2025 Big West Track & Field | Schedule
What 2 Watch 4
The 2025 outdoor track & field season has already begun for some Big West teams as Cal State Bakersfield, UC Riverside, UC San Diego, UC Santa Barbara were in action last week.
Two Big West schools will host Mar. 7-8 with the Ben Brown Invitational at Cal State Fullerton and the Beach Opener at Long Beach State. Nine out of the league's 11 teams will be in participation at the two sites, with some teams splitting squads for both. UC Riverside will divide its squad at the Ben Brown Invitational and Oxy Distance Carnival, while Cal Poly will split its crew between Fullerton and the Bulldog Invitational at Fresno State.
Hawai'i and UC Davis are the two Big West teams to not start their respective seasons during the second weekend of March. The Aggies will open on Mar. 14, hosting the Aggie Open. The Rainbow Wahine will begin their season the following weekend (Mar. 21-22) at the Hornet Invitational at Sacramento State.
UC Irvine will host the Challenge Cup featuring Cal State Fullerton, Long Beach State and UC Santa Barbara on Mar. 14.
Notable Storylines
Host Cal Poly swept both men's and women's team titles at the 2024 Big West Track & Field Championships.
Here are some top stories across The Big West to note heading into the season:
• Cal Poly swept both men’s and women’s team titles at the 2024 Big West Track & Field Championships. It was the first men’s title and second-ever women’s crown for the Mustang program. The Cal Poly men snapped Cal State Fullerton’s three-year streak at the top and the Mustang women ended Long Beach State’s chance at a three-peat.
• This upcoming season will mark the first year of UC San Diego being a full-fledged Division I and Big West member. The Tritons were not allowed to compete in any postseason events during their transition from Division II to Division I.
• Trey Knight returns for a senior season after placing sixth in the hammer throw (74.00m/242’9”) at the NCAA Championships and earned All-America First Team status.
• CSUN also brings back three out of four members from its All-American 4x100m relay in James Crawford, Chase Mars and Tosh Black. The Matadors’ relay team placed 13th overall with a time of 39.30 at nationals. Crawford and Mars also competed in the 100m and 200m, respectively, at the NCAA Championships.
• UC Davis All-American Dani Barrett returns for a senior season. Last season, Barrett clocked a personal-best time of 33:15.50 in the 10,000m to earn 12th place at the national meet. In the fall, Barrett was the top finisher from the league at the NCAA West Regionals, coming in 18th place (19:55.0) and fourth (19:53.6) at The Big West Championships.
• UC Irvine’s Jolie Robinson will aim for a Big West three-peat in the women’s heptathlon. Robinson won the 2023 competition with 5,343 points and in 2024 with a score of 5,220.
• After sitting out last outdoor season with an injury, Lilian Turban returns for Hawai‘i. In 2023, Turban placed fourth at the NCAA Championship in the high jump (1.87m).
• Long Beach State is set to host The Big West Championships, May 9-10 and May 16-17 at Jack Rose Track.
2024 Rewind
Host Cal Poly swept both men's and women's team titles at the 2024 Big West Track & Field Championships.
It was Cal Poly’s first men’s team championship, second-ever women’s crown and was the first time since 2010 that the same team swept both men’s and women’s team titles. In the women’s team competition, Cal Poly scored 130.75 points. UC Irvine (120) and Hawai’i (102.5) finished second and third, respectively. On the men’s side, Cal Poly (185) took first, Cal State Fullerton (168) was second and Long Beach State (152) was third.
Cal State Fullerton’s Abel Jordan and Andrew Aguilar were awarded the Men’s Track Athlete of the Meet and Men’s Field Athlete of the Meet, respectively. Aguilar was second in the decathlon, fourth in the pole vault and eighth in the 400m hurdles for a total of 14 points. Jordan was first in the 100m, second in the 110m hurdles and was a member of the winning 4x100m and 4x400m relay teams for 23 points.
UC Irvine’s Jolie Robinson was the Women’s Field Athlete of the Meet and Cal Poly’s Tatiana Corenjo was the Women’s Track Athlete of the Meet. Robinson won the heptathlon, finished second in the long jump, fifth in the javelin and eighth in the high jump for 23 points. Cornejo won the 800m and 1500m events for 20 points.
Cal Poly won five major awards from the conference. Cornejo and junior Meldoy Nwagwu claimed the Women’s Track, and Women’s Field Athlete of the Year awards, respectively. Chris Caudillo won the Men’s Freshman of the Year honor and Ryan Vanhoy was named both the Men’s and Women’s Coach of the Year.
Cal State Fullerton sophomore Abel Jordan took home the Men’s Track Athlete of the Year award. CSUN junior Trey Knight was the Field Athlete of the Year. Izzy Kneeshaw of Hawai‘i and UC Irvine’s Kailah McKenzie shared the title of Women's Co-Freshman of the Year.
The Big West sent seven individuals and one relay team to the 2025 NCAA Championships. CSUN junior Trey Knight placed sixth in the men’s hammer throw with a mark of 74.00m/242’9” and earned All-America First Team membership in the process. Hawai’i senior Hallee Mohr placed 11th in the discus with a toss of 55.46/181’11” for All-America Second Team honors. UC Davis sophomore Dani Barrett clocked a personal-best time of 33:15.50 in the women’s 10,000m to earn 12th place, receiving All-America Second Team nod. UC Irvine senior Josh Farmer scored 7,647 points to take 12th place in the decathlon and was named All-America Second Team for the third time. In the men’s 4x100m relay, CSUN’s squad of junior Tosh Black, senior David Phillips, Jr., junior Chase Mars and sophomore James Crawford clocked 39.30 to take fourth in heat three and 13th overall for the quartet to earn All-America Second Team accolades. Crawford and Mars competed individually in the men’s 100m and men’s 200m, respectively. Crawford finished sixth in heat one, 19th overall, with a time of 10.33. Mars was eighth in heat one, 19th overall, crossing the finish line in 20.59. In the men’s 400m hurdles, Long Beach State junior Omri Shiff was eighth in heat three, 23rd overall, clocking 51.50. |
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