NCAA West Preliminaries
Program Record 20 Mustangs Set to Compete in NCAA West Prelims
5/23/2025 1:00:00 PM | Track and Field
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SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. — A program record 20 Cal Poly track and field athletes are headed to College Station, Texas, to compete in the NCAA West Preliminaries, the team learned on Thursday following an official announcement on NCAA.com.
Vincent Atilano, Chris Caudillo, Michael Chambers, Tatiana Cornejo, Rory Devaney, Lexi Evans, Ben Feyrer, Alexander Franco, Kelli Gaffney, Bryce Kueker, Travis Martin, Aidan McCarthy, Colby Neron, Melody Nwagwu, Corban Payne, Spencer Pickren, Carson Smith, MacGregor TeSelle, Chase Walter and Lewis Westwood are all set to descend upon Texas A&M University on May 28-31 to take part in the NCAA West Prelims.
The 20 qualifiers for the Mustangs are the program’s most since the current two regional format was adopted in 2010, surpassing the 2011 squad that sent 16 individuals and the men’s 4x100-meter relay to the regional meet. The 17 individual entries — 13 men and four women — are a new program record and the men’s 4x400 relay is headed to the West Prelims for the first time in school history. The program record 14 total entries by the Cal Poly men comes just days after the Mustangs captured their second straight Big West Championship title.
The field for the meet is comprised of the top 48 individual marks and top 24 relay times in the West Region. Qualifiers that finish in the top 12 in each event at the West Regional, along with the top 12 from the East Regional, will advance to the NCAA Championships held at University of Oregon's Hayward Field on June 11-14.
Eight of the Mustangs traveling to College Station will be making their first career appearance at the West regionals. Among Big West teams, Cal Poly has the second most total entries (18) in the NCAA West Prelims, only trailing Cal State Fullerton (21).
The NCAA West Prelims will be streamed live on ESPN+ each day, with coverage starting at 4 p.m. PDT Wednesday and Thursday, and at 3 p.m. PDT Friday and Saturday. Live results are available here.
Below is some info on each of the 20 Mustangs that will be making the trip to Texas A&M, listed in the order in which they will compete. All times listed are in Pacific time and at least one Mustang will be competing each day of the meet, with 11 men scheduled to get things underway on the opening day.
Rory Devaney
Men’s Hammer (First Round)
Wednesday, May 28, 8 a.m. PDT
Devaney is set to make his third consecutive trip to regionals in the hammer throw. The junior recorded a lifetime best of 230 feet, 9 inches (70.33 meters) to capture third at the Big West Championships in the event for the third straight year and surpass his previous school record. The mark is seeded No. 8 in the West Region entering the meet and 11th in the country this outdoor season.
The San Luis Obispo native placed 33rd out of 48 competitors in the hammer at West Prelims a year ago, and also competed in the discus, taking 25th. Devaney is the current school record holder in the discus and indoor weight throw, and he scored 11 team points at this year’s Big West meet to help the Cal Poly men secure their second straight conference title.
Travis Martin
Men’s Hammer (First Round)
Wednesday, May 28, 8 a.m. PDT
Martin is fresh off a career best performance in the hammer throw as well, posting a personal best of 232 feet, 3 inches (70.80 meters) to secure a runner-up finish at the Big West Championships for the second consecutive year. His mark was a new school record (passing Devaney) and ranks No. 7 in the West Region and No. 10 Division I this outdoor season.
This is the second straight year Martin has qualified for regionals in the hammer, finishing 26th in 2024. The San Jose native has broken the school record in the hammer seven times during his Cal Poly career and between him and Devaney, the duo has shattered the program record four times this season.
Colby Neron
Men’s Javelin (First Round)
Wednesday, May 28, 12:30 p.m. PDT
Neron will be making his first appearance at the West Prelims. The Medford, Oregon native recorded a lifetime best of 230 feet, 11 inches in Cal Poly’s season-opening meet — the Bulldog Invitational — to punch his ticket to regionals in the javelin.
