California Baptist University
NCAA Championship
XC Preview: Men's Cross-Country Embarks on Third Consecutive Nationals Trip
11/21/2025 7:48:00 AM | Cross Country & Track
RIVERSIDE--- The California Baptist University men's cross-country team will embark on its third consecutive trip to the National Championships this Saturday as it enters as the #15-ranked team in the country.
The Lancers earned a spot with an automatic bid after placing second at the West Regionals last weekend in Sacramento. It was the first time in program history that the Lancers earned an automatic bid to Nationals, marking the team's best finish ever at the West Regionals, where they finished only behind #6 Oregon.
CBU finished 13th last year at Nationals, which was the best finish in program history. This season, they will look to surpass that mark with a deep group that includes Valentin Soca, Gabriel Guzman, Pedro Marin, Ernesto Ruiz, Victor Rosas, Brett Rushman, Finn Anspach, and Jude DeVries. Soca was an All-American last season in cross-country and is the reigning WAC Athlete of the Year. Guzman, Rosas, Guzman, and Ruiz are all returners from last season's squad, while Anspach, DeVries, and Rushman have all been solid runners for Sean Smith's team.
The men won their sixth consecutive conference championship this season and finished 11th at the prestigious Nuttycombe Invitational. At Nuttycombe, the Lancers were tested against 18 ranked teams, all while competing without Rushman or Marin. CBU will be one of 11 mid-majors in the field of competition alongside #3 New Mexico, #9 Northern Arizona, and #14 Butler.
MEET INFO:
WHEN: Saturday, November 22- 8:10 AM PT
WHERE: Columbia, Missouri
WATCH: ESPNU
LIVE RESULTS: HERE
Players Mentioned
