McCarthy, Cornejo Claim Big West Track Athlete of the Week Awards
4/22/2025 3:00:00 PM | Track and Field
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. — For the second time in three weeks, the Cal Poly track and field program swept the Big West Track Athlete of the Week awards on Tuesday.
Aidan McCarthy was named Big West Men’s Track Athlete of the Week for the first time this season and the fourth time in his career, while Tatiana Cornejo was crowned Big West Women’s Track Athlete of the Week for the second time this season and the third time in her career.
This is the ninth time Cal Poly has swept the Big West Track Athlete of the Week awards.
The praise for McCarthy and Cornejo comes after each had a stellar performance running the 1,500-meter at the prestigious Bryan Clay Invitational on Friday night in Azusa.
Competing in his first outdoor track meet since advancing to the 800 semifinals at the 2023 USATF Outdoor Championships in Eugene, Aidan McCarthy posted a lifetime best of 3:36.49 in the 1,500-meter to place fourth overall in the elite invitational at Bryan Clay. McCarthy's time is currently the best in the Big West by nearly five seconds, and ranks No. 3 in the West Region and No. 7 in Division I this season. The time in his first 1,500 since May 6, 2023, improved McCarthy’s second best mark in school history by over three seconds, which only trails former teammate Davis Bove (3:35.35). The Pleasanton, Calif. native is just over a month removed from earning First Team All-American honors in the indoor 800-meter by placing third at the NCAA Indoor Championships.
Cornejo shined Friday night under the lights, taking first in her heat at Bryan Clay with a Big West leading time in the 1,500 of 4:15.14 to place eighth overall in the invite section. The time is the fastest ran by a Mustang since Teena Colebrook in 1989 and the third fastest in school history. Currently, the time is the 25th fastest ran in the West Region this season and No. 50 in Division I. The performance in the 1,500 comes just two weeks after the 2024 Big West Women’s Track Athlete of the Year broke a 42-year-old school record in the women’s 5,000 at the Stanford Invitational with a lifetime best of 15:44.59 to earn Big West Women’s Track Athlete of the Week honors.
The Mustangs head to Pauley Track in Goleta on Friday and Saturday to take part in the UC Santa Barbara Invite.
