Women's Track and Field enters the 2023 Western State Conference Finals in 3rd place after last week's preliminary meet.  The Cougars, with 35 points, are only five points behind current leader Bakersfield.  Cuesta's seven-woman contingent is set to compete in a combined 16 events and make a run for the program's second title of the past three seasons. 

On the track, Veteran Harrier and returning State Finalist Dulce Esquivel leads the team. Esquivel competed in four running events in both 2021 and 2022 WSC Finals but dropped to only three events this season.  Last week, she finished 3rd in the 10,000m (42:41.62) and is back this week for the 1,500m and 5,000m finals.  Freshman Paige Medrano shall join her in the 5K, while Elle Casselman chases down the 800m race that Esquivel cut from her itinerary.  Last week, Casselman finished 5th (2:23.88) in the preliminary meet.

The Cougars scored a lot of points in the jumps and throws in the Prelims and expect to also follow that plan this week.  High Jumper Grace Gutierrez, who earned 2nd place after clearing 5'1", shall join Madeline Scovil and Ashley Gose for the Triple Jump this week.  Scovil, who finished 3rd in the Long Jump last week, and Gose, who took 2nd in the Long Jump, rank 2nd (37-3.25) and 3rd (36-10.5) all time at Cuesta for Triple Jump and are both within range of Tee Noble's 1998 school record (38-2).  Scovil will also compete in the Pole Vault, where she owns a team-best leap of 9-6.25.  Last weekend, 2022 Regional Qualifier Anessa Palomino earned all-WSC honors in her best events, Hammer and Shot Put.  She will take on the Discus and Javelin this week.  This season, Discus has become one of her best events and she has earned a spot on Cuesta's Top 10 with the metal frisbee.  

The Cougars that advance out of the Western State Conference Championships will compete in the CCCAA Southern California Regional Preliminary Meet and Finals the first two weekends in May.