California Baptist University
WAC Outdoor Track Championships
Ernesto Ruiz Claims the Steeplechase Title as CBU Dominates the Event in Arlington
5/15/2026 6:23:00 PM | Cross Country & Track
ARLINGTON, TX--- The California Baptist University track team would impress in the Steeplechase finals on day two of the WAC OTF Championships, bringing home five total All-WAC finishers and another individual champion on the weekend.
The afternoon began with men's and women's 800s, with five total Lancers competing across three heats in the two events. On the women's side, Lamiae Mamouni would record the fastest time at 2:13.10 but would miss out on a time qualifier by two spots. Petra Kis and Sophia Clarkson would finish 12th and 13th, respectively, overall to close out the women's side. On the men's side, Joshua Mitchell and Joshua Griffin would compete in the opening heat of the event. Mitchell would miss his personal best by a second, and both he and Griffin would finish a few spots off of time qualifiers for Saturday's final.
The steeplechase would be the Lancers' final event on Friday, with one female and four male athletes competing in the two events. CBU would dominate the event with all five of its athletes earning All-WAC honors. Emely Ruiz was the lone female runner for the Lancers, and she would have her best steeplechase performance of the season by snagging the final All-WAC spot with an eighth-place finish at 11:14.05. Ruiz held off her UVU challenger by nine seconds and would set a new personal best by 22 seconds to claim second-team All-WAC.
The Lancers once again saved the best for last as they would have a dominant showing in the men's steeplechase finals. Ernesto Ruiz would dip under nine minutes in the Texas humidity and claim the first WAC Title since 2022 and the third in program history. Ruiz has already staked his claim to the West Regionals in two weeks and has now solidified his name in the Lancer record books with the Steeplechase crown with a time of 8:55.40.
Nicolai Martino would medal in the event with a third-place finish with a time of 9:02.32 to conclude his incredible true freshman season. Finn Anspach and Jude Enriquez would both claim Second-Team honors with sixth and seventh-place finishes, respectively. The time for Anspach would be a CBU best for him at 9:16.01, while Enriquez would get within 0.4 seconds of his personal best that he set at the Steve Scott Invitational.
NEXT: The Lancers will conclude its final WAC OTF Championships tomorrow afternoon on Championship Saturday with the 1500, 800, and 5K Finals.
