Cuesta Women's Track & Field shall open the 2025 season this Friday at the Moorpark Open. The Cougars 16-woman team shall cover all the events and be led by a quintet of all-Western State Conference performers and a talented crop of newcomers. On the track, Sprinters Kiana Marie Lambert and Taylor Jones both return from the Cougars' WSC Title winning 4x400 Relay and will reunite with Lexington Brewer, who joined them on the all-WSC 4x100 Relay. All-WSC Hurdler Layla Faber is also back to clear some obstacles and take on some of the mid-distance events. Cuesta is looking for a big boost in the lanes with the arrival of accomplished Freshmen Gwyndolyn Katics and Natalie Hewitt. Katics is a two-time CIF Champion and was SLO High's 2024 Female Athlete of the Year, while Hewitt reached the Sacramento Meet of Champions in both the 300 hurdles and the 4x400 relay. In the distance events the Cougars will be without their top two harriers from the Fall, as 2021 Cuesta College Athlete of the Year Madeline Fletcher and 2024 Cuesta College Athlete of the Year Elle Casselman have both exhausted their eligibility. Fletcher will still be out at the course as an Assistant Coach, while her fellow State Qualifying Harriers Sydney Culp, who also earned all-WSC honors, and Quinn Dubrul take over the distance events. In the throws, four-time all-WSC Thrower Harper Clark is back to build on her impressive freshman campaign. Clark earned all-WSC honors with all four implements, while finishing as the circuit's Runner-up in the Discus and taking the Bronze in the Shot Put, Hammer and Javelin. Clark is the only returner to boast a spot on the Cougars' all-time Top 10, with the 10th spot in the Discus (110' 5"). Of course, Clark will have plenty of company tossing the implements, with Freshmen Jaide Tappan, Kiera Taylor and Isabella Saenz all joining the squad. Tappen earned all-SLO County Second Team and reached the district level for nearby Morro Bay, while Taylor was a two-time CIF Champion for Atascadero. Of course, Taylor will enter competition a little late, since she is currently playing basketball for the Cuesta women's team. Taylor already earned all-WSC Honors in Women's Volleyball, so track & field shall be her third sport this year, unless she also competes in Beach Volleyball. Multi-sport Star Kristy Huynh is slated to be the Cougars top leaper. She finished 4th in the Central Coast Section for the Long Jump and earned multiple all-league honors in basketball and volleyball, before finishing her career by leading Silver Creek High to the CIF Track & Field Title.
The Cougars lone home event of the season is the Western State Conference North Meet on Friday, February 28 (Noon)
