Franson Last Chance Invite
Mustangs Take Part in Franson Last Chance Invite to Wrap Up Regular Season
5/8/2025 9:00:00 PM | Track and Field
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. — Eleven distance runners along with the men’s 4x400-meter relay head to Azusa Pacific University on Friday and Saturday to take part in the Franson Last Chance Invite to wrap up regular season action for the Cal Poly track and field team.
Most of the Mustangs heading to Azusa Pacific are looking to post one final time before the conference meet that would earn them a spot at the NCAA West Preliminaries hosted by Texas A&M on May 28-31.
The top 48 individual marks in each event along with the top 24 relay times in the West Region qualify for the NCAA West Prelims meet. Currently, 14 Mustangs own West Preliminary qualifying marks — Michael Chambers (men’s 3,000 steeplechase), Tatiana Cornejo (women’s 1,500, 5,000), Rory Devaney (men’s hammer throw), Lexi Evans (women’s pole vault), Ben Feyrer (men’s pole vault), Kelli Gaffney (women’s 10,000), Dheeraj Gurusamy (men’s 3,000 steeplechase), Bryce Kueker (men’s 3,000 steeplechase), Travis Martin (men’s hammer throw), Aidan McCarthy (men’s 1,500), Colby Neron (men’s javelin), Corban Payne (men’s shot put), Carson Smith (men’s 800) and Chase Walter (men’s 400, 800).
Action for the Mustangs at the Franson Last Chance Invite starts at 6 p.m. Friday when four Cal Poly distance runners compete in the 800, highlighted by phenom Aidan McCarthy. It will be McCarthy’s first time running an 800-meter outdoors since competing in the 2023 USATF Outdoor Championships on July 7, 2023, in Eugene. Earlier this year, McCarthy placed third in the 800 at the NCAA Indoor Championships to become the first Cal Poly men’s track and field athlete to secure Division I First Team All-American honors in an event on the track indoors and just the third overall. McCarthy is the current school record holder in both the indoor (1:45.19) and outdoor 800 (1:46.26), the 1,000 (2:19.68) and the mile (3:52.83).
The rest of the Mustangs traveling to Azusa will compete Saturday, highlighted by the men’s 4x400 relay. Currently, the men’s 4x400 relay is seeded No. 25 in the West Region with a time of 3:09.06, one spot away from qualifying for regionals. Cal Poly will likely need to post a time near the school record of 3:07.10 in order to guarantee themselves a spot at the West Prelims. Freshman Vincent Atilano, graduate student Chase Walter, sophomore Alexander Franco and junior MacGregor TeSelle are expected to run the four legs on the relay. Ibzan Felix, Mateo Malko-Allen, Spencer Pickren, Carson Smith, Chris Caudillo, Lewis Westwood, Sydney Sundgren and Melisse Djomby Enyawe will all run the 1,500 on Saturday night.
Following the meet, Cal Poly will shift all of its attention to the Big West Championships next Friday and Saturday at Long Beach State’s Jack Rose Track. Last year, the Mustangs became the first school in 14 years to sweep the men’s and women’s Big West titles.
Franson Last Chance Entries
WOMEN
800-meter: Ella Echsner (6 p.m. Friday, Section 4).
1,500-meter: Sydney Sundgren (8 p.m. Saturday, Section 5), Melisse Djomby Enyawe (8 p.m. Saturday, Section 6).
MEN
400-meter: Levi Romero (2:10 p.m. Saturday, Section 3).
800-meter: Aidan McCarthy (6:30 p.m. Friday, Section 1), Jeffrey Overgaard (6:30 p.m. Friday, Section 3), Lewis Westwood (6:30 p.m. Friday, Section 4).
1,500-meter: Ibzan Felix (8:45 p.m. Saturday, Section 11), Mateo Malko-Allen (8:45 p.m. Saturday, Section 11), Spencer Pickren (8:45 p.m. Saturday, Section 12), Carson Smith (8:45 p.m. Saturday, Section 12), Chris Caudillo (8:45 p.m. Saturday, Section 12), Lewis Westwood (8:45 p.m. Saturday, Section 12).
4x400-meter relay (4:40 p.m. Saturday): Cal Poly (Vincent Atilano, Chase Walter, Alexander Franco, MacGregor TeSelle).
