Local products Baumert, Pisenti represent Jessup at NAIA Nationals

The NAIA Outdoor Track and Field National Championships are underway in Marion, Indiana, and two Jessup University students are putting the Auburn area on the map. Jessup sophomore Paloma Baumert, a Del Oro graduate, was the first local product in action as she met the B-standard in the pole vault. Baumert's top vault of the day was 3.5 meters, finishing 16th. Jessup coach Jeff Magley had high praise for Baumert, who was making her second NAIA Nationals appearance after winning the Golden State Athletic Conference championship. "She did a great job managing the first two bars at the biggest field size we ever see at the National Championships," Magley said. "Thirty girls in the pole vault, that's a huge field size, and she did a good job as a young freshman to manage that. She was great the first two heights." Julia Pisenti, a Bear River graduate, made her NAIA Nationals debut Wednesday in the javelin. Pisenti's top mark of the day was 39.45 meters, which secured a 19th-place finish. She followed with a 21st-place finish in the shot put, achieving a put of 13.04 meters on Thursday. Pisenti made school history this season alongside teammate Jessica Pedretti as the only two Warriors to qualify for nationals in three events. Pisenti placed second in the discus on Friday, earning All-American honors as a result. The impressive nationals performance comes on the heels of multiple awards for Pisenti. The freshman was named 2024 USTFCCCA West Region Field Athlete of the Year as well as GSAC Freshman of the Year, Field Athlete of the Year and Overall Athlete of the Year. "This is a great honor for Julia to be named West Region Field Athlete of the Year against some incredibly talented competition," Magley said. "It's a tremendous testament to her work ethic this year and her commitment to our team effort." Magley added, "To score 49 points at the conference championships, winning three individual events and earning five all-conference honors is an absolutely dominating performance, especially for a freshman. I'm very excited to see her compete against all the other region award winners and the best athletes in the country this coming week at our national championships."