Thursday, October 1, 2026
The Saint Martin's University outdoor track and field team found success as they took part at the Oregon Preview in Eugene and the Peyton Shotwell-Invite in Tacoma over the weekend, setting season bests and personal records in preparation for the GNAC and NCAA Div II Outdoor Track and Field Championships this coming May.
Distance runner and Olympia-native Cassidy Walchak-Sloan (CWS) shone again for SMU Track and Field as she set a season-best in the 1500-meter run and a personal best in 5000 meters, setting the tone in contention for her possible qualification in the GNAC Outdoor and NCAA Div II final.
CWS was impressed with the women’s 5000 meters and broke her record two weeks ago in the Pacific Lutheran University Invite, speeding off at 16:40.76, the best time in the NCAA Div II. She also clocked in at 4:33.16 in women’s 1500 meters, placing third among 35 participants and 7th overall in the NCAA Div II.
Walchak-Sloan was joined by Sara Sabra in the 5000 meters, who finished 16th at a season-best of 18:00.64, along with other Saints track and field student-athletes repping white and red competing in the Oregon Preview at Hayward Field in Eugene last March 22 and 23.
Sprinter Maddison Vu competed in two events, timing in at 26.01 seconds in the women’s 200 meters and 58.8 in the 400 meters, placing 13th and 7th, respectfully, while Gabriella Cintron had a season-best in the women’s 100-meter hurdles with a time of 15.37. Alisha Saucedo also impressed people, despite being under the weather and bolted a season-best in 800 meters, finishing 9th with 2:16.23, which is #22 in the NCAA Div II so far.
Jocelyn Saribay did well again in the throwing events, setting a personal record in the hammer throw at 45.87m while giving a season-best in shotput at 11.06m. Taja Ward also competed in shotput and marked at 10.33m, while Margaret Zilla placed 14th in the long jump with 4.71m.
On the men's events, Kainalu Pagente recorded the #7 best time, by far, in the NCAA Div II, placing 8th in men’s 3000m steeplechase at 9:29.52, while Zachary Franco clocked in at 50.48 seconds in the 400-meter dash, which is a season’s best. Ethan Guidry also participated in the javelin throw and put a season’s best of 57.30m, and Hewson Nguyen placed 10th in the long jump after covering 6.30m.
Full results on Saint Martin’s in the Oregon Preview are shown.
Kya Ramirez made a historic feat in the Peyton-Shotwell Invite out in Tacoma as she was SMU’s first female athlete to place in the women's 5000m in the event’s history, placing 2nd in the event after clocking in at 18:50.54.
She is the lone female athlete to rep Saint Martins in the Invite held at Puget Sound last March 23, with her time in women’s 5k just 7 seconds off her personal best while only topped by an adult Tacoma City Running Club member.
On the men’s events, the men’s quartet of Matt Cooper, Timmy Higgins, Kainalu Pagente, and Noe Ortega finished 2nd in the men’s 4x400m relay at a time of 3:30.59, with Cooper and Pagente having their personal best splits at 51.56 and 50.15, respectively.
Cooper also competed in the men’s 400m and timed 53.21, while Higgins also participated in the men’s 800m, clocking at 1:58.61. Ortega also competed with Jaydon Blackburn in the men’s 1500 meters, finishing at 4th and 8th respectively.
Full results on Saint Martin’s in the Peyton-Shotwell Invite are shown here.
The Saints outdoor track and field will return to competition on April 5 as they vie in the John Knight Twilight in Monmouth, Oregon, on April 5.
Data and quotes courtesy of Saint Martin's University Athletics.
Comments
No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here