SAN DIEGO – First-year standout Clare Boneau's freshman record set the tone for a great opening day of racing for Torero Track, kicking off the 2026 campaign at the Point Loma Nazarene Sea Lion Invite Saturday.
 
"I'm excited to have opened up near home," head coach Will Guarino said. "The track is majestic and it gives our athletes the right level of competition in such a great environment. Overall, I was pleased with the start and am also pleased to have coach Grace (Barnett) start her racing journey as a coach with USD."
 
The day and the season started for the Toreros in the 1500m, where Boneau, in her collegiate track debut, won the event with a 4:34.48 split, a USD freshman record, the fourth-best all-time. Senior Lizzie McVey was not far behind in fifth place, and two other Toreros were top 10.
 
"[Boneau] showed her range in speed which will also set her up to also showcase her endurance in the future," said Guarino. "It was great to get the jitters out and now steam ahead to racing the next couple of weeks."
 
In the middle-distance events, Boneau shined through for the Toreros in her second race of the day, cracking top 10 in the 800m as well.
 
Back to the longer distance events, the Toreros took on their specialty in the 5000m later in the afternoon. Two Toreros finished in the top five, led by senior Nathalie Green on the podium in third place at 18:23.72 and the also experienced Rebecca Bronstein right behind sequentially in fourth place.
 
To round out the opening day, two Torero sqauds took to the 4x400m. The USD A team placed second in their heat, 8^th overall while the B team finished 5^th in the heat, 11^th overall.
 
Up Next
The Toreros will hit the road for the first time this season, heading to Riverside, Calif. for the RCC Open Invite next Friday, March 20.
 
Results
1500m
1^st - Clare Boneau; 4:34.48
5^th – Lizzie McVey; 4:51.16
8^th – Sydney Tackett; 4:54.02
10^th – Brooklyn Hom; 4:58.29
11^th – Camryn Kozak; 4:59.82
12^th – Ashleigh Schein; 5:00.65
13^th – Rebecca Bronstein; 5:03.62
400m
19^th – Olivia Gaspar; 1:02.78
800m
8^th – Clare Boneau; 2:18.56
11^th – Kara Curry; 2:21.17
13^th – Lilly Dow; 2:22.70
16^th – Talya Sepand; 2:24.42
18^th – Scarlett Laurent; 2:24.60
23^rd – Camryn Kozak; 2:28.39
5000m
3^rd – Nathalie Green; 18:23.72
4^th – Rebecca Bronstein; 18:36.03
12^th – Allison Kirby; 19:34.44
13^th – Hana Husmann; 19:38.86
16^th – Amy O'Connell; 19:50.93
4x400m
8^th (2^nd in heat) – USD A (Dow, Curry, Gaspar, Molly Stewart); 4:08.22
11^th (5^th in heat) – USD B (Sepand, Schein, Tackett, Laurent); 4:24.36