Neron is seeded 14th entering the West Regional and has the 27th best mark in the nation this season, which ranks No. 3 in school history. Neron is Cal Poly’s first regional qualifier in the javelin since 2022 and took second in the event at the Big West Championships to earn All-Big West honors for the first time.
Ben Feyrer
Men’s Pole Vault (Semifinals)
Wednesday, May 28, 3:30 p.m. PDT
Feyrer is only a freshman, but he’s already shown plenty of potential in his first season as a Mustang. The Davis, Calif. native entered college with a personal best of 15 feet, 8 inches in the pole vault, but has already added well over a foot to that. He recorded a PR of 17 feet, 0.75 inches (5.20 meters) to capture second at the Big West Championships and secure a spot at regionals.
Feyrer is seeded No. 42 in the West entering the meet.
Corban Payne
Men’s Shot Put (Semifinals)
Wednesday, May 28, 4 p.m. PDT
For the second straight year, Payne is headed to the West Prelims in the shot put. The graduate student from Paso Robles tossed a lifetime best of 60 feet, 4.5 inches (18.40 meters) at the Mt. SAC Relays to lock up a ticket to regionals. The mark ranks No. 2 in school history and No. 67 in Division I this season.
Payne is seeded No. 37 entering the meet and he placed third in the shot at this year’s Big West Championships to garner All-Big West honors for the first time. He took 22nd in the West Prelims a year ago.
Chris Caudillo
Men’s 1,500 Meter (First Round)
Wednesday, May 28, 4:30 p.m. PDT
Caudillo qualified for his second consecutive West regional meet by running the third-fastest 1,500-meter time in school history (3:37.94) at the Franson Last Chance Invite. The time ranks No. 27 in Division I this season and he is seeded 10th in the West entering the meet.
The Clovis, Calif. native scored 14 team points in Cal Poly’s Big West Championship victory, capturing second in the 5,000 and third in the 1,500 (3:41.50) for the second consecutive year. The sophomore flew past the previous Big West meet record in the 1,500 as well and is now a three-time All-Big West honoree in track.
Four heats of the 1,500 will be ran in the First Round Wednesday, with the top five finishers in each heat along with the next four fastest times across the four heats advancing to the 1,500 quarterfinals at 3:15 p.m. PDT Friday. Caudillo took 47th in the West Prelims a year ago.
Spencer Pickren
Men’s 1,500 Meter (First Round)
Wednesday, May 28, 4:30 p.m. PDT
Pickren will be making his third straight appearance at West regionals in the 1,500. The senior ran the sixth-fastest 1,500 in school history (3:41.16) at the Franson Last Chance Invite to secure his ticket. The time has him seeded 40th entering regionals.
The Folsom, Calif native secured All-Big West honors for the second time in his career by finishing third in the men’s 5,000 at the Big West Championships. He also took fourth in the 1,500 to score a total of 11 points for the Mustangs. The indoor 3,000 school record holder took 48th in the West Prelims a year ago and 29th in 2023.
Carson Smith
Men’s 1,500 Meter (First Round)
Wednesday, May 28, 4:30 p.m. PDT
Smith booked his second consecutive trip to West Prelims in the 1,500 by running the fourth-fastest time in school history at the Franson Last Chance (3:38.76). The time has him seeded 19th entering the meet and is the 45th fastest ran in Division I this season.
The Temecula, Calif. native secured a pair of podium finishes at this year’s Big West Championships, capturing second in the men’s 1,500 for the second straight year (3:39.61), surpassing the previous meet record in the process, and finishing third in the 800 to score a total of 14 team points. Smith was one of two Mustangs that made it to the 1,500 quarterfinals at regionals a year ago — Davis Bove being the other — and he took 20th overall. Smith also had a time good enough to qualify for West Prelims in the 800 as well, but will just be focusing on running the 1,500.
