IRVINE, Calif.- A small flock of Golden Eagles started off a weekend of excitement in Westmont, Calif. at the KLEIN/NWABA combined events on Thursday and Friday. Then, the rest of the team finished off the weekend at home as the program hosted the annual Team 4 Titus and Ely meet.
 
WESTMONT:
 
Four multi-event athletes took off up north to compete in their second heptathlon or decathlon of the season. All of the women fared well as they all hit new personal records in at least three of their events. Leah Powick bested herself in the shot put, long jump, and broke 2:30 for the first time on the 800m. Riley Norris’s PRs in the 100H, high jump, javelin throw, and the 800m lead to an improvement in her overall heptathlon best.
 
Ultimately for the women it was Giovana Pelascini who came out on top with new personal record and school record as she has owned the record since her first heptathlon in February. She managed a whopping 4,663 points with PR’s in the shot put, javelin, 200m, and 800m and currently sits second in the DII nation.
 
The lone decathlete, Tyler Denes, remained consistent with his season’s marks and hit two new personal records in the high jump and the 400m as he broke 52 seconds for the first time.
 
IRVINE:
 
Concordia Track and Field hosted the annual Team 4 Titus and Ely meet to honor former head coach Danny Bowman’s two sons, Titus and Ely, who were diagnosed with Batten Disease at young ages. Titus has since passed away from the disease, but his diagnosis ultimately saved his brother’s life. The Bowmans moved to Idaho to be closer to family and give Ely the support he needs. To read more about Titus and Ely CLICK HERE.
 
Every year the team runs, jumps, and throws in honor of the two little boys who unfortunately will not have the chance to do the same. Historically the team has banded together to run faster, jump greater, and throw farther than they have before knowing they are there for a purpose bigger than themselves. This year was no different as many set new personal records, hit national provisional marks, and some even tried events they had never done in competition before.
 
With the wind ripping on the track all day, the 100m men all blew past their personal bests. Gabe Jones, Cooper Tirado, and Dylan Fox, all managed to break 10.75 with an exciting final that showcased the competitiveness between the group. The women’s 100m was just as exciting as Jasmyn Crawford hit the national provisional and Nataleah Yanez and Veronica Wood also hit new PRs. The women’s 200m crew also ran impressive wind-aided times, with standout performances from Jasmyn Crawford, Logan Nelson, and Ruby Bishop who took the 1, 2, and 3 spots, respectively. Unfortunately, all of the 100m and 200m sprints were rendered illegal by the +4.5 Santa Ana winds.
 
The distance runners also had an exciting day. Seven women completed the 1500m and 800m double, which, for most of them, are not their usual events. Both were won by Jori Paradis who led the entirety of both races. She managed two impressive times with her teammates fighting to catch her. Taylor Whitfield was the second Golden Eagle in both events for her first track races since 2022. The junior has worked her way back from injury and on to the track once again. She was excited to see all of her hard work pay off in the start of an exciting comeback season. Audrey Barcenas also completed the double, starting with a 6 second PR in the 1500m. For the men, Dustin Berger fought back from a rough first mile to manage a solid season opener in the steeplechase, winning the event in the process. Seven men also completed the 1500m and 800m double.
 
In the field, Isabella Torrez opened up the day with a rainy morning hammer PR. The sophomore has PR’d in every meet so far this season and shows no signs of slowing down. The discus competition was the highlight of the day on both sides. For the women, Tayla Crenshaw took first with a season’s best and national provisional mark of 45.39m. Khaiya Simpson was a close second, with a 1.5m PR to 44.61, just over half a meter off the national provisional. Jasmyn Rios also set a PR at just under her 40m goal (39.95m) and Ashley Heyer also got over 35m for the first time. The men followed with an exciting showing across the board, most notably, Jaylen Newman and Ryan Santana set new PRs, throwing 46.37 and 42.20, respectively. In the shot put, Sarah Fajer had a season’s best to get over the national provisional, throwing just short of her goal of 14m (13.95m). Hunter Hornaday followed suit and set a PR on his first throw, surpassing his previous PR by 1cm. 
 
For the jumps, Dylan Fox long jumped right over the national provisional, but, unfortunately, the Santa Ana winds will negate that advance. Fox will try again for a wind-legal mark next week. Alexandra Ortiz won her season opener in the event, landing just under her collegiate best, while Hannah Wons took third with her first showing in the event since 2022.
 
Aside from the new personal bests, a small group of athletes entered themselves in events they haven’t done before. Logan Nelson tried the hardest field event out there and cleared three bars in the Pole Vault to get over 2.45 meters. Madison Fearon, who typically runs the flat 400m, added some hurdles this time and managed an impressive 1:06.96. Jasmyn Rios debuted in the javelin with a mark of 27.66m, earning her third place. Hunter Hornaday also had an impressive performance at his career opener in the javelin, winning the event with a mark of 40.98m. Finally, the distance women demanded an all-distance 4x400m comprised of Elizabeth King, Maddie Jahshan, Jori Paradis, and Claudia Vera who ran for a 4:28.83 in all of their career openers (and likely closers) in the event.
 
The evening wrapped up with a celebration of the program’s seniors who had just competed at their final home meet. They, joined by their families, walked one-by-one through a tunnel of Golden Eagles cheering and screaming to celebrate all they have accomplished. The program is better than when they arrived, and we hope they will return to continue watching it grow even more, much like the plethora of alumni who return to this meet every year. “Once a Golden Eagle, always a Golden Eagle” said Head Coach Keegan Bloomfield.

For the Titus and Ely results CLICK HERE

For the complete track and field schedule CLICK HERE