By Mason Nesbitt, TMU Sports Information Director

Arianna Ghiorso produced one of TMU’s best-ever performances by a freshman. The Mustangs set a school record in the 4×800-meter relay. Stephen Pacheco and Wes Methum nearly set school records, too.

It would be an understatement to dub Saturday’s Rossi Relays in Claremont, California, a strong start for TMU track and field. That’s why coach Zach Schroeder used bolder terms to describe his team’s first outdoor meet of the season.

“Top to bottom this was the best season opener we’ve ever had,” he said. “The team has been working hard for so many months and it really showed today.”

In arguably the day’s most notable highlight, the foursome of Keylan Meneses, Isaac Ventura, Cameron Fooks and Kevin Pacheco ran the 4×800 relay in 7 minutes, 58.13 seconds, finishing second behind the University of California San Diego.

The relatively young group beat TMU’s previous record, set at the 2018 GSAC Championships, by more than eight seconds. They hope to drop 14 seconds over the course of the season and qualify for NAIA nationals.

Ghiorso ran a blazing-fast debut in the 3,000 meters, finishing in 10:22.19, good for eighth place. Morgan Gregory, Kayla Gray and Autumn Nootbaar each ran lifetime bests in the event.

Stephen Pacheco “ran an amazing race against strong competition” in the men’s 3,000, Schroeder said. The senior missed TMU’s program record by .46 seconds.

Methum, a sophomore, finished two seconds back of Pacheco.

Elsewhere, the Van Wingerden brothers provided the Mustangs with a presence in the field events after TMU’s one-year hiatus on that side of things.

Mak competed in the long jump, while Chatham did the long and triple jump.

Emily Hess nearly hit her collegiate best in the 100 meters, recording a time of 14.12 seconds.

“That’s awesome so early in the season,” Schroeder said.

The Mustang men’s and women’s track and field teams will be back in action on March 9 at the Occidental Distance Carnival, and Schroeder is optimistic the best is still ahead.

“I love working with this team,” he said. “They’re hard-working and competitively hungry.”

— Top photo by Brad Elliott Photography