Chase Walter
Men’s 400 Meter (First Round)
Wednesday, May 28, 5:25 p.m. PDT
Walter has been nothing short of sensational in his final season as a Mustang, qualifying for the West Prelims for the first time. The phenom from Laguna Niguel, Calif. ran times quick enough to qualify for regionals in both the 400 and 800, but will only be competing in the 400 in College Station.
The graduate student improved his second-fastest time in school history in the 400 (46.06 seconds) during the prelims of the Big West Championships, finishing third overall in the final for the second straight year to secure All-Big West honors. Walter is seeded 40th entering regionals and is the current school record holder in both the indoor 400 and 600. The top three finishers in each of the six heats along with the next six fastest times in the first round will advance to the 400 quarterfinals at 4:50 p.m. PDT Friday. Walter is also scheduled to run a leg on Cal Poly’s 4x400 relay on Friday night.
Aidan McCarthy
Men’s 800 Meter (First Round)
Wednesday, May 28, 5:50 p.m. PDT
McCarthy is set to make his third career appearance at the West Prelims and first since 2023 after missing the 2024 outdoor season due to injury. The Pleasanton, Calif. native ran an outdoor lifetime best of 1:45.53 in the 800 at the Franson Last Chance and enters regionals with the second fastest time ran in the West this season and No. 7 in the country.
The 2023 Outdoor First Team All-American in the 800 is fresh off an historic performance at the Big West Championships where he won his third 800 conference title and first in the 1,500 with a Big West meet record time (3:39.35) to become just the fifth athlete in conference history to sweep the men’s 800 and 1,500. The performance allowed him to claim Big West Men’s Track Athlete of the Meet honors.
McCarthy is looking to become a three-time All-American in the coming weeks after the redshirt junior placed third in the 800 at the 2025 NCAA Indoor Championships in March to earn First Team All-American honors. At the West Prelims two years ago, McCarthy placed first overall and went on to finish seventh at NCAAs. The top three finishers in each of the six heats along with the next six fastest times in the first round of the 800 will advance to the 800 quarterfinals at 5:05 p.m. PDT Friday. McCarthy also had a time good enough to qualify for regionals in the 1,500 — No. 13 in the nation — but is focusing on getting back to outdoor nationals in the 800.
Lewis Westwood
Men’s 800 Meter (First Round)
Wednesday, May 28, 5:50 p.m. PDT
Westwood is making his second straight trip to the West Prelims and first in the 800 after qualifying in the 1,500 a year ago. The San Luis Obispo native ran the fourth fastest 800 time in school history (1:47.97) at the Franson Last Chance Invite and is seeded No. 31 entering the meet.
The junior took 39th in the 1,500 at last year’s West Prelims,
Lexi Evans
Women’s Pole Vault (Semifinals)
Thursday, May 29, 3:30 p.m. PDT
Evans is fresh off becoming the fourth back-to-back champion in the women’s pole vault in Big West history. The junior broke the school record in the event at the Mark Conover Classic with a lifetime best of 14 feet, 5.25 inches (4.40 meters) to punch her ticket to regionals for the third consecutive season. Evans is seeded No. 15 entering the meet.
Last year, the San Diego native finished 19th at West Prelims, seven places away from advancing to NCAAs.
Kelli Gaffney
Women’s 10,000 Meter (Semifinals)
Thursday, May 29, 7:10 p.m. PDT
Gaffney is Cal Poly’s first West Prelims qualifier in the women’s 10,000 since the current regional format was adopted. The sophomore ran the fourth fastest 10,000 time in school history (34:12.89) and best by a Mustang in 35 years at the Bryan Clay Invitational to secure a berth to West Prelims for the first time.
The Temecula, Calif. native is seeded 44th and scored 11 points for the Cal Poly women at this year’s Big West Championships by placing third in the 5,000 and fourth in the 10,000.
