TRACK & FIELD FULL OF PROMISE AHEAD OF NEW SEASON

(SAN DIEGO) PLNU Women’s Track & Field looks to build off a successful 2025 season that featured 25 student-athletes entering or moving up the program’s Top-10 List and seven All-PacWest performances.

“This is our first full recruiting class, so having the freshman here whom we've fully recruited, and we have a good number of them, is exciting and there's a lot of promise for the future across the board,” said Jake Poyner, Director of Cross Country and Track & Field, who enters his second track season at the helm.

Poyner foresees the team’s depth playing a key role in 2026.

“The way forward is through depth that everybody plays a role in what we want to do competitively,” Poyner said. “We’re keeping the competitive ethos wrapped around the notion of ‘If not you, then who?’ We’re focused on the idea of doing your part for the greater whole.”

One way the team is achieving that is by attacking and improving upon its weaknesses.

“We've asked them and challenged them to continue to look at negativities or weaknesses or things that they'd like to avoid, whether that's a certain type of workout or that's an event that they might be asked to compete in, to reframe all of those things as empowering and positive concepts,” Poyner said. “We want to rewire how we think about adversity and challenges, and to face our weaknesses head on.

“When we're the best at getting better in that regard, everything elevates – we improve in every department when we get better at the things that we struggle with.”

Point Loma is hoping this translates into cracking the top four at the PacWest Championships, which would be its best finish since 2019 and best since the conference expanded. PLNU placed fifth last season with 76 points after finishing sixth in each of the previous four conference meets.

“It’ll take 100 points or more to be in fourth place at the PacWest meet, and obviously the size of the conference has changed a lot over the years, but top four in this current iteration would be historic for Track & Field,” Poyner said. “That'll come from people stepping up all across the board.”

ROSTER

Point Loma will have that capability this season with by an impressive group of returners led by Maddie Reeves, who competed in the NCAA Championships last season in the 10,000 meters, one of two events she holds school records in along with the 5,000 meters.

Fellow distance runners Elizabeth Satterlee (third), Lia-Luisa Markert (fifth) and Zaila Smith (seventh) all rank in the top seven in program history in the 3,000-meter steeplechase.

“Obviously Maddie has ambitious goals this spring with the distance events, and we’re excited about our steeplechase crew of Elizabeth, Lia and Zaila,” Poyner said.

Point Loma swept the podium in the pole vault at last year’s PacWest Championships and have a couple key returners in Danielle Gould Leu and Katherine Heekin, who are tied-for-third and ninth respectively in program history in the event.

“We have two pole vaulters coming back with awesome experience in championship meets,” Poyner said of Gould Leu and Heekin. “They're both really hungry to continue the tradition here of scoring a lot of points and competing for PacWest titles in the pole vault. Coach Jon Stroschine has done a really good job and continues to do a good job with them.”

Angelica Gomes and Lillian Gomez were both on the program record-setting 4x100 meter relay team last season. Gomes also ranks third in PLNU history in the 400 meters, fifth in the 200 meters and eighth in the 100, while Gomez is fifth in the 100 meters.

Poyner expects that 4x100 meter relay record to be threatened again just a year later.

“We're really excited about our relays, and we feel like we have grounds to continue improving upon the 4x100 and the 4x400 competitively at the PacWest meet but also within the records books,” Poyner said. “We already have the 4x100 school record and I think we're going to knock that down even more and solidify that spot.” 

Poyner also highlighted the multi-events crew of Nica Zsiros, Rowan Cebulski and Reagan Cole, who is 10th in program history in the 100-meter hurdles.

“Nica redshirted last spring and is back for a fifth year, and Rowan and Reagan are continuing to grow off of their experiences last year doing the heptathlon for the first time,” Poyner said. “We have three heptathletes who work really well together and with the coaches. We're excited about that group as well.”

Other Sea Lions in the Top 10 in program history in different events and returning on the roster this season are Sarah McGarry (400-meter hurdles – 3rd), Ryley Burns (10,000 meters – 5th), Bree Gentry (800 meters – 7th, 5,000 meters – 10th), Millie Bledsoe (100-meter hurdles – 7th) and Madison Simmers (100 meters - 10th).

SCHEDULE

Point Loma opens its 2026 season on Saturday at the Ron Kamaka Open, hosted by Mt. San Antonio College.

“Getting ready to open the season is always a gift – there’s nothing like it,” Associate Head Coach Avery Takata said. “The team has been working so hard through preseason and cross country season. Now to be back together as one squad, I cannot wait to see where we’re at.

“It’s hard for them to tell until they have the adrenaline of getting on the line and hearing the gun go off, but I know they’re going to surprise themselves with a solid opener. It’s going to be a fun season.”

PLNU will then compete in the Rossi Relays (Feb. 28) and at the Long Beach State Opener (March 6-7) before hosting the PLNU Sea Lion Invite (March 13-14).

“It's looking like it's going to be competitive but not overwhelmingly large from a size standpoint, which is usually the best because it puts some of our newcomers in the same heat as elite competitors which only makes them better,” Poyner said of the team’s home meet. “We’d rather be the lowest-seeded competitor in the fastest heat or flight than the fastest or highest seed in the slowest heat or flight.

“We talk a lot about being courageous in that way and taking advantage of those opportunities, so the whole meet should be great in that sense.”

Point Loma will compete in several other meets, including locally at the Triton Invite (April 3-4) and the SDSU Aztec Invite & Multis Meet (April 9-10).

“We have some strategic weekends where we'll be split squad and we'll be competing in different meets based on what we feel like athletes need in respective events groups,” Poyner said. “We're excited as always for the other meets in San Diego. Between San Diego State and UCSD, we feel like there's great competition across town.”

Point Loma will then host the PacWest Championships on the PLNU Track & Field April 23-25.

“It’s an honor to host the conference meet and being able to do that for the PacWest but also for the team is going to be a lot of fun,” Poyner said.

Those home meets will allow PLNU to showcase its newly renovated track, just completed this winter.

“The team has loved the new track and we're grateful to the university for the financial investment in that facility,” Poyner said. “We’ve already noticed a little bit less injury and less tired and sore legs. The surface has been helping them even in preparation, so that came at a great time and we love it.”

After the PacWest Championships, two additional meets – Steve Scott Invite at UC Irvine (May 1-2) and APU Franson Last Chance (May 8-9) – are on the schedule for potential opportunities to qualify for the NCAA Championships (May 21-23).

“With track & field, a lot of times the process goals matter so much more than the actual competitive goals because you're really only scoring two meets – the conference championships and the national championships if you have enough individuals go that you score as a team,” Poyner said. “We focus a lot more on process goals, on rewriting the records books.

“For some of them being in a position to make a conference championship is incredibly meaningful and a great step in the right direction, for others it's about scoring at meets, improving on their personal bests and positioning themselves for Division II nationals.

“In everything that we do, remembering that everyone has the capacity to have a profound impact on their teammates, and being contagious in a positive and empowering way with the teammates that you train with and see on a daily basis, is really important.”

For the team’s full schedule, click HERE.