Friday Spotlight Series: Mateo Gomez, Whittier Track & Field
-- Courtesy of Whittier Athletics –
Name: Mateo Gomez
Institution: Whittier College
Year: Junior
Hometown: San Jose, Calif.
High School: Santa Teresa
Major: Kinesiology
Mateo Gomez, fresh off an incredible track and field season in 2022, has started 2023 strong, winning SCIAC Men's Field Athlete of the Week on Jan. 30. His 200-Meter Dash time (22.45) ranks sixth-fastest in SCIAC Indoor history, and his 6.60-meter mark in the indoor Long Jump is ninth all-time in the conference. In early February at the Orange Coast College Indoor Meet, Gomez finished second in the Long Jump and sixth of 36 in the 200-Meter Dash.
Gomez finished third in both his events at the Firebird Finale in Kenosha, Wisconsin, earlier this month: third of 19 in the 200-Meter Dash and third of 14 in the Long Jump. The junior decided to major in Kinesiology, because he plans to pursue a career in Occupational Therapy upon graduation. His favorite part about competing in the SCIAC is its "blend of camaraderie and competitiveness." As for his biggest accomplishment thus far, it's "holding (his) own against and even beating DI competition."
In 2022, the San Jose native was named SCIAC Men's Newcomer of the Year. For Long Jump, he was the conference champion and an All-Region honoree. Gomez also finished third at the SCIAC Championships in the 4x100-Meter Relay.