California Baptist University
Aztec Coastal Classic
CBU Sweeps the Aztec Coastal Classic with Dominating Performances
8/29/2025 7:50:00 PM | Cross Country & Track
SAN DIEGO, CA--- The California Baptist University cross country team got off to a strong start on Friday afternoon as the teams swept the Aztec Coastal Classic and finished with both of the day's individual champions.
The Aztec Coastal Classic was a first for the Lancers, competing in the race for the first time in program history. The field featured all San Diego-based schools, including UC San Diego, San Diego State, and the University of San Diego.
The men's 7K kicked off the event with a solid contingent of Lancers competing. The men would dominate the race in every sense of the word, with the top seven finishers donning the navy singlets. Victor Rosas would be the race champion, crossing the line at 21:50, followed extremely closely by Ernesto Ruiz and Roberto Castro Lara, who joined Rosas on the podium. Jude DeVries, Mathias Oliveros, and Eric Perez all made their CBU debuts in the race and would boast top-seven finishes. CBU would further dominate the race by having 11 of the top 16 finishers.
"The fellas just packed it up and controlled the race from the jump. We sat a lot of our top runners today, so the fact that they were still pretty dominant and looked great was a sign of the depth we have this year," said Head Coach Sean Smith.
The women's 5K closed the event as they would also dominate the field and had nine of the top 13 finishers. Ole Miss transfer Sarah Schiffmann started her CBU career off with a bang by winning the race at 17:34, besting her next competitor by eight seconds. Ceyda Pinar, Helena Mees, and Karolina Bliujute would round out the top five, while Isalys Huet, Sophia Clarkson, and Lindsie Fausett all had stellar debuts for the blue and gold.
"We packed up really well and were very conservative over the first 70% of the race and did not actually open up until about 2km for most of our runners. Sarah looked strong, and even though I knew she would be good, I was very impressed with where she is at, and I love where her heart is more than anything," said Coach Smith on the women's race.
NEXT: The Lancers will be back in action in three weeks as they take on the Roy Griak Invitational on September 19 in Minnesota.
Players Mentioned
