2022 Regional Qualifiers Dulce Esquivel and Anessa Palomino lead a talented and versatile six-woman team into the 2023 CCCAA Regional Track & Field Preliminaries this weekend in San Diego.  Esquivel is the defending Regional Champion in the 1,500-meters and will extend herself this weekend by defending her 2022 title and adding the 5,000 and 10,000-meter runs.  Palomino has improved in every discipline this season and should move from finishing in the teens into contention in Hammer, Shot Put and Discus.  Middle Distance Specialist Elle Casselman and Multi-talented Freshman Ashley Gose join Esquivel in the lanes.  Casselman earned the Bronze at the WSC Championships in the 800-meters, while Gose finished two-hundredths away from scoring in the 100-meters, which is her third best event.  Gose, who ranks 8th all time at Cuesta in the 100m (:12.89), is expected to collect most of her points when she joins teammate Madeline Scovil to challenge for the Long Jump and Triple Jump titles.  The duo finished 2nd and 3rd at the WSC Championships in the Long Jump, with Gose clearing 17-9.25 and Scovil hitting 17-even.  However, Scovil flipped the script by winning the Triple Jump, while Gose took another Silver.  Scovil ranks 2nd (37-6.25) in the event all time at Cuesta and Gose ranks 3rd (36-10.5).  Scovil will also compete in the Pole Vault, where she is a long shot to win the Cougars' 7th State title in the event, however she did take the Bronze last week.  High Jumper Grace Gutierrez is another title threat for the Cougars.  She tied for the lead at the WSC Championships with a leap of 5-1 but had to settle for 2nd place based on misses at lower heights.  

The top performers at this weekend's preliminary meet, shall return to San Diego next week to try and book a ticket for the 2023 CCCAA State Championships in Modesto on May 19-20.  

CCCAA Southern California Regional Qualifiers

Dulce Esquivel- 1,500m, 5,000m, 10,000m

Anessa Palomino- Shot Put, Hammer, Discus

Madeline Scovil- Long Jump, Triple Jump, Pole Vault

Ashley Gose- 100m, Long Jump, Triple Jump

Elle Casselman- 800m

Grace Gutierrez- High Jump