SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – The final day of the 2023 GSAC Track & Field Championship got underway on Friday, as athletes put their best performance on display with hopes of taking home a conference championship. For a group of Warriors, Friday was a day to remember as two Jessup athletes were honored with athlete of the meet recognition.
To earn an All-GSAC spot, athletes must place in the top three of their respective events.
Jessup's
Jessica Pedretti had a week to remember. Following All-GSAC finishes in the hammer and discus on Thursday, Pedretti followed it up with all conference finishes in the hammer and shot put. Her mark of 12.27m in the shot put was tops in the conference, securing Pedretti a GSAC Championship.
Alexandra Banducci joined Pedretti on the All-GSAC podium for the hammer as she wrapped up her final GSAC Championship with a third-place finish and a mark of 37.81m.
On top of her four all-conference recognitions, Pedretti also walks away as the GSAC Field Athlete of the Meet.
Another top honor went to freshman
Erica Waseq, as she claimed the GSAC Championship in the 100m hurdle with a time of 14.97. Waseq's performance this week sends her home as the GSAC Freshman of the Year.
Kamil Jones picked up from where he left off during the prelims on Thursday. Jones earned four All-GSAC honors, starting with a PR of 10.98 to finish second in the 100m. Jones added his second PR the day in the 200m, placing third with a time of 22.23. But in the event that already secured Jones a trip to Indiana, Jones posted 55.02 in the 400m hurdle to win the GSAC Championship.
Jones also teamed up with
Jeremiah Price,
Tyrone Brown, and
Cameron Chaddock for a second-place finish in the men's 4x400m relay.
Relays were an area of success for Jessup on Friday. In the women's meet, Jessup saw All-GSAC finishes out of their 4x100m and 4x400m relay teams. The 4x100m team placed third via the combination of Waseq,
Alexis Jones, Jennifer Pedretti, and
Eleanor Kania. Waseq made way for
Jayden Jackson in the 4x400 as the Warriors produced another third-place result.
Jones added a third All-GSAC result in her individual event, the triple jump, placing second with a mark of 11.01m.
Freshman
Justin Heckman added an all-conference result in the men's hammer, posting a PR of 37.15m, good enough for second. Heckman also set a PR in the discus (32.14m.
In team scoring, Jessup's women placed fourth with 126.5 points. The men placed fifth with 58 points. Walking away as team champions in 2023 are The Master's (Men) and Vanguard (women).
As it stands, just three Warriors have punched their ticket to the NAIA Outdoor Track & Field National Championship in Indiana. Those still looking to secure a trip will have another chance on May 7 at the West Coast Last Chance Meet, hosted by Chabot College in Hayward.
The NAIA National Championship begins on May 24 from Marion, Indiana.
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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 Jessup University. Follow Jessup Athletics on social media: Jessup University Athletics (Facebook) and @JessupAthletics (Twitter & Instagram).
