Photo courtesy John Fajardo/LBSU athletics
The final Long Beach school sports action of the 2024-25 year took place last weekend in Eugene, Oregon as a trio of Long Beach State track and field athletes competing in the NCAA Division 1 Championships at the University of Oregon.
Tristyn Flores qualified in the 100 and 200, a perfect cap to a season that saw him break his own school record in the 100–with a 10.05, a new school and Big West Conference record. Flores became the first LBSU sprinter to make it to Eugene since Brent Gray did it in 2008.
He also qualified in the 200 after tying Gray’s school-best mark of 20.46, and becomes just the third LBSU sprinter to make it to the NCAA Finals in the 200 in the last 35 years.
Flores finished 14th in the 100m in Eugene with a 10.19 clocking, earning him second-team All-American; he finished 18th in the 200m in 20.68, earning honorable mention All-American.
The two other athletes who qualified were Ryan Gregory, a decathlete, and Claudine Raud-Gumiel, a heptathlete. They extend Long Beach State’s excellent run of multis performers under head coach Andy Sythe, whose 35 year historic run as LBSU track coach came to an end at the conclusion of the NCAA Finals.
Raud-Gumiel broke the school record with her Big West Championship gold medal performance in the hep, edging Riley Cooks’ LBSU Big West championship record in points. She ended up finishing 21st at the NCAA Finals after no-marking in the long jump.
Gregory also set a school record, putting up 7,898 points to win the Big West title in May. Gregory finished 14th overall in Eugene with 7,634 points, earning him All-American honors. His best event was the 1,500 meters, where his 4:25.05 put him fourth in the field.
Gregory was the fourth-ever LBSU athlete to be named All-American in the decathlon.
