Lift Off
Winter seasons may have only just started, but all five California Baptist University programs are either in or making a good case at breaking into the NCAA Division II rankings. In the early going, all five teams have combined for a 14-2 record.
When it comes to swim and dive, both CBU women and men are 1-0 and ranked eighth and 22nd in the NCAA Division II, respectively. The men are coming off a fifth-place finish at the A3 Performance Invitational, while the women placed ninth at the event, which features most NCAA Division I programs. Lancer fans will have one last chance to see their team at home on January 9 in a dual meet with Claremont-Mudd-Scripps.
Wrestling started the year by setting the attendance record for an outdoor collegiate wrestling dual when it hosted Stanford on the front lawn for “Take It Outside.” The Lancers climbed to No. 18 in the NCAA Division II rankings and sit at 4-1 on the season, most recently producing four champions at the Embry-Riddle Mile High Open on Saturday.
CBU men’s and women’s basketball are off to fast starts this season. The men opened the season at 24th in the official Division II polls with a 4-0 record. It has been a dominant start, as well, with the team averaging a 22-point margin of victory early on. The Lancers will be in action this weekend, as they host the Ayres Thanksgiving Classic, facing Texas A&M Commerce and Cal State Stanislaus Friday and Saturday, respectively, at 7 p.m.
Not to be forgotten, women’s hoops have started the year on a 4-1 run after upsetting NCAA Division I Cal State Fullerton in exhibition action. CBU opened the year with nail-biting victories over Central Washington, 68-64 (OT), and Northwest Nazarene, 96-94, on the road. Since then, the Lancers have posted comfortable wins over UC Colorado Springs (85-69) and Saint Martin’s (81-62).
Before the season is down, the five Lancer programs will look to move up in the polls and put themselves in prime position for the NCAA postseason.