The Cal Poly track and field team will compete at the 2026 Big West Championships at Long Beach State’s Jack Rose Track on May 15 and 16. The men’s team is aiming for a third consecutive title, while the women’s team seeks to improve after narrowly missing first place last year.
The event is significant as it brings together 11 women’s teams and 10 men’s teams from across the conference, with competition beginning Friday morning. The Cal Poly men are defending champions, having won last year with a strong performance from their distance squad. They hope to become only the sixth school in conference history to achieve three straight titles.
Key athletes returning for Cal Poly include Aidan McCarthy, who is seeking his fourth title in the men’s 800 meters—a feat not yet accomplished in conference history—and Michael Chambers, both of whom contributed significantly to last year’s victory. Chris Caudillo recently broke a long-standing conference record in the men’s 1,500 meters with a time of 3:35.13, setting a new school record and ranking among the fastest times nationally this season.
On the women’s side, Isabel Sanchez (3,000-meter steeplechase) and Lexi Evans (pole vault) return as individual champions hoping to defend their titles. Evans could become just the second woman in Big West history to win three pole vault championships. Junior Kelli Gaffney leads in the women’s 10,000 meters after strong performances earlier this season.
Following this weekend’s championship meet, Cal Poly athletes will await news on qualifications for the NCAA West Prelims hosted by University of Arkansas later this month.
