Azusa Pacific's Jessica Kampman Walczak took the Pacific West Conference by storm this year, winning the conference race in her first and only try, and ended her graduate campaign today with the votes to win the PacWest Runner of the Year and Newcomer of the Year.
Biola, who won their third consecutive PacWest team title at Irvine's Great Park in October, claimed the other two 2024 special awards. Head coach
Sean Henning is the Coach of the Year, and
Jaina Kang is the Freshman of the Year.
The awards are voted on by the league's coaches at the conclusion of the entire season, taking into account the conference, regional and national results.
Jessica Kampman Walczak was a pretty easy choice for for the coaches for Runner of the Year and Newcomer of the Year. The graduate transfer from Dordt College won the PacWest title on the 6K course in 20:28, a whopping 13.5 seconds better than the runner-up. She would go on to place third at the NCAA West Regionals and 12th at the NCAA National Championships, earning NCAA All-American honors. She was the top PacWest runner at both of those championships. Those awards fit nicely next to her two NAIA All-American honors in cross country while at Dordt (Iowa). The Canadian also ran the first sub-20 minute 6K race in APU history, clocking 19:56.8 at the UC Riverside Invitational, where she finished as the runner-up, only behind a runner from Arizona State.
Biola head coach
Sean Henning is the PacWest Women's Cross Country Coach of the Year for the third consecutive time. In his tenth season at Biola, Henning led the Eagles to their third straight conference crown, this time with a skinny 29 points. BU had five runners among the top 11 finishers to easily win the crown over second-place Concordia, who had 76 points. Henning's Eagles would go on to place third at the NCAA West Regional Championships in Montana, earning an automatic qualifier to the NCAA Championships in Sacramento, where BU was 26th. The Eagles accomplished what they did in 2024 despite graduating two of the top runners in the conference, Susi Bruennig and Britta Holmberg.
Attempting to fill those shoes was rookie
Jaina Kang, the PacWest Freshman of the Year. Kang finished eighth at the PacWest Championships, just a lean away from First Team All-PacWest honors. She ran the 6K course in 21:24.5. That was the best finish for any freshman in the field. At the NCAA West Regional Championships, the Canadian earned all-region honors with a 23rd place crossing, the third fastest freshman in the race. Earlier in the year, Kang finished 16th at the Biola Invite with a 5K time of 18:02.
While it was the first PacWest awards for Kang and Kampman Walczak, it was the fourth All-PacWest honor for
Biola's Lynette Ruiz, who was the 2024 runner-up and 2022 PacWest champion. It was also the fourth all-conference honor for
Concordia's Porshe Eismann, the 2023 runner-up. It was the third all-conference award for
Biola's Karis Brown and
Bethany Mapes. Mapes, a junior, has finished third in each of the past two conference championships.
It was the second All-PacWest designation for
Academy of Art's Grace Southern and
Point Loma's Maddie Reeves.
| 2024 ALL-PACWEST WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY AWARDS |
| Runner of the Year |
Newcomer of the Year |
Freshman of the Year |
Coach of the Year |
Jessica Kampman Walczak
Azusa Pacific |
Jessica Kampman Walczak
Azusa Pacific |
Jaina Kang
Biola |
Sean Henning
Biola |
| 2024 ALL-PACWEST WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY TEAM |
| Name |
School |
Class |
Hometown/Previous School |
| FIRST TEAM |
| Jessica Kampman Walczak |
Azusa Pacific |
Gr. |
Abbotsford, B.C. / Dordt College |
| Lynette Ruiz*** |
Biola |
Sr. |
Simi Valley, Calif. / Simi Valley HS |
| Bethany Mapes** |
Biola |
Jr. |
El Cajon, Calif. / Liberty Charter School |
| Maddie Reeves* |
Point Loma |
Jr. |
Peoria, Ariz. / Liberty HS |
| Aislin Taylor |
Biola |
Jr. |
Terra Bella, Calif. / Azusa Pacific |
| Taylor Whitfield |
Concordia |
Sr. |
Highlands Ranch, Colo. / Baylor |
| Grace Southern* |
Academy of Art |
Sr. |
Middletown, Calif. / Shasta College |
| SECOND TEAM |
| Jaina Kang |
Biola |
Fr. |
Langley, B.C. / Credo Christian HS |
| Elizabeth Satterlee |
Point Loma |
Jr. |
Beaverton, Ore. / Mountainside HS |
| Julissa Avila |
Fresno Pacific |
Jr. |
Farmersville, Calif. / Farmersville HS |
| Hailey Wurzbach |
Biola |
So. |
Fairfield, Calif. / Vacaville HS |
| Zaila Smith |
Point Loma |
Jr. |
Buena Vista, Colo. / Middle Tennessee State |
| Elizabeth King |
Concordia |
Jr. |
Huntington Beach, Calif. / Ocean View HS |
| Karis Brown** |
Biola |
Jr. |
Chino, Calif. / Chino Hills HS |
| THIRD TEAM |
| Sophia Godina |
Azusa Pacific |
Jr. |
Oxnard, Calif. / Ventura JC |
| Porshe Eismann*** |
Concordia |
Sr. |
Chandler, Ariz. / Coronado HS |
| Mariza Chavez |
Concordia |
Fr. |
Red Rock, Ariz. / Marana HS |
| Kate Baranski |
Vanguard |
So. |
El Cajon, Calif. / Valhalla HS |
| Sofia Vasquez |
Azusa Pacific |
Jr. |
Sonora, Calif. / Summerville Union HS |
| Mattie Whipple |
Fresno Pacific |
Fr. |
Yreka, Calif. / Yreka HS |
| Gaby Ramirez |
Fresno Pacific |
Fr. |
Reedley, Calif. / Immanuel HS |
*Indicates Previous All-PacWest Winner