The Paradise Valley Community College track & field team delivered an impressive showing this weekend at the 2026 Cody McBride Invitational/Multi.
Across the meet, the Pumas recorded 13 personal bests, six marks that rank in the program's top 10 all-time, and five national qualifying performances—highlighting both depth and high-level competitiveness early in the year.
Leading the way on the national stage, five athletes punched their tickets to the national meet. Mackenzie Anderson and Mikaila Baran continued their dominance in the pole vault, while Nathan Nitschke added another qualifier on the men's side. In the throws, Jaeleigha Abalos and Julian Campos secured national marks in the javelin, showcasing Paradise Valley's strength across multiple event groups.
The meet also saw several updates to the program's outdoor top 10 list. On the women's side, Kate McKenzie had a standout weekend, moving to No. 2 all-time in the 100m and No. 3 in the 200m. Ava Wilson added her name to the list as well, climbing to No. 6 in the 200m. On the men's side, Orlando Perry entered the top 10 in the discus at No. 7, while Nate Williams made a big impact in the sprints, ranking No. 8 in the 100m and No. 9 in the 200m.
PVCC athletes also delivered a wave of personal best performances. Jaeleigha Abalos improved in the weight throw (37.30m), while Sara Gardner posted PRs in both the 400m hurdles (69.03) and 200m (26.89). Chloe Hancock had a strong multi-event showing with personal bests in the 100m hurdles (17.62), 200m (27.10), and heptathlon (3521). Piper Pendleton added PRs in the 100m hurdles (16.43), shot put (7.07m), and heptathlon (3,333). On the track, Preston Skidmore clocked a personal best in the 400m (50.14), and Nathan Williams added PRs in both the javelin (49.46m) and 200m (21.83). Kate McKenzie also continued her strong sprint campaign with a personal best of 12.21 in the 100m.
Although it is the first week of the outdoor season, The Pumas have already accumulated 20 marks that rank in the top 20 nationally. Chloe Hancock currently leads the country in the heptathlon, while multiple athletes sit inside the top 10, including Mackenzie Anderson (3rd, pole vault), Jaeleigha Abalos (3rd, javelin), Nathan Nitschke (4th, pole vault), and Piper Pendleton (4th, heptathlon). The Pumas' presence across sprints, hurdles, jumps, throws, and multi-events highlights a well-rounded team poised for continued success this season.
Paradise Valley will look to build on this momentum next weekend as they travel to Mesa Community College to compete in the Carvel Jackson Memorial Invitational on Saturday, March 28.
