School record holder Martel-Phillips will lead deep and talented squad
Photo by: UCSC Track and Field
2024 SEASON PREVIEW- Women's Track and Field
2/2/2024 2:48:00 PM | Men's Track and Field
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After making a return trip to the 2023 NCAA Cross Country National Championships, the UC Santa Cruz Women's Track & Field team looks forward to an explosive 2024 season. With school record holders Amaya Cummins, Caitlin Donovan, Kayla Galvez, and Riley Martel-Phillips all back in action, the Banana Slugs look to challenge for the Conference titles in both indoors and outdoors. After claiming the top 7 places at the Coast-To-Coast (C2C) Cross Country Championships, expect the distance women to put up strong performances on the track. With the deepest roster in UC Santa Cruz Track & Field history, expect to see the Banana Slugs contending for C2C Championships in every event during the 2024 season.
Sprints/Hurdles/Relays
UCSC Sprinters Kasanagottu, Kamble and Cummins (Max Gold- UCSC Sports Information)
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Junior Amaya Cummins returns in 2024 after re-writing the school record book last season in the 100m, 200m, and 4x100m Relay. Coast-to-Coast relay champion and school record Holder in the 400m Caitlin Donovan looks to build on an impressive Sophomore campaign. C2C All Conference honorees Caroleene Block, Kayla Galvez, Sophie Jimenez provide added depth to the Sprint core. Newcomers Mae Stafford (San Juan Hills HS, San Juan Capistrano, CA) and Aditi Kamble (Foothill HS, Pleasanton, CA) will be instant contributors and should be able to score in the C2C during their debut seasons.
Returners Mackenzie Jones, Isha Kasanagottu, Alicia Dasalla and first-year Akira Jones (Oxnard HS, Oxnard, CA) will look to hold down the hurdle events. Mackenzie, Isha, and Alicia were all conference scorers in the hurdles last season and look to move up the ranks in 2024. First-year Akira Jones should be able to make an immediate impact in both hurdles races during her debut season.
Middle Distance/Distance
The Cross Country women have made back-to-back appearances at the NCAA National Championships. In Newville, PA. The women will be led this Track and Field season by All-Region Cross Country Honorees Helena Janku, Martel-Phillips, and Hanna Hekkanen. The trio of C2C Individual Conference Champions will look to challenge the UC Santa Cruz record books this season.
Additionally, NCAA Championship participants Luna Centeno, Cheryl Chuang, Faith Dyogi, Kenzie Seymour, and Elena Stanciu and C2C Cross Country All-Conference honorees Andrea Gallardo and Emma Wirz look to continue a strong Banana Slug presence in the distance events. First-year Jordan Baden and sophomore Marianne Chuang look to provide depth in the Middle Distance Events after impressive 2023 Cross Country seasons.
Jumps
The UC Santa Cruz Women's jumps program is going to be bolstered with three impressive first-years in Akira Jones, Allyson Petersen (Turlock HS, Turlock, CA), and Emily Zamora (Willow Glen HS, San Jose, CA). Akira comes in as a top level talent in the Long Jump, while Allyson and Emily will challenge the school record in the Pole Vault this season. Alex Kaplan and Isha Kasanagottu will provide additional depth in the jumps and look to build off their freshman C2C scoring performances.
Throws
Whitney Porter (Courtesy UCSC Track and Field)
Sophomore Whitney Porter returns in 2023 having scored in all 6 throwing events during the 2023 Indoor and Outdoor Seasons. Freshman Kailey Leba (Arcadia HS, Arcadia, CA) comes in with personal bests in the Hammer Throw and Javelin that will put her in contention for C2C Conference Championships during her first season with the Banana Slugs.
