California Baptist University
NCAA West Regionals
CBU Men Punch Ticket to Nationals; Women's Team Finishes 6th at West Regionals
11/14/2025 11:30:00 AM | Cross Country & Track
SACRAMENTO, CA--- The California Baptist University cross-country team continued its postseason run at the West Regionals in Sacramento on Friday morning, with the men earning an automatic bid to Nationals.
The men's auto bid is the first in program history for the Lancers, and the women's sixth-place finish is the second-best in their regional history. For the women, it will be a waiting game as they will have to wait until Selection Saturday to see if they earn a trip to Columbia, Missouri.
The women's 6K kicked off the morning for CBU, with the Lancers entering the race as the 7th-ranked team in the West Region. The depth of the women's team was on full display in the race, with all seven of its runners consistently staying within the top 50 of the field. The Lancers would finish in 6th place, ahead of Gonzaga, which entered the race as the fifth-highest-ranked team and was ranked #28 in the national poll.
Ava Dyck would be the first to cross the line for the Lancers, finishing 19th with a time of 20:14.2 to earn All-Region honors. Mahaut Cooren would also claim All-Region honors with a 24th-place finish and a new personal best time of 20:17.1. All of CBU's runners finished in the top 40, with Helena Mees finishing in the top 30 at 27th. Ceyda Pinar (31st), Sarah Schiffman (32nd), Emilia Mikszuta (35th), and Karolina Bliujute (38th) would all finish with solid times to help the Lancers get 6th. Finishing 6th will give the women a shot at a national bid as the West Region is one of the premier regions in the country and will likely have multiple at-large selections.
The men's 10K concluded the morning as the men battled four other ranked teams in the deep field of the West Region. The men, who were picked third in the region, outperformed that and would earn one of the two automatic qualifiers by finishing in second place. CBU narrowly finished ahead of #11 Washington State and would also defeat solid programs in #29 Boise State, Portland, and Stanford. This is the best west region finish in program history, and the first time the Lancers have earned an auto qualifier since becoming eligible in 2022.
The depth of the men's team was on full display with all seven runners finishing in the top 45 and four earning all-region honors. Valentin Soca was the top finisher for the Lancers with a 13th place finish and a time of 29:40.0. Ernesto Ruiz would earn all-region honors as well with a personal best time of 29:47.3, while Brett Rushman finished right behind Ruiz at 29:50.2. Pedro Marin was the final all-region finisher in 21st at 29:56.9. Gabriel Guzman (30th), Victor Rosas (37th), and Finn Anspach (44th) would round out the group for the Lancers.
NEXT: The Men will begin packing their bags for Nationals, while the women will patiently await a potential at-large bid. The 2025 XC Nationals will be in Columbia, Missouri, on Saturday, November 22.
Players Mentioned
