ROCKLIN, Calif. – The Jessup University men's and women's cross country teams hosted the 2026 PacWest Conference Championships on Sunday, and both squads finished ahead of their preseason projections on their home course. Biola swept the team titles, taking both the men's 8K and the women's 6K.

The women, picked ninth in the preseason coaches' poll, finished seventh of 10 teams with 200 points, ahead of Hawai'i Pacific, Dominican and Chaminade. Sophomore Angela Gladysh led the way with a ninth-place finish in 22:30.3, a big step up from the 20th-place finish she posted at last year's championships. Sophomore Juliet David followed in 47th (24:29.6), and freshman Mel Peterson placed 54th (24:56.3). Sophomore Kayla Carpenter (32:42.5) and sophomore Hope Garten (36:11.8) rounded out the scoring five.

"On the women's side we knew coming in that 6th was very much in reach," said head coach Jordan Kurtz. "Didn't quite get there being 1 point short, but the women ran smart races and we are excited to keep building with this young group over the next couple of years. Angela getting 9th after getting 20th last year was phenomenal, and we're looking forward to carrying the momentum to the West Region Championships in a couple of weeks."

Up front, Biola freshman Alyssa Lopez won the individual title in 21:53.0, just ahead of Concordia's Ania Kapustka (21:56.8) and Biola's Jaina Kang (21:57.2). Biola scored 28 points to claim its fifth straight women's title, a PacWest record, with Concordia second (49) and Vanguard third (83).

The men, projected seventh in the preseason, moved up to sixth of eight teams with 194 points despite coming in a little beat up. Freshman Ryden Rivera paced the Warriors in 35th (28:26.6), followed by junior Travis Brown in 46th (30:59.5), junior Antonio Leal in 48th (31:46.3), freshman Finnegan Cunningham in 49th (32:04.3) and junior Oscar Duncan in 55th (39:33.1).

"Our men's team was a little beat up coming in, but they stayed tough and turned in a good competitive performance," said Kurtz. "Ryden was a bright spot for us all year, and he continued leading the team today. Overall, each member of our team put together a great effort to beat our preseason projection."

Biola's Zach Elam, a senior, won the individual title in 25:17.7, with teammate Grant Miller second (25:37.4) and Concordia's Spencer Handorf third (25:44.5). Biola scored 29 points to defend its men's title, with Westmont second (41) and Concordia third (55).

Jessup now turns its attention to the NCAA West Region Championships on Nov. 21 in Sacramento. The department thanks the coaches, athletes, officials, volunteers and fans who helped make the first PacWest Cross Country Championships on Jessup's campus a success.  
About Jessup University Athletics Jessup University is a member of the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) Division II and the PacWest Conference. For additional information regarding Jessup Athletics, visit www.jessupathletics.com; visit www.jessup.edu for more information on Jessup University. Follow Jessup Athletics on social media: Jessup University Athletics (Facebook) and @JessupAthletics (Instagram & X).