Women's Track & Field split their squad last week, with most of the team competing at local rival Allan Hancock's Henry Kirk Invitational on Friday and the Harriers hitting the road for the Oxy Distance Carnival at Occidental College in Los Angeles on Saturday. In Santa Maria, the men's team claimed 2nd place behind leader Hartnell, while the women took 3rd, despite losing their talented distance team to their LA contingent.
The women claimed five events at the Henry Kirk Invitational, three by Heptathlete Savannah Shoemaker and two from All-State Leaper Madeline Scovil. Shoemaker opened the day by taking the 100-hurdles (:17.28) on the track, before adding the Shot Put (36-1.25) and Javelin (111-5). Her mark in the Shot Put also placed her 9th all time at Cuesta for the event. Scovil already owns the college's Triple Jump record, so she easily won the event, despite falling short of her record mark, with a leap of 37-5.75. Her winning leap in the Long Jump of 17-6, was less than an inch off her lifetime best. The Cougars also boasted four Silvers on the day. Freshman Rian Huffman finished 2nd behind Scovil in the Triple Jump (33-1), while All State High Jumper Grace Gutierrez was the runner-up (5-0.25) in her event. Hurdler Layla Faber and Thrower Harper Clark also grabbed Silvers in the 400-hurdles (1:15.78) and Shot Put (32-10.5), respectively.
The Cougars sent three Harriers to the Oxy Distance Carnival to compete in two events. In the 1,500-meters Freshman Sydney Culp finished 44th (5:19.36), as the only Cougar to crack the Top 50, while Sophomore Emily Mathein and Freshman Quinn Dubrul came in as a two-woman pack at 69th (5:50.09) and 70th (5:53.78). The Cougars also shined in the 5,000-meters as Freshmen Brinley Ewen and Summer Gelman both pushed to the top-half of the 111-woman field. Ewen took 26th overall and earned her second Cuesta All-time Top 10 mark of the season. She already claimed the 9thspot all time for the "metric mile" but jumped to 6th all time for the 5,000-meters by crossing in 18:15.83 last weekend. Gelman finished 67th with a time of 19:15.27
Cuesta Track & Field shall take this week off and return to action at the 2024 Western State Conference Coast Meet at Ventura on March 22 (Noon).
