Cal Pac Championship Set for Nov. 4

This Friday, Nov. 4, the men's and women's teams will convene at Woodward Park in Fresno, Calif., for the California Pacific Conference Cross Country Championships. The women's 5k will open the morning events at 9:30 a.m. with the men's 8k following at 10:30. Both Embry-Riddle teams enter the meet as the favorites, having dominated the Cal Pac race for many years. The women's team, ranked No. 13 in the NAIA, have won seven consecutive team titles while the men, who received votes in the latest NAIA Coaches' Top 25 Poll, have won eight consecutive Cal Pac titles.

The top team and the top four finishers not on the winning team advance to the NAIA National Championships, which will be held in Tallahassee, Fla., on Friday, Nov. 18. The men's 8k is slated to start at 5:30 a.m. PT with the women's 5k starting after at 8:00 a.m. PT.

WOMEN'S 5K

The ERAU women have dominated the team title for seven years, but UC Merced has steadily risen to the level where they can challenge the Eagles for top team honors. The Eagles have run most of their races this Fall at the 6k distance, so their 5k times are not as prevalent in the top 10 ranking, and how training at the longer distance will affect their times at the conference championship will become clear Friday morning.

ERAU has dominated team and individual awards since 2016. The top seven finishers at the Cal Pac Championship earn All-Conference First Team honors and of the 42 First Team members over the past seven seasons, 30 have worn an ERAU singlet. The last six individual medalists have run for the Eagles—Keli Dorn in 2016 and 2017, and Ariana Anderson the last four years. The last individual winner not from ERAU was Marymount California's Hanna Hermansson in 2015.

This year's ERAU squad has experience and talent. Josey Gregory recorded a top 10 20:13 on her home course at September's ERAU XC Invitational, and teammate Josephine Banks crossed in 20:33 at the same event. The Eagles also have additional strong runners in the lineup: Makenna Bray (season-best 20:45), Emma Lewis (21:09), Bones Parker (21:21), and Lizzie Simon (21:29).

But 2022 has seen more challengers for that Individual title ascend, particularly from two programs—UC Merced and Park-Gilbert. Elizette Ysais has been the top runner for UCM this Fall, recording two of the top 10 times in the Cal Pac—highlighted by her 19:29 at the Seawolf Invitational, the fastest time in conference this season. Alexandra Lopez also has two of the top 10 marks this year, producing her season-best 19:54 at the Seawolf Invitational, the same event in which teammate Anjaneesa Ward turned in her top time of 20:23—the ninth best mark of the year.

It remains to be seen if Park has the depth to challenge for the team title, but the Buccaneers certainly have individuals that will run among the race leaders. In her last meet of the Fall, Maryan Sharif clocked a 19:38 at the John Elders Invitational, the second-fastest time in the Cal Pac, and Allena Rowland finished in 19:49, the third-best time in conference, in September at the UCR Invitational, and followed that up with a 20:44 at the Mesa XC Jamboree.

WOMEN'S TOP 10 TIMES

2022 Women's 5k

Women's All-Time Individual Best (5k)

Cal Pac Championships (5k)

From 2013-2020, the Cal Pac Championships have been run at Woodward Park in Fresno, Calif., and returned to that site in Fall 2021.

The 2020 Championship was held in Spring of 2021 at Pacific Union in Angwin, Calif.

Prior to 2013:

2012 - Rocklin

2011 - Angwin

2010 - Oakland

2009 - Redding

2008 - Belmont

MEN'S 8K

While ERAU has ruled the automatic bid to the national meet, this Fall UC Merced is primed to challenge that dominance. The Bobcats have added depth to their lineup, but whether it is enough to unseat the Eagles will not be determined until they take to the course this Friday.

ERAU and UCM looks like the teams to beat, but a widening number of runners have developed into challengers for the individual title. Ryan Hernandez of La Sierra clocked a 24:19 at the John Elders Invitational in Fullerton, Calif., on Oct. 21, registering not only the fastest time of 2022, but the second fastest 8k time in Cal Pac history. The only runner to finish faster was Antelope Valley's Santiago Hardy who, interestingly, ran a sizzling 23:41 to win the Titan Invite almost a year to the day and on the same course that Hernandez posted his personal best.

UC Merced's Jonathan Chavez has recorded the second- and third-best times this season, running a 25:32 at the Warrior Invitational in Rocklin, Calif., only a week after finishing in 25:33 at the Bronco Invitational in Sunnyvale, Calif. Chavez's teammate, Sharvin Manjrekar, also has two top-ten runs this Fall, clocking a 25:58 at the Bronco Invitational and a week later posting a 26:09 at the Warrior Invitational. Another Bobcat, Noah Vasquez, has the 10^th-fastest time in the conference this season, turning in a 26:24 performance at the Bronco Invitational.

The rest of the top 10 times are held by ERAU runners. Doutimi Fakrogha has claimed two of those top times, running a 25:46 at the Highlander invitational on Oct. 15, improving on his 26:05 at the Cougar Challenge on Sept. 24. Luke Stratton and Jacob Block crossed in 26:21 and 26:28, respectively, at the Cougar Challenge to earn the eighth and ninth spots in the top 10.

Soka's Randall Lindenmayer crossed in 26:56 last weekend at the Warrior Invitational, and Westcliff's Kelvin Kiptoo, who qualified for the NAIA National Championship last year, has a season-best 27:02. Both could also find themselves in the mix at the front of the pack.

MEN'S TOP 10 TIMES

2022 Men's 8k

Men's All-Time Individual Best (8k)

Cal Pac Championships (8k)

From 2013-2020, the Cal Pac Championships have been run at Woodward Park in Fresno, Calif., and returned to that site in Fall 2021.

The 2020 Championship was held in Spring of 2021 at Pacific Union in Angwin, Calif.

Prior to 2013:

2012 - Rocklin

2011 - Angwin

2010 - Oakland

2009 - Redding

2008 - Belmont