adding nearly 2 feet to his indoor personal best with a mark of 57 feet, 10.5 inches to place second.
Bustos claimed first in the men’s long jump with a mark of 23-8, breaking his own indoor school record by over 8 inches. He also posted a PR in the 60-meter dash of 6.93 seconds — No. 3 in school history — to take eighth.
Walter broke his second school record this indoor season, surpassing the indoor program record in the men’s 400 by over a full second Saturday with a time of 47.50 seconds. Nearly a month ago, the graduate student opened the indoor season by obliterating the program record in the 600 with a time of 1:16.14 — a 2025 World lead mark for a week.
Pickren had the only school record-breaking performance for the Mustangs on the opening day of the meet Friday. He broke his own school record in the men’s 3,000 for the second time this indoor season with a time of 7:53.96.
Juniors Rory Devaney (men’s weight throw) and MacGregor TeSelle (men’s 200) both secured first-place finishes in their respective events with strong performances, while freshman Jeffrey Overgaard ran the second-fastest indoor 800 time in school history (1:51.79) Saturday. It was Overgaard’s second top-five mark recorded this indoor season.
On the women’s side, six new top-five marks in program history were recorded across the meet. On Friday night, senior Schuyler Gooley and sophomore Kelli Gaffney impressed in the 5,000-meter. Gaffney ran an over minute and a half lifetime best in the 5,000 to post the second-fastest time in school history (16:17.99), while Gooley recorded the third-fastest time in school history (16:21.68) in just her third ever indoor meet and first since 2022. For Gaffney, it was her second top-five mark this indoor season as she ran the No. 5 3,000 time two weeks ago at the UW Invitational.
The Cal Poly women dominated the 60-meter dash Saturday as four Mustangs qualified for the final and three ran personal bests. Junior Desie Armstrong placed second with a time of 7.56 seconds, .07 seconds off her PR which ranks No. 2 in school history, while senior Cadence Roy-Williams ran the fourth-fastest time in school history (7.65 seconds) to capture fourth. Freshman Ava Simos took fifth with a PR of 7.67 (No. 5 in school history) and sophomore Ciella Seals finished fifth with a PR of 7.71 (No. 8 in school history). Armstrong also won the women’s long jump with an indoor PR of 18 feet, 9.75 inches, tied for No. 4 in school history. Armstrong, a junior college transfer from Diablo Valley, finished her first indoor season as a Mustang with two top-five marks.
Sophomore Elianah DeMange ran the fourth-fastest women’s indoor 400-meter time (56.10 seconds) on Saturday to place fourth, while junior Lexi Evans took second in the pole vault (13-1.5).
Cal Poly’s indoor season isn’t over quite yet. Six Mustangs are expected to travel to Boston on Sunday, March 2, to take part in the BU Last Chance Invite as they look to secure marks to qualify for the NCAA Indoor Championships.
Women
60-meter: 2, Desie Armstrong, 7.56. 4, Cadence Roy-Williams, 7.65. 5, Ava Simos, 7.67. 7, Ciella Seals, 7.71.
200-meter: 11, Ciella Seals, 25.84. 12, Desie Armstrong, 26.13.
400-meter: 4, Elianah DeMange, 56.10. 11, Avery Adelman, 58.68.
3,000-meter: 80, Ashlyn Leath, 10:01.36.
5,000-meter: 16, Kelli Gaffney, 16:17.99. 17, Schuyler Gooley, 16:21.68.
60-meter hurdles: 13, Ava Simos, 9.03. 15, Kalia Estes, 9.07.
Pole vault: 2, Lexi Evans, 13-1.5.
Long jump: 1, Desie Armstrong, 18-9.75. 11, Cadence Roy-Williams, 17-9.
Shot put: 16, Taylor Hofland, 40-9.
Weight throw: 7, Anna Grexton, 53-7.
Men
60-meter: 8, Noah Bustos, 6.93 (prelims).
200-meter: 1, MacGregor TeSelle, 21.33. 7, Alexander Franco, 22.20.
400-meter: 3, Chase Walter, 47.50. 6, Wil Brennan, 50.19.
800-meter: 26, Jeffrey Overgaard, 1:51.79.
Mile Invite: 5, Aidan McCarthy, 3:52.83.
Mile: 14, Carson Smith, 3:59.22. 17, Lewis Westwood, 3:59.37. 62, Mateo Malko-Allen, 4:07.16. 79, Taj Clark, 4:10.12.
3,000-meter: 22, Spencer Pickren, 7:53.96.
Long jump: 1, Noah Bustos, 23-8.
Shot put: 2, Corban Payne, 57-10.5.
Weight throw: 1, Rory Devaney, 70-0.5.
