The CSUSM men’s and women’s track and field teams competed in the California Collegiate Invitational, hosted by UC San Diego, on April 2.

With track and field season nearing the end, the Cougars continue to set personal records (PR), and this meet was no exception with 20 athletes recording PRs.

“Out of the 17 years we have been here, this weekend was one of the best weekends we had in track and field. Maybe not time wise, but the numbers of people that elevated their game was what made this weekend outstanding,” said Assistant Track and Field Coach Wes Williams.

The meet began with shot put for the men’s, where junior Josh Maffei threw a personal record of 12.86m, finishing 9th.

“It was a great weekend. It started with [Maffei], and he started the momentum and it just carried throughout the whole invitational,” said Williams.

Events on the track began to take place with the women’s 4×100 relay. The relay team, which consisted of Jolene Widmer, Kamarria Rehn, Lauren Wyckoff and Jasmine Oliver, took second with a time of 48.85.

Graduate student Trent Warren ran a season-best in the 1500m with a time of 3:56.74, placing sixth overall, while senior Steven Ing took seventh with a time of 3:57.80.

More personal records continued when freshmen Matt Doyle ran the 400m in 49.99 seconds and finished eighth.

Additionally, junior Kyle Johnson set a personal record in the 110 hurdles with a time of 14.82 and finished in third place.

Sophomore Elizabeth Buckle has been consistent this track and field season, coming off an hamstring injury. She ran a season-best in the 800m with a time of 2:15.26, finishing in ninth place.

Senior Charlotte Kuzminsky also ran a season-best for the 800m with a time of 2:13.47, finishing in fourth place, and Cristen Lane finished seventeenth with a time of 2:17.86 to qualify for CCAA Championships.

“The 800m women were amazing. Cristen ran in 2:17 and she basically hasn’t run in a month. So I’m thinking about having all my athletes take a month off,” joked Head Coach Steve Scott.

Transitioning to the men’s 800m event, junior Justin Washington finished in first place with a time of 1:53.76, while senior Fereon Meferia placed second with a time of 1:53.49.

Junior Kamarria Rehn set two personal records at the invitational. First in the 100m with a time of 12.41 to place fourth and a seventh place finish in the women’s 200m with a time of 25.59.

Events on the field began to unwind with women’s javelin. Freshman Domenique Barnes threw a personal record of 35.63m, finishing in sixth place. While on the track, senior Enrique Ramirez set a personal record in the 5000m with a time of 15:30.87, finishing in tenth place.

The men finished fifth overall and the women finished in eighth place.

Track and field’s next meet is set to take place at 10:00 am on April 9 at the Pomona-Pitzer Invitational in Claremont.