California Baptist University
WAC Conference Tournament
XC Preview: CBU Picked to Sweep WAC XC Championships this Week in Arlington
10/27/2025 12:00:00 PM | Cross Country & Track
RIVERSIDE--- The 2025 Cross-Country postseason has arrived as the California Baptist University cross-country team will travel to Arlington, Texas, to compete in its final Western Athletic Conference Championships before transitioning to the Big West next season.
The Lancers will enter the race with a target on their backs as both its men's and women's teams were selected as the favorites in the Pre-Championship Coaches' poll. The men will look to continue their historic run as they are seeking a sixth-straight championship in the 8K race in CBU's final run. The women will look to reclaim the top spot on the podium for the first time since 2022, having finished as runners-up in the past two seasons to Utah Valley.
Sean Smith will look to claim more hardware for his teams in his second season at the helm of the program as he seeks the sweep in Arlington this Friday. Smith was named the WAC Men's Coach of the Year in 2024, in addition to being the West Region Men's Coach of the Year, following a historic season for the men. The men's team is on pace to continue a historic run for CBU as they came in ranked #17 in the National Coaches Poll and #3 in the West Region poll. Valentin Soca, a 3x All-American, made his season debut for the Lancers two weeks ago at the Nuttycombe Invite, where he placed 7th, helping the men finish 11th overall. Soca and a deep squad of Lancers will look to cement its legacy in the WAC by bringing home its sixth consecutive WAC title.
On the women's side, the team has shown tremendous strides from a season ago and will bring a strong group of competitors to Arlington this Friday. The women placed 20th at the Nuttycombe Invitational a few weeks ago, beating out a handful of ranked programs in the process. CBU also beat a ranked Minnesota team outright at the Roy Griak Invitational earlier in the season and will look to get back on top of the WAC for the first time since 2022. The title would be the fifth in program history after the team won four out of five between 2018 and 2022. The tremendous sophomore campaigns of Helena Mees, Ava Dyck, Ceyda Pinar, and Karolina Bliujute should be significant catalysts for the Lancers' success this weekend, in addition to the solid additions of transfers like Sarah Schiffmann and Emilia Mikszuta.
CHAMPIONSHIP INFO:
WHEN: Friday, October 31
WHERE: Arlington, TX- Harold Patterson Sports Center
RACES: Men's 8K- 7 AM PT, Women's 6K- 8 AM PT
Players Mentioned
