The Paradise Valley Community College track & field team put together one of its strongest performances of the season this weekend at the Gaucho Indoor Invitational, combining depth, determination, and record-breaking speed for an unforgettable meet.
From the very first event, the tone was set.
Day one opened with the women's pentathlon — one of the most demanding events in track & field — and Chloe Hancock and Piper Pendleton rose to the challenge. Across five grueling events, both athletes delivered personal-best performances in the pentathlon. Even more impressive, their scores placed them inside the top 16 nationally, the qualifying standard for nationals in the pentathlon. In an event where only the top 16 in the country advance, their performances carried significant weight and momentum for the rest of the weekend.
That momentum carried straight into a historic showing for the program.
By the end of the meet, the Pumas tallied 18 personal bests, two school records, and five marks that now rank in the top 10 in indoor school history.
Leading the charge was Kate McKenzie, who rewrote the record book — twice. McKenzie set new school records in both the 400m (56.12) and the 200m (24.39), continuing her breakout indoor season. Teammate Ava Wilson added to the sprint success, running 24.97 in the 200m to move to 3rd all-time in program history, along with a strong 7.63 personal best in the 60m.
In the hurdles, Sara Gardner clocked a 9.31 in the 60m hurdles, moving her to 6th all-time indoors, and also added a 400m personal best of 63.52.
In the field events, Jaeleigha Abalos delivered a big throw of 14.30m in the weight throw, good for 3rd all-time in school history and a personal best. On the men's side, Nathan Williams broke into the record books with a 22.61 in the 200m, earning the 9th fastest indoor mark in PVCC history.
The pentathletes continued their strong individual showings beyond the combined event. Hancock posted personal bests in the shot put (10.14m) and 800m (2:42.27), while Pendleton added PRs in the high jump (1.53m), long jump (4.88m), and 800m (2:48.39). Additional personal best performances came from Preston Skidmore (1:58.75 in the 800m), Connor Schilling (22.61 in the 200m), Julian Campos (13.26m in the weight throw), and Braden Tenney (4.03m in the pole vault).
The success at the Gaucho Invitational further strengthened PVCC's national standing. As of February 8, 2026, the Pumas now hold 10 top-20 marks nationally, including two top-10 rankings from McKenzie (5th in the 200m, 6th in the 400m), national-caliber marks in the pole vault from Mackenzie Anderson, Mikaila Baran, and Nathan Nitschke, and strong national positions from Pendleton and Hancock in the pentathlon. The women's 4x400 relay and Abalos in the weight throw also remain among the nation's best.
With confidence building and championship season approaching, the Pumas now turn their attention to the Don Kirby Invitational in New Mexico next week, where another opportunity awaits to compete against top-tier competition.
The momentum is real — and the Pumas are just getting started.
