Azusa Pacific has won nine straight Pacific West Conference track and field titles, dating back to 2016.

Can they make it one more? The PacWest coaches think so, putting them at the top of the heap in the annual preseason poll.

Grand Canyon won the very PacWest title in 2014 and Academy of Art won in 2015. Since then, it’s been all Cougars and they have won all but one of those titles by 75 or more points (in 2018, they edged Fresno Pacific by 14.5 points).

In this, their last opportunity (they are moving to Division III in 2026-27), they are the favorites to make it a perfect 10. The Cougars received 73 poll points and six of the nine first place votes. Fresno Pacific follows with 70 points and one first place vote, with Concordia third (66, one first place vote) and Biola is fourth (60, one first place vote).

Point Loma is next (43), followed by Vanguard (39), Westmont (23), Jessup (18), and Dominican (13).

Coach Jack Hoyt’s Cougars, who finished 13^th at the NCAA Championships last year, lost a lot of key pieces but return three-time All-American Hannah Richardson in the throws and four solid transfers who all placed at their conference meets.

Fresno Pacific, under second-year head coach Robert Foster, returns PacWest 100 meter champ Nydia Chance and Avril Mendoza, who finished fourth at the NCAA Championships in the 400 hurdles. The Sunbirds did graduate 2025 PacWest Track Athlete of the Year, Brianna Green.

Concordia returns 11 athletes that placed at last year’s conference championships, including heptathlon winner Giovana Pelascini. The Golden Eagles also lost a batch of medal winners and will have to find points to replace that group for head coach Keegan Bloomfield.

Biola head coach Sean Henning can lean on Eboselulu Omofoma, the PacWest Freshman of the Year who was also an All-American in the 400 hurdles. 2025 PacWest cross country champ Bethany Mapes also returns. Point Loma and head coach Jake Poyner returns seven conference placers including Maddie Reeves who excels from the 1,500 to 5,000 meters.

Russell Smelley returns from a sabbatical to lead Westmont into his 47^th season. On the opposite side of the coaching scale, Laura Gustafson is the brand new coach at Jessup. Dominican will attempt to move up the ladder under veteran leader Teressa DiPerna.

The 2026 PacWest Conference Track and Field Championships will be held April 20-22 in San Diego at Point Loma’s scenic complex.

To see capsules on each team, click on the links at the top of the page. To see the schedule leading up to the Pacific West Conference Championships, click on the link above as well.