SAN DIEGO, Calif. – Both the men's and women's track and field teams turned in second-place performances at the 2026 PacWest Championships hosted by Point Loma. The men placed second behind Fresno Pacific, while the women saw their nine-year reign atop the conference upended by Biola.
Hannah Richardson got the meet off to a great start for the Cougars, winning the women's hammer throw with a toss of 51.18m (167' 11"), a full 11 feet farther than the next closest competitor. In the highlight of Friday's field events, Kristina Rakocevic set the new PacWest meet record in the discus with a throw of 53.96m (177'), breaking the previous record held by her coach Elle Rogers (née Alexander). The top 6 throwers in the women's discus all met the D2 national qualifying standard. For the men, Brett Olson met the D2 qualifying standard with a throw of 51.6m to take third in the men's discus. On the track Friday evening, Ashlynn Doolan met the D2 qualifying standard for the women's steeplechase, finishing second over the 3,000-meter course in a time of 10:58.63. In the men's 10,000 meters, Kyle Galinis finished in second place, hitting the tape in a time of 31:58.95.
In Saturday's field events, Richardson led a dominant effort by the Cougars in the women's shot put, as Azusa Pacific swept the podium and placed five finishers in the top eight. On the men's side, Dejuan Walcott won the triple jump with a mark of 14.43m (47' 4 1/4 "). On the track, perhaps the crucial moment for the standings came early in the 4x100 relay, as the Cougars finished in second place while Biola did not finish after a mishap on the first baton exchange. Galinis again finished second in the 5,000 meters with a time of 15:04.50.
In the multisport events, Finn Coene won the decathlon, finishing with 6,722 points. He and fourth-place finisher Jaroslav Sivuha (6,358) qualified for nationals and, coupled with fifth-place finisher Maddox Bradley, secured a critical 19 points for the men. In the women's heptathlon, Emma Hein won the event with 5,035 points, again earning a spot at nationals.
Up Next: The Cougars have plenty of athletes who have already qualified for the Division II national championships Memorial Day Weekend in Kansas. But there is still a chance or two for some of the other athletes to work their way into the field. Namely, the Terry Franson Last Chance Qualifier, which will take place at Azusa Pacific May 7 through 9.
