SAN MARCOS, Calif. – The Cal State San Marcos men's and women's track & field teams will have one final opportunity to improve their chances of having individuals selected for the NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field Championships as the Cougars head to Azusa Pacific for the Franson Last Chance on Friday and Saturday in Azusa.
 
LAST MEET

• Both the men's and women's teams finished fifth at the CCAA Track & Field Championships last weekend in Turlock.
• The men's team saw six medalists, including gold-medal performances from Kalathan Laiwa-McKay in the shot put, Renton McGregor in the 800-meter run and Sankalp Shastri in the 1500-meter run.
• Taking bronze was Laiwa-McKay in the discus throw, Amaree Berry in the 400-meter dash and Dre Johnson in the 100-meter dash.
• Johnson was named the Freshman of the Meet after taking bronze and breaking the 14-year-old school record in the 100-meter dash prelims.
• On the women's side, the Cougars tallied seven medals, including gold-medal performances from Rasha Badrani in the 400-meter hurdles, Lilly McGraw in the pole vault.
• Trinity Barr was the lone Cougar to take silver, doing so in the high jump.
• Taking bronze was Jordyn Brooks in the long jump, Mia Salinas in the 400-meter hurdles and Rachelle Zilavec in the javelin throw. The team of Orchid Concha, Isabel Ortiz, Devin Yarbrough and Badrani took bronze in the 4x100-meter relay.

 
FRANSON LAST CHANCE

• The Franson Last Chance will be the Cougars' final opportunity to improve their qualifying marks for the chance to compete at the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Emporia, Kansas.
• This will be CSUSM's fourth time competing in the Franson Last Chance as it did so in 2013, 2022 and 2023.
• The Cougars have 34 entries spread across 18 events.

THE OLSON FILE

• Head coach Torrey Olson begins his sixth season at the helm of the men's and women's track & field programs after taking over in the summer of 2018.
• In 2019, Olson's men's and women's squads tallied three individual CCAA Championships for outdoor competition while the men's team earned five USTFCCCA All-West Region selections.
• In 2022, Olson guided both teams to a combined three individual CCAA Championships, 13 All-CCAA selections and five outdoor and three indoor USTFCCCA All-West Region honors.
• In 2023, the Cougars earned a combined five individual CCAA Championships, 19 All-CCAA selections, six outdoor and three indoor USTFCCCA All-West Region honorees under Olson's leadership.
• Olson came to CSUSM after spending three seasons as the Director of Track & Field and Cross Country at the Academy of Art University where his teams earned 50-plus All-American honors.
• Olson served as the head cross country coach for the previous three years at Academy of Art.
• In addition to the Academy of Art, Olson has also worked with the University of San Francisco and Pomona-Pitzer College.
• A graduate of Pomona College in 2009, Olson also holds an MFA from St. Mary's College (2012).