Azusa Pacific led all PacWest teams with a fourth place finish at the Pomona-Pitzer Invitational on Saturday, even without top runner Kyle Galinas. Aaron Lakeman filled Galinas' role as the top Cougar runner with a time of 25:50. Westmont was right behind APU with a fifth place tally.

2025 Results/Schedule
2025 USTFCCCA National and Regional Polls
 
RUNNER OF THE WEEK: Azusa Pacific's Aaron Lakeman, Fr., Tualatin, Ore.                                                        
Azusa Pacific's Aaron Lakeman led the Cougar pack in Claremont with a 22nd finish and a 8K time of 25:50 in a very good field of small college racers. He led the Cougars the entire race, helping to pace his team to a fourth place finish overall. The APU Freshman of the Month (September) was the Cougar's second fastest runner in each of their first two races at Biola and The Master's, clocking times of 24:45 and 24:49 respectively. Lakeman, from a strong running family in Oregon, has not competed the past two cross country seasons and is just beginning to return to form. 

TEAM OF THE WEEK: Azusa Pacific Cougars                                                                                                            
Azusa Pacific was fourth at the Pomona-Pitzer Invite with 147 team points, running without their top runner Kyle Galinas, who took the weekend off. The Cougars were ahead of Westmont (fifth, 191 points) and behind a trio of top small college teams in Cal Poly Pomoa (25), The Master's (49) and Pomona-Pitzer (57). In addition to Aaron Lakeman's lead race, Jonas Teeter crossed in 40th (26:00), Isaiah Cowan was 45th (26:28) and Erick Leal was 46th, giving the defending PacWest champion Cougars five runners in the top 50. 
 
PACWEST NEWS AND NOTES: Westmont was leading Azusa Pacific in points last Saturday at Pomona-Pitzer until the final couple of meters. The Warriors settled for fifth place, led by Luke Hein in 31st place (26:02)...Vanguard was 12th as a team, but they had the PacWest's second fastest runner in Jesse O'Campo in 28th (25:59)...Biola ran a short crew, led by Brayden Lunetta's 51st crossing in 26:35...Hawaii Pacific's Ray Gottschalk represented the Sharks with a 29:25 mark...At the Pacific Invitational in Lodi, Dominican's Diego Montag was the top conference runner in 33rd (26:58) on the 8K course. Robert Dawson was 43rd for the Penguins (27:40). Jessup's top runner was Zachary Heberlein (29:21). 

LOOKING AHEAD: PacWest teams will be a bit spread out next Friday and Saturday at three different meets. Azusa Pacific and Concordia will compete at the San Francisco State Invite on Friday, while Hawaii Hilo will host Hawaii Pacific and Chaminade on the Big Island. Biola will trek across the country to take on some of the nation's best at the Lewis Crossover in Illinois...The Pacific West Conference Championships are now less than three weeks out, to be hosted by Hawaii Pacific on Oahu at the Hawaii Country Club on October 25.