CCCAA Track & Field has one of the longest routes to the top of the podium and this week marks the beginning of that journey for the multi-sport athletes. Cuesta is sending Heptathlete Savannah Shoemaker (pict-L) and Decathlete Joseph Tugwell (pict-R) to the 2024 CCCAA Southern Regional Multi-Event meet this Tuesday and Wednesday at Mt San Antonio College. Both sophomores have been through the trials before and are in good position to reach the State Meet. Shoemaker and Tugwell can also score points for the Cougars that shall count towards the Western State Conference meet that begins in two weeks.
This year, Shoemaker owns the top marks for Cuesta's women's team in four events- 200m (:27.78), 100 Hurdles (:16.95), Shot Put (36-1.25) and Javelin (111-4.5) and trails a pair of Cuesta Record Holders, Grace Gutierrez, and Madeline Scovil, in the High Jump (4-7) and Long Jump (38-6.75), respectively. She began this season with a personal-best 3,841 points at the Moorpark Open but has not participated in a full Heptathlon since February 1. If Shoemaker hits all her career marks, she will compile 4,347 points. It has been a decade since former Cuesta Athlete of the Year Riley Cooks won a State Title in the Heptathlon with a school record 5,110 points in 2014. Shoemaker finished 7th in the State with 3,750 points as a freshman in 2022, but also placed 5th in the Javelin as an individual event.
Tugwell has been putting strong marks up all season and, if he can avoid the injury bug that slowed him last season, he will be in contention at the CCCAA State Meet. His composite point total would but him solidly in contention with close to 6,000 points. Tugwell was a scratch from the Regional Multi-event Meet last season, however he went on to qualify for the CCCAA Regional Finals in three events- high jump, pole vault and javelin. A healthy Tugwell should book a ticket to the State Meet.
The duo of Shoemaker and Tugwell are set to rejoin the team at the other end of the State on Friday for the Coast v. Valley Meet in Modesto.
