FRESNO, Calif – Azusa Pacific and Jacky Kipwambok did it again and again.
Led by the All-American Kipwambok, the NAIA’s top-ranked Azusa Pacific rolled to its third straight Golden State Athletic Conference women’s cross country championship, and Kipwambok led the way, clocking a 17:14 on the Woodward Park 5K course to win her third straight conference individual crown.
Azusa Pacific scored 32 points, putting 3 finishers in the top 5 and 4 in the top 10 to match the second-lowest point total in the meet’s 24-year history. The NAIA’s No. 4-ranked Biola University scored 48 points to finish second, its best showing ever in a GSAC meet. No. 14 Point Loma Nazarene finished third to upset No. 8 Concordia, 95-91
As expected, Kipwambok rolled unchallenged through the 91-athlete field, taking the early lead and clipping off kilometer after kilometer to register the second-fastest time on GSAC Meet history, trailing only the 17:00 that she ran to win last year’s meet.
“We told Jacky to go out and win and that’s what she did,” said Azusa Pacific coach Preston Grey. “She competed well and had a great attitude. I know in the back of her mind she would like to be the first 4-time GSAC champ, so this was another step toward that goal.”
Kipwambok joins former Azusa Pacific great Brianna Carstensen (2002-03-04) as the only athletes ever to win 3 GSAC individual titles. A Cougar has won the GSAC women’s crown 6 of the past 8 years and 8 of the past 11.
Sophomore Lauren Jimison continued her emergence as one of the best in the NAIA, keeping Kipwambok in her eyesight the entire race and finishing second with a personal-best 17:22.
“Lauren is moving into the NAIA’s elite,” added Grey. “She just clocked a time that (former Cougar All-American) Jaime Canterbury ran as a junior and senior on this course. The future is very bright for her, if it hasn’t already got here.”
And on Jimison’s heals was Poppy Lawman, the top finishing freshman in the race who recorded a 17:59 to come in fourth.
“Poppy just knows how to compete,” said Grey. “She stuck her nose in there and wasn’t afraid to run with the best, pulling off a great finish to go from tenth to fourth.”
Juniors Kayla Carstensen (18:16) and Victor Martinez (18:40) rounded out the Cougars’ scoring five, finishing ninth and 16th, respectively.
There wasn’t a senior among the top 40 finishers, and 16 of the top 25 runners were undercalssmen.
“The future of GSAC distance running is great,” said Grey. “This is year’s race is a precursor of greater things to come, and next year’s GSAC meet should be fantastic.”
With the victory, Azusa Pacific locks up its 16th straight NAIA Championship Meet berth. The defending NAIA national champion, the Cougars will gun for a second straight national title in the Nov. 21st championship meet in Vancouver, Wash.
The Cougars have won 8 GSAC titles, including 7 over the past 9 years.
On the men’s side, juniors Abednego Magut and J.J. Timphony punched tickets to the NAIA Championship Meet with their efforts today in the GSAC Meet.
Abenego dominated the field by winning his first-ever GSAC crown with 24:43 over the 8K course, beating his nearest competitor – Westmont’s Jacob Goodin – by 61 seconds for the largest margin of victory in a GSAC meet in at least 10 years.
“Abednego went straight to front and was really more dominant on the men’s side than Jacky was on the women’s side,” said Grey. “This sets him up well for nationals, and I think he’ll contend for the national title.”
Timphony ran a personal-record 25:51 to finish fifth and surprisingly secure his individual spot for nationals. Senior Forrest Lewton disappointingly had his season come to an end though he ran a fine a 26:07 to collect All-GSAC recognition for the second time in his career. He missed an NAIA championship meet berth by less than 10 seconds.
As a team, the Cougars finished third with 97 points. Westmont was the surprise team winner with 64 points to garner the GSAC’s automatic and likely only bid into the NAIA meet. It’s the Warriors fourth GSAC title but their first since 1997.
“Our top 3 guys ran great,” said Grey, “but it’s been a tough year for the guys. However, nobody quit on the season and that bodes well for the young guys in the future.”
Azusa Pacific takes next week off before traveling to Vancouver, Wash., for the NAIA Championship Meet, Nov. 21.
Follow Cougar Athletics online with Twitter updates, at twitter.com/APUCougars. Cougar Athletics is also available on all web-enabled devices through Azusa Pacific’s mobile website: www.apu.edu/m.
