Gaucho Relays
Cal Poly Records 12 Top-10 Marks, Wins 9 Events at Gaucho Relays
3/7/2026 11:00:00 PM | Track and Field
GOLETA, Calif. — Highlighted by an impressive showing by the throwers, the Cal Poly track and field team opened its outdoor season this Friday and Saturday at the Gaucho Relays, recording 12 top-10 marks in program history and winning nine events.
A total of 35 Mustangs took part in the meet, mainly athletes that did not compete indoors for Cal Poly this season. Between the men’s and women’s teams, a total of 18 personal bests were recorded at the meet. Cal Poly’s throwers were responsible for seven of the 12 top-10 marks in school history that were recorded.
Junior Taylor Hofland built off a strong indoor season with an historic mark in the women’s shot put on Saturday at Pauley Track. She recorded a significant all-conditions lifetime best of 48 feet, 9.5 inches (14.87 meters), the best mark by a Mustang in the event since Julie Dufresne in 2009. The mark ranks No. 5 in school history and was an over 2.5-foot outdoor lifetime best. This indoor season, Hofland posted the fifth-best mark in school history indoors in the event as well (47-7.25, 14.51m). The performance allowed Hofland to capture first in the event.
Three other Cal Poly women won events at the meet. Senior Desie Armstrong took first in the women’s long jump and broke into the all-time top 10 in the process, recording a lifetime best of 19 feet, 8 inches (5.99 meters) — good for No. 9 in Cal Poly history. She also posted a top-10 time in the women’s 100-meter, along with two other Mustangs. Sophomore Ava Simos finished second in the event with a time of 11.79 seconds, Armstrong was third in 11.80 and sophomore Madison Easter grabbed fourth in 11.83. The times were good for No. 8, No. 9 and No. 10 respectively in Cal Poly history.
Freshman Charli Kennedy won the women’s high jump with an all-conditions personal best of 5 feet, 8.75 inches (1.75 meters). Sophomore Leala Willman placed first in the women’s javelin (134-3; 40.91m).
Freshman Golda Demby had an impressive outdoor debut, recording a pair of top 10 marks in school history. In the women’s hammer throw, Demby posted the fourth-best mark in program history (180-9; 55.09m) and then in the shot put she tossed the No. 10 mark in school history (46-2.75; 14.09m), placing second in both events.
Sophomore Gracelyn Brown improved her No. 6 mark in school history in the women’s hammer throw with a PR of 169-6 (51.66m). Junior Astrid Teran entered the top 10 in the women’s pole vault outdoors, clearing the sixth-highest mark in school history (13-5.25; 4.10m) to take second. She also owns the fourth-best mark indoors in the event.
Sophomore Kaira Burrage placed second in the women’s 100-meter hurdles with a lifetime best of 14.13 seconds, just .08 seconds off No. 10 in school history.
On the men’s side, the Mustangs took home five event victories. On Friday night in the javelin, Conrad Bernstein got things started for the men by launching the fourth-best mark in school history (229 feet, 2 inches; 69.84 meters) to win the event. It was Bernstein’s first action as a Mustang. The redshirt junior transferred to Cal Poly over the summer after spending three years at Long Beach State and qualifying for the NCAA West Preliminaries in 2024.
Lucas Scott, a junior college transfer from San Diego Mesa, also tossed a top 10 mark in the men’s javelin, recording the eighth-best mark in school history (212-2; 64.67m) to place second.
In his outdoor debut as a Mustang, Aiden Pastorian, a transfer from Long Beach State, won the men’s shot put with a mark of 58 feet, 2.5 inches (17.74m), good for No. 6 in school history.
Sophomore Ben Feyrer matched his outdoor personal best in the men’s pole vault (17-0.75; 5.20m) to win the event, while junior Nathan Fifer (high jump) and sophomore Noah Goodrich (triple jump) secured first-place finishes in their events.
The Cal Poly men and women both placed second in the sprint medley relay at the meet.
The Mustangs continue their outdoor season this coming Friday when Cal Poly’s distance runners descend upon San Diego State for the Aztec Distance Carnival.
Cal Poly Results
WOMEN
100-meter: 2, Ava Simos, 11.79. 3, Desie Armstrong, 11.80. 4, Madison Easter, 11.83.
100-meter hurdles: 2, Kaira Burrage, 14.13. 4, Citina Nardi, 14.65.
400-meter hurdles: 2, Kalia Estes, 1:00.90.
4x400-meter relay: 3, Cal Poly (Cate Miller, Citina Nardi, Kalia Estes, Kaira Burrage), 3:57.04.
Sprint Medley Relay: 2, Cal Poly (Desie Armstrong, Ava Simos, Madison Easter, Cate Miller), 4:05.37.
High jump: 1, Charli Kennedy, 5-8.75 (1.75m). 2, Grace Proudfoot, 5-7.75 (1.72m). 4, Melanie Castelli, 5-4.25 (1.63m).
Pole vault: 2, Astrid Teran, 13-5.25 (4.10m). 3, Grace Sloan,12-5.5 (3.80m). 6, Jacqueline Jones, 11-7.75 (3,55).
Long jump: 1, Desie Armstrong, 19-8 (5.99m).
Triple jump: 2, Grace Sloan, 39-7 (12.06m).
Shot Put: 1, Taylor Hofland, 48-9.5 (14.87m). 2, Golda Demby, 46-2.75 (14.09m). 3, Isabella Rigby, 43-9 (13.33m). 7, Ariella Per, 38-6 (11.73m).
Discus: 2, Isabella Rigby, 154-1 (46.98m).
Hammer: 2, Golda Demby, 180-9 (55.09m). 4, Gracelyn Brown, 169-6 (51.66m).
Javelin: 1, Leala Willman, 134-3 (40.91m). 2, Camrenne Genilla, 131-7 (40.12m). 4, Natalie Porter, 123-9 (37.72m).
MEN
4x400-meter relay: DNF.
Sprint Medley Relay: 2, Cal Poly (Levi Romero, Wyatt Maulhardt, Wil Brennan, Ethan Dierke), 3:29.64.
High jump: 1, Nathan Fifer, 6-4.75 (1.95m). 3, Noah Goodrich, 6-2.75 (1.90m). 4, Matthew McHale, 6-0.75 (1.85m).
Pole vault: 1, Ben Feyrer, 17-0.75 (5.20m). 3, Caleb King, 15-9 (4.80m).
Triple jump: 1, Noah Goodrich, 45-1.75 (13.76m).
Shot put: 1, Aiden Pastorian, 58-2.5 (17.74m). 2, Albert Beerbower, 54-5.5 (16.60m). 6, Matthew McHale, 38-1.5 (11.62m).
Discus: 7, Matthew McHale, 108-8 (33.12m).
Javelin: 1, Conrad Bernstein, 229-2 (69.84m). 2, Lucas Scott, 212-2 (64.67m).
