MARYSVILLE, Calif. – With one meet looming before the GSAC Championship, the Warriors made a sort trip up to Marysville for Yuba College's 49er Last Chance. The day was a great opportunity to fine-tune all that was needed as Jessup prepares to make a run at a conference title next weekend.
 
"This was a really important meet for us as it is our final chance in the regular season to get ready for the GSAC. I thought we did a good job and focused on being competitive. This was a critical meet to do that," said reigning GSAC Coach of the Year Jeff Magley.
 
Several highlights occurred throughout the day, but the new Jessup records set by Kamil Jones and Michelle Flint take the cake.
 
Jones ran in the 400m hurdles, just his second time ever competing in this event. A time of 54.69 won the event as he not only set a new school record but moved into the top spot in the GSAC for that event.
 
Over in the women's hammer, Flint broke her own school record with a mark of 47.07m. Right behind her was teammate Jessica Pedretti who also beat the previous school record, taking second in the event with a mark of 46.54m. Flint and Pedretti sit one and two in the GSAC in both the hammer (by over 25 feet) and discus.
 
Alexandra Banducci took third in the hammer as Jessup swept the podium. Her toss of 38.83m is a PR as well.
 
Magley spoke about the great efforts of his throwers and how they fed off one another. "Sometimes when one person gets going, it can be a snowball effect for everyone else. Sometimes that happens in these events."
 
The 800m saw highlights on both the men's and women's sides. Haley Borjas set a new PR in her race, while Jonathan Conklin and Josh Spiva posted new best times in their races as well.
 
One athlete that Magley raved about on Saturday was Julissa Casillas. In what Magley called Casillas' best meet of the season, she posted new PRs in the 100m, 200m, and was part of a 4x100m team with Rachel Travis, Alexis Jones, and Eleanor Kania that ran their best time of the season.
 
Jones individually ran her best 200m of the season as she worked on events away from the jumps, events in which she has already qualified for nationals in.
 
Competing in the heptathlon this weekend for the second time this year was Jayden Jackson. Jackson saw a 200-point improvement on her previous finish. At the time of the event, Jackson sits in the top-20 in the country for the heptathlon.
 
The Warriors used Saturday as an opportunity to compete in events they will need to score well in at the GSAC Championship. One such event Magley noted could help them in the scoring was the pole vault, as Andrei Matei competed in the event today for the first time this year.
 
Competition at the GSAC Championship will be fierce, and Magley noted that Jessup will need to be on their A-game.
 
"It's going to be a dog fight between the top four teams at the GSAC Championship. We have a short week to work and sharpen up on what we need to. Hopefully we will be ready to compete and come out on top of that fight."
 
The 2022 GSAC Championship takes place next Thursday and Friday from Westmont College in Santa Barbara.  
William Jessup University is a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), and the Golden State Athletic Conference (GSAC). For additional information regarding Jessup Athletics, visit www.jessupathletics.com; visit www.jessup.edu for more information on William Jessup University. Follow Jessup Athletics on social media: William Jessup University Athletics (Facebook) and @JessupAthletics (Twitter & Instagram).