LONG BEACH, Calif -- The 2025 Big West Men’s and Women’s Track & Field Championships started with the first day of the decathlon and heptathlon competitions, Friday at Long Beach State’s Jack Rose Track.
UC Santa Barbara’s Brad Thomas, the Big West decathlon runner-up in 2023, leads the field with 4301 points. Thomas won the shot put (15.06m/49’5”) and the 400m (48.24), and came in second in the long jump (7.19m/23’7.25”) and high jump (2.02m/6’7.5”). Long Beach State’s Ryan Gregory (4131 points) and Milo Orona (3942 points) trail in second and third, respectively.
Long Beach State’s Claudine Raud-Gumiel is in first amongst the heptathlon competiton with 3489 points. Raud-Gumiel won the 100m hurdles (13.22) and was second in the high jump (1.72m/5’7.75”) and 200m (24.57). UC Irvine’s Jolie Robinson, the two-time defending champion, sits in second with 3309 points and Long Beach State’s Jenelle Hurley is third with 3252 points.
The decathletes day started with the 100m with Long Beach State’s Aidan Turner (10.53) coming in first. UC Irvine’s Max Daniels (10.57) was second and Gregory (10.63 was third). Gregory won the long jump with a mark of 7.25m/23’9.5”. Coming in second and third were Thomas (7.19m/23’7.25”) and UC Santa Barbara’s Jeremiah Havens (7.06m/23’2”), respectively.
Thomas kept the momentum and won the shot put with a toss of 15.06m/49’5” and took over the lead. Fellow Gaucho Hudson Shaver (13.50m/44’3.5”) came in second and Cal State Fullerton’s Keith Orona (13.49m/44’3.25”) was third.
Gregory won a second event, the high jump, on the first day of the decathlon. Gregory cleared 2.05m/6’8.75” for the win, followed by Thomas at 2.02m/6’7.5”. Long Beach State’s Orona and Shaver tied for third with a clearance of 1.99m/6’6.25”. Thomas won the 400m, the last event of the first day, with a time of 48.25. Gregory was not far behind at 49.02. Third was Orona at 49.89.
Raud-Gumiel started the heptathlon by winning the 100m hurdles with a time of 13.22. UC Irvine’s Jazzime Davis (13.74) and Long Beach State’s Victoria Plummer (14.10) were second and third, respectively. In the high jump, Hurley cleared 1.75m/5’8.75” for the top mark, followed by Raud-Gumile and Touchette both going over 1.72m/5’7.75”.
Robinson, the 2023 and 2024 heptathlon champion, won the shot put with a toss of 13.11m/43’0.25”. CSUN’s Brianna Kelpis was second with a mark of 12.20m/40’0.25”, followed by Davis at 11.23m/36’10.25”. In the 200m, Davis (24.45) had the fastest time, with Raud-Gumiel (24.57) and Robinson (24.93) in second and third, respectively.
Day two of the decathlon and heptathlon challenge will begin on Saturday at noon and 1 p.m. PT, respectively. The heptathlon events left are the long jump, javelin throw and 800m. The remaining decathlon events are the 110m hurdles, discus, pole vault, javelin and 1500m.
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