Husky Classic
Cornejo, Evans Break School Records at Husky Classic
2/14/2026 9:00:00 PM | Track and Field
SEATTLE, Wash. — Lexi Evans shattered her own school record, Tatiana Cornejo obliterated a 43-year-old record and a total of 16 top-five marks in program history were recorded as Cal Poly track and field competed in the Husky Classic on Friday and Saturday inside Dempsey Indoor.
It was the Mustangs’ final trip to Seattle this year and their last full team indoor meet of the season. Cal Poly made sure to leave a lasting impression on the UW indoor track, recording 20 personal bests among the 33 Mustangs that took part in the meet.
Evans and Cornejo set the tone with some remarkable performances. Evans continued reaching new heights in the women’s pole vault, clearing a lifetime best of 14 feet, 9.5 inches (4.51 meters) to surpass her own school record she set just two weeks ago in Seattle by over a foot. The mark is the fifth best in the NCAA this season and she is currently in position to qualify for the NCAA Indoor Championships on March 13-14 in Arkansas. She coasted to the event victory at the meet with the sensational showing.
Cornejo had a stellar two days in Seattle, posting a pair of historic times. First on Friday, the Elk Grove, Calif. native won the women’s 3,000-meter with a blistering time of 9:07.61, shattering Amy Harper’s 1983 school record in the event by over 7.5 seconds (9:15.24). It was her third school record as Cornejo is the current program record holder in both the women’s indoor and outdoor 5,000. Then on Saturday, Cornejo capped things off by running a nearly 1-second lifetime best in the mile of 4:37.77, helping her improve her second-fastest time in school history. The time is also the fastest mile run by a Mustang in 39 years.
For the second straight meet, Cal Poly’s women’s 4x400 relay did some damage to the school record books. Avery Adelman, Jordan Jackson, Tayhlore Hoagland and Elianah DeMange helped the Mustangs’ improve their second-fastest time in school history they posted at the UW Invite on Jan. 30. The quartet crossed the finish line with a time of 3:44.53, Cal Poly’s best time recorded indoors since the school record was set in 2000 (3:38.07).
Individually, Jackson also ran an indoor personal best in the women’s 200 (24.72 seconds), the fourth-fastest time in school history. She took fourth in the event while school-record holder Madison Easter placed second (24.60) and Hoagland secured sixth with a lifetime best of 24.82, tied for the sixth-fastest time in school history indoors.
Hoagland also captured a runner-up finish in the women’s long jump with an indoor personal best of 18 feet, 10.75 inches (5.76 meters), the third best mark in school history.
Desie Armstrong, Easter and Ava Simos all qualified for the final in the women’s 60 and placed fourth, fifth and sixth respectively in the final, finishing just a few hundredths of a second off their lifetime bests.
For the third consecutive meet, Taylor Hofland recorded a lifetime best in the women’s shot put, improving her No. 5 mark in school history with a toss of 47 feet, 7.25 inches (14.51 meters) to place second.
Kelli Gaffney, who competed at the NCAA Cross Country Championships individually in the fall, improved her No. 2 time in school history in the women’s 5,000 with an over 2-second personal best (16:15.77), while freshman Astrid Teran broke into the top marks list in the women’s pole vault with the fourth-best mark indoors in school history (13 feet, 1.5 inches), placing third in the event.
In her final meet as a Mustang, Melody Nwagwu earned second in the women’s triple jump and ninth in the long jump. The five-time All-Big West honoree and 2024 Big West Women’s Field Athlete of the Year is the school record holder in the indoor long jump and ranks No. 2 in the outdoor long jump, and No. 4 in both the indoor and outdoor triple jump.
On the men’s side, seven top-five marks in program history were recorded. In the invitational section of the men’s mile, Carson Smith ran the third sub-four mile of his career (3:58.79), improving his fifth-fastest time in school history to place 10th. Teammate Chris Caudillo finished eighth with a time of 3:57.48, a second off his personal best.
Vincent Atilano captured in the men’s 400 with a time of 47.77 seconds, improving his No. 2 time in school history. Micah Grossman shaved over six seconds off his personal best in the men’s 3,000 with a time of 7:58.98, second fastest in program history.
In the men’s 800, three top-five times were ran as Lewis Westwood matched his No. 2 time in school history (1:49.62), freshman Miles Cook posted the third-fastest time indoors (1:50.18) and Taj Clark recorded the fifth-best time (1:52.28).
In the men’s shot put, Aiden Pastorian captured fifth (54 feet, 10.25 inches) and Albert Beerbower moved to No. 3 in school history indoors, earning seventh with a mark of 51 feet, 8.5 inches (15.76 meters).
Cal Poly will now prepare to send a men’s distance medley relay team (1,200-400-800-1,600) to the Alex Wilson Invite hosted by Notre Dame next Saturday, Feb. 21. The Mustangs are hoping to post a time that will earn them a berth to the NCAA Indoor Championships.
Cal Poly Results
WOMEN
60-meter: 4, Desie Armstrong, 7.53 (7.50 prelims). 5, Madison Easter, 7.55. 6, Ava Simos, 7.56.
200-meter: 2, Madison Easter, 24.60. 4, Jordan Jackson, 24.72. 6, Tayhlore Hoagland, 24.82. 7, Ava Simos, 24.89. 12, Desie Armstrong, 25.44. 19, Avery Adelman, 25.77.
400-meter: 9, Jordan Jackson, 55.48. 18, Avery Adelman, 57.11.
Mile: 5, Tatiana Cornejo, 4:37.77. 74, Melisse Djomby Enyawe, 4:55.28. 115, Mackenzie Hack, 5:07.01.
3,000-meter: 1, Tatiana Cornejo, 9:07.61. 59, Mackenzie Hack, 9:45.52.
5,000-meter: 11, Kelli Gaffney, 16:15.77.
4x400-meter relay: 3, Cal Poly (Avery Adelman, Jordan Jackson, Tayhlore Hoagland, Elianah DeMange), 3:44.53.
High jump: 2, Melanie Castelli, 5-8 (1.73m). 3, Grace Proudfoot, 5-7 (1.70m). 4, Charli Kennedy, 5-5 (1.65m).
Pole vault: 1, Lexi Evans, 14-9.5 (4.51m). 3, Astrid Teran, 13-1.5 (4.00m).
Long jump: 2, Tayhlore Hoagland, 18-10.75 (5.76m). 9, Melody Nwagwu, 17-9.5 (5.42m). 12, Desie Armstrong, 17-3.5 (5.27m).
Triple jump: 2, Melody Nwagwu, 40-3.25 (12.27m).
Shot put: 2, Taylor Hofland, 47-7.25 (14.51m). 9, Golda Demby, 42-6.25 (12.96m). 12, Isabella Rigby, 40-11.5 (12.48m).
MEN
200-meter: 7, Alexander Franco, 22.26.
400-meter: 2, Vincent Atilano, 47.77. 3, Alexander Franco, 49.06.
800-meter: 9, Lewis Westwood, 1:49.62. 14, Miles Cook, 1:50.18. 27, Taj Clark, 1:52.28.
Mile invite: 8, Chris Caudillo, 3:57.48. 10, Carson Smith, 3:58.79.
Mile: 12, Spencer Pickren, 4:00.29. 68, Mateo Malko-Allen, 4:11.37. 81, Ibzan Felix, 4:15.91.
3,000-meter: 20, Micah Grossman, 7:58.98.
Pole vault: Ben Feyrer, NH.
Shot put: 5, Aiden Pastorian, 54-10.25 (16.72m). 7, Albert Beerbower, 51-8.5 (15.76m).
