PacWest Conference Championships Preview

The PacWest Conference Championships will take place Saturday at Great Park in Irvine.

The men’s 8-kilometer race is scheduled for 9 a.m., followed by the women’s 6-kilometer final at 10 a.m.

Thirteen teams will compete in the women’s race, with favorite Biola looking to capture its third consecutive title, attempting to become the first women’s program to three-peat since former conference member Cal Baptist won four in a row from 2014-17.

2023 PacWest Women's Championship: Top 10

The Eagles are currently ranked No. 4 in the West Region and No. 19 in NCAA Division 2 and are led by Bethany Mapes.

The junior has shown great improvement this year with a 48-second PR on Sept. 13 at the Biola Invitational and a 6-kilometer PR on Sept. 21 at the UC Riverside Invitational at the Ag-Ops Course.

Mapes will be joined by a pair of three-time all-conference athletes in the Eagles’ lineup with seniors Lynette Ruiz and Britta Holmberg.

Azusa Pacific, ranked No. 10 in the West Region, placed third at the Irvine Invitational. The Cougars are pursuing their first PacWest women’s title since 2013.Concordia and Azusa Pacific look to challenge Biola for the conference title.

Concordia, ranked No. 7 in the West Region, ran well on this course Sept. 6 placing second at the Irvine Invitational behind Division 1 program UC Irvine. The Golden Eagles are seeking their first PacWest women’s championship.

On the men’s side, 11 teams will toe the line.

2023 PacWest Men's Championship: Top 10

Azusa Pacific, No. 5 in the West Region, looks to defend its title and become the first men’s team to earn back-to-back PacWest championships since Biola in 2018-19.

Concordia, ranked No. 7 in the West Region, returns seven from a lineup that finished fourth at the conference final last season, one point behind Fresno Pacific.

Biola has won the title three times, including 2022, and currently ranks No. 3 in the West Region and 15th in Division 2.

The Eagles will be led by defending champion Jerry Baltzer, with the senior looking to become the first conference athlete to repeat since Biola’s Gabe Plendcio won back-to-back titles in 2018-19.

Baltzer will be joined by all six members in the Biola lineup that competed in the conference final last season, including 2023 Freshman of the Year Melt Von Molendorff.