At the PacWest Championship meet in Irvine on Saturday, Oct. 26, Biola women’s cross country team competed against schools such as rivals Azusa Pacific University (APU), Concordia University Irvine (CUI) and Point Loma Nazarene University (PLNU). Two of our own Eagles were placed in the race, with senior human biology major Lynette Ruiz in second and junior kinesiology major Bethany Mapes in third.
RACE MINDSET
Mapes testified to the hard work and dedication of the team and her personal efforts toward winning the championship.
“I was aiming to try to win and ended up in third, so there was a little bit of disappointment with that, but far greater than the disappointment is the joy in our team win,” Mapes said.
Although this is the third year they have made it this far, it does not come without its struggles.
“This season has had some ups and downs with injuries, sicknesses, etc.,” Mapes said. “It is easy to go out and battle hard in a race with and for teammates I care so much about.”
Winning the PacWest Championship took the team to the National College Athletic Association (NCAA) West regionals in Billings, Montana on Saturday, Nov. 9. These are the first important steps in the team’s journey to nationals.
Head Coach Sean Henning spoke to the team’s fight despite the challenges.
“This team is very good at pursuing the little things and maintaining their determination to be excellent in what they do,” Henning said.
Henning and the team are very humbled to win three conference titles in a row, especially knowing the other teams will be going after them hard. Both talk about the incredible discipline and comradery that pushes them forward.
“Credit to the girls; they worked hard to build up their confidence, regain their competitive spirit, and work on their mental fortitude going into the next race,” Henning said. “We were calm, confident and courageous going into the conference championship.”
RUNNING WITH PURPOSE
Being part of a team means working together to build each other up and walk head-on into what is next. There is no doubt that is exactly what the team did this past race and is glorifying God through it all.
“The purpose of our team is to worship and glorify the Lord in our running through our hard effort and hearts of gratitude,” Mapes said. “That is the posture we will take in approaching regionals. It is a gift to race and we will not sacrifice that by giving anything less than our best.”
What is so unique about the team’s success is their ability to give glory and honor where it is due. Collectively, they know where their success comes from.
“As a coach, I am very proud of this entire squad, even the girls who didn’t race. They have contributed to the success of this team all year,” Henning said.
Henning also gave credit to the men’s team, noting that they competed well that day, but simply were bested by a team that ran well. With both teams nationally ranking top 20 in the country, there are bright journeys ahead of cross-country here at Biola.
As the team went into the race in Montana, they focused on doing well individually to ultimately help the team collectively. They are in a great spot mentally to race to the best of their ability. There was a positive outlook going into the race knowing that they would be a difficult team to run with.
With their win in Montana this past Saturday, placing third in NCAA West Regionals, they are moving onto nationals.
