Women's Cross Country

Four for Biola? PacWest Coaches Think Eagles Can Win 4th Straight

Biola has won the last three PacWest women's cross country titles and they are the odds on favorite to make it four.

The Biola Eagles have ruled the Pacific West Conference women's cross country world over the past three seasons, and the conference's coaches don't see a reason for that to change in 2025. 

The three-time defending champions gathered 11 of the 12 possible first place votes to land as the clear leader to win the title in Hawai`i on October 25. That gave the Eagles 143 poll points, ahead of second place Point Loma (129), who received the other first place vote. Concordia (122) is third, followed by Azusa Pacific (102), Fresno Pacific (93) and Vanguard (84) to round out the top half.

Biola ran away with the conference title last Fall in Irvine, totaling 29 points to runner-up Concordia's 76. Coach Sean Henning's team would go on to place third at the NCAA West Regional Championships in Montana and were 26th at the NCAA National Championships. 

Henning welcomes back five top runners from that squad. Graduated is four-time All-PacWest runner Lynette Ruiz, but back are veterans Bethany Mapes (3rd at PacWest, 7th at Regionals), Jaina Kang (8th at PacWest, 23rd at Regionals), Hailey Wurzbach (11th at PacWest, 38th at Regionals), Karis Brown (14th at PacWest, 66th at Regionals), and Ellie Stetina (22nd at PacWest). Kang was the PacWest Freshman of the Year in 2024, and Mapes and Brown are three-time All-PacWest honorees. Additionally, the Eagles landed Grand Valley State transfer Madison Ebright, who was second last Spring in the GLIAC 10K (35:47.28) and in 2022 finished tenth at the conference cross country championships.

Point Loma has climbed one rung of the conference ladder in each of the past three seasons, and the PacWest coaches believe they could take another step up in 2025. The Sea Lions are tabbed second, after finishing fifth (2022), fourth (2023) and third (2024). This year, they gathered 129 poll points, one first place vote and eight second place mentions.

Second-year head coach Jake Poyner has a robust 12 returnees, including three All-PacWest runners. Maddie Reeves (19th at NCAA Regionals, 4th at PacWest), Zaila Smith (24th at NCAA Regionals, 12th at PacWest), and Elizabeth Satterlee (35th at NCAA Regionals, 9th at PacWest) give Poyner a base to build from. Adding to the veteran group are Division I transfers Emerson Beard (Pepperdine) and Lia Markert (West Virginia). 

Concordia has been knocking on the door, finishing second in each of the past two PacWest Championships. The Golden Eagles also finished eighth at the NCAA West Regionals in 2024.

Head coach Keegan Bloomfield lost four-time All-PacWest runner Porshe Eismann to graduation, but returns nine runners with experience. That list includes Elizabeth King (Second Team All-PacWest – 13th place; 80th at NCAA Regional); Mariza Chavez (Third Team All-PacWest – 17th place; 78th at NCAA Regional); Emily Littlefield, (24th place at PacWest; 67th at NCAA Regional); and Claudia Vera (27th at PacWest, 41st at NCAA Regional). The Golden Eagles also welcome four freshmen and two transfers to the successful program. 

Azusa Pacific received one second-place vote and 102 poll points to list fourth. The Cougars also finished fourth at the 2024 conference championships, but lose a major piece in Jessica Kampman Walzcak who won the PacWest title, was the PacWest Runner of the Year, the PacWest Newcomer of the Year and finished third at the regional meet. Second-year head coach Jebreh Harris will lean on four returnees, including Sophia Godina (15th at PacWest) and Sofia Vasquez (Third Team in 2023). 

Fresno Pacific is fifth with 93 poll points. The Sunbirds were fifth in Irvine in 2024 and 12th at the regional meet. First-year leader Landon Miller has five runners back from that squad, including three all-conference runners--Julissa Avila (14th at NCAA Regionals, 10th at PacWest), Gaby Ramirez (All-PacWest Third Team), and Mattie Whipple (All-PacWest Third Team). Vanguard is sixth (84) with head coach Bryan Wilkins as the program's leader for the 37th time. Wilkins has Third Team All-PacWest runner Kate Baranski to lead a team that has seven returnees, four freshmen and only lost one runner to graduation. 

Westmont is next (73). Russell Smelley is on sabbatical, so Lindsey Connolley will serve as the Warrior lead this Fall. Westmont, who finished seventh last season in Irvine, has a whopping 15 runners returning, led by Sophie Stoddard. Chaminade follows in eighth. Head coach Shadrack Nabea, in his 12th season, has four returnees (four are gone) and has a leader in Nikiji Dayse, who was just outside all-conference honors in 28th place in 2024. Fellow island school Hawai`i Hilo follows with 48 poll points. Third-year leader Alan Ryan lost four runners and returns two (Isabel Raymond and Summer Corke), but also added transfers Kathleen Raab (Washington State) and Sequoia Gonzales (Academy of Art).

Rounding out the dozen women's teams are Hawai`i Pacific (36), Dominican (26) and Jessup (18). The Sharks, who will host the 2025 PacWest Championships at the Hawai`i Country Club on Oahu, are directed by second-year coach Kevin Schwartz. HPU has five returnees. Dominican head coach Teressa DiPerna has three runners back, while Jessup first-year coach Garrett Seawell will be almost starting from scratch in putting together his Warrior squad. 

The Hawai`i schools will kick off the season on September 5 on Oahu at the Big Wave Invitational, with Fresno Pacific (Clovis CC), Vanguard (own race) and Concordia (Coyote Invite) opening their season on Saturday, Sept. 6. By the following weekend (Sept. 12-13) the rest of the schools will be underway at Biola, CS San Bernardino, Stanislaus State or Iona meets. To see the complete schedule, click here.