TRACK & FIELD PRIMED FOR SUCCESS IN ARVIN'S FINAL SEASON

(SAN DIEGO) PLNU Track & Field enters the 2024 season with its largest-ever roster during Head Coach’s Jerry Arvin illustrious tenure that begin in 1995. 

Arvin will be retiring after this season, which has the potential to be a highly successful swansong for the PLNU Athletics Hall of Famer.

“It should be a wonderful last season with the Sea Lions track squad,” Arvin said. “This team, so far, has been one of the hardest working groups that I have had over the years.

“I am enjoying working with these ladies and my coaching staff, and the joy that they bring to every day of practice and the joy I will get in watching them compete.”

Point Loma has 58 student-athletes on its roster with a mix of newcomers and accomplished returners.

“We have a lot of youth with the majority of our girls being freshmen and sophomores,” Arvin said. “However, we do have very strong leadership and talent to add to that from the juniors and seniors.”

PLNU returns several key contributors from last season’s team, notably USTFCCCA All-West Region selections Anessa Chirgwin (discus) and Eva Koutelieris (pole vault).

Chirgwin, who holds the program record in the discus, won her second-straight PacWest discus title last year and was one of three Sea Lions to win an individual conference championship, joining Aubrie Nex (1500 meters) and Peyton Yoshida (pole vault).

Koutelieris set a new personal record in the pole vault on five separate occasions last season, with her personal best mark of 3.76 meters ranking third all-time in program history.

Nex, who is second in program history in the 1500 meters, ran an NCAA provisional time in the event last year and won five different events throughout the season.

She also teamed up with Bree Gentry, Madelynn Worley and Blanca Granados to finish third at last year’s PacWest Championships in the 4x400 meters.

“Multiple girls put their names on the Top-10 list last year and we are looking forward to them improving those marks and also getting additional marks in other events,” Arvin said.

Other Sea Lions returning who rank in the top-10 in program history in their respective events include Yoshida (pole vault), Worley (100 meters, 400 meters), Blanca Granados (100 meters, 200 meters), Makenna Sullivan (triple jump), Ryley Burns (5,000 meters) and Elizabeth Satterlee (3,000-meter steeplechase).

Arvin also said to watch out for the performances of Brynn Celani (sprints), Reagan Cole (hurdles), Madeleine Dekkers (sprints), Gentry (800 meters, 1500 meters), Katherine Heekin (pole vault), Macey Groves (sprints), Maddie Reeves (1500 meters, 5000 meters) and Nica Zsiros (multi).

He is also excited to have Brianne Camarena (pole vault) and Ellie Nguyen (high jump) return from injuries, as well as to see how the freshmen on the team perform in their inaugural collegiate seasons.

“All the new freshmen should impact in many different events, and I believe they will be an integral part for making this an outstanding team,” Arvin said. “We are counting on each young lady to be at their very best when they compete.”

Point Loma opens up its season on Saturday at the Rossi Relays in Claremont.

The Sea Lions will host the Ross and Sharon Irwin Invitational March 16 and the PLNU Track & Field Invitational March 23.

In total, PLNU has seven meets leading up to the PacWest Championships, which will be hosted by Westmont April 26-27.

The Oxy Invite (May 4) and Franson Last Chance (May 10-11) will offer Sea Lions additional opportunities to qualify for the NCAA Championships in Emporia, Kansas (May 23-25).

“The conference meet is always the highlight of the season and each meet prior to that is an opportunity for the athletes to meet the conference standards so they can get into that meet,” Arvin said. “I would like to see us get several girls to the NCAA national meet at the end of May.

“I want the team to compete to their ability level. If we do that it will be a successful season.”