Michael Chambers
Men’s 3,000 Meter Steeplechase (Quarterfinals)
Friday, May 30, 3:40 p.m. PDT
Chambers will be making his first appearance at the West Prelims after a breakout performance at the Big West Championships. During the opening day at the conference meet, the redshirt junior locked up a trip to regionals by running the fifth-fastest 3,000 steeplechase time in school history (8:42.35) en route to claiming the Big West title. Then on the second day, Chambers completed a remarkable double, winning the conference title in the men’s 5,000 to become the first athlete since Cal Poly’s Nick Woolf in 2016 to sweep the Big West titles in the men’s 3,000 steeplechase and 5,000. It was just Chambers’ second Big West Track and Field Championship meet and first time earning All-Big West honors on the track.
The Carmichael, Calif. native is seeded No. 25 entering the meet and the top three finishers in each of the three heats along with the next three fastest times will advance to the NCAA Championships in Eugene.
Bryce Kueker
Men’s 3,000 Meter Steeplechase (Quarterfinals)
Friday, May 30, 3:40 p.m. PDT
Kueker ran the third-fastest men’s 3,000 steeplechase time in school history (8:36.78) at the Bryan Clay Invitational to earn his first career trip to regionals. He is seeded No. 13 entering the meet and his time is the 20th fastest ran in the nation this season.
The San Diego native scored 13 team points for the Cal Poly men at the Big West Championships, placing second in the 3,000 steeplechase to secure All-Big West honors in the event for the second straight year and grabbing fourth in the 5,000.
Men’s 4x400 Meter Relay (Quarterfinals)
Vincent Atilano, Chase Walter, Alexander Franco, MacGregor TeSelle (Alternate: Lexi Romero)
Friday, May 30, 6:45 p.m. PDT
The 4x400-meter relay will wrap up the showing for the Cal Poly men at the West Prelims. The Mustangs qualified for regionals in the event for the first time in program history by breaking a 46-year-old school record at the Franson Last Chance Invite with a time of 3:06.72. Atilano, Walter, Franco and TeSelle ran legs on that relay and are expected to run the four legs for the relay at regionals, with sophomore Levi Romero serving as the alternate.
Cal Poly is seeded No. 19 entering the meet and the top three relays in each of the three heats along with the next three fastest times will advance to the NCAA Championships in Eugene.
Melody Nwagwu
Women’s Triple Jump (First Round)
Saturday, May 31, 12:30 p.m. PDT
Nwagwu is headed back to the West Prelims for the second straight year after recording a season best in the triple jump of 41 feet, 9.75 inches (12.74 meters) to place second at the Big West Championships. She is seeded 40th entering the meet.
Last year, the 2024 Big West Women’s Field Athlete of the Year qualified for the West Prelims in both the triple jump and long jump, finishing 41st and 42nd respectively in each event. The indoor school record holder in the long jump ranks No. 2 in program history in the women’s outdoor long jump and No. 4 in the triple jump.
Tatiana Cornejo
Women’s 5,000 Meter (Semifinals)
Saturday, May 31, 6:10 p.m. PDT
For the second straight season, Cornejo will be the final Mustang to compete in this year’s West Prelims. The Elk Grove, Calif. native broke a 42-year-old school record in the 5,000 (15:44.59) at the Stanford Invitational to qualify for regionals in the event again. Her time has her seeded No. 21 in the West Region entering the meet.
Last year, Cornejo placed 28th in her West Prelims debut. The junior and 2024 Big West Women’s Track Athlete of the Year defended her Big West title in the women’s 1,500 in Long Beach to become the first repeat Big West champion in the women’s 1,500 since 2017-2018 and the first in Cal Poly history. Cornejo also took third in the 800 at this year’s Big West meet, scoring a total of 16 team points for the Mustangs. She is now a five-time All-Big West honoree in track and field for the Mustangs. Cornejo had a time good enough to qualify for the West Prelims in the 1,500 as well, but will only be running the 5,000 at Texas A&M. The top five finishers in each of the two semifinal heats of the 5,000 along with the next two fastest times will advance to the NCAA Championships in Eugene.
