Starting A Run
Just a third of the way through the new athletic year, California Baptist University athletics has already produced some banner achievements in 2014-15. The Lancers have been led by cross country, which is the final fall program still going, so far. A number of other CBU programs have put together a tremendous list of accomplishments already this year.
Both men and women’s cross country won PacWest titles this season (for the second time in four years) and will both represent CBU at the NCAA Division II Championships. Caroline Barkechir will be the Lancer women’s lone representative at the national meet for the women after she took second at the Division II West Regional to earn all-region honors, along with Veronica Hall, who took ninth in the region. The team finished eighth overall, just missing out on a top-six finish and trip to nationals.
The Lancer men are sending a full team after they won the PacWest Championship for the fourth season in a row and took fifth at the Division II West Regional this past Saturday. Taylor Guske continued a dominant run to end his career, as the senior earned all-region honors with a ninth-place finish after winning the individual PacWest Championship.
The rest of CBU’s fall programs have come to a close. Both CBU soccer teams heated up down the stretch. The women enjoyed another successful year, finishing with an 11-4-3 overall record and an unbeaten 9-0-3 PacWest record. The Lancers also ended the year ranked No. 8 in the NCAA Division II West Region rankings after boasting close games early in the year to other top teams in the region. A staggering 11 players were named to the All-PacWest conference teams, including the third-straight PacWest Player of the Year award going to CBU. Lindsay Vesling grabbed the coveted Player of the Year honor, while Justene Kesterson was named the Newcomer of the Year. Joining Vesling and Kesterson on the all-conference lists were Audrianna DeGraw, Courtney Shutts, Sara Escobedo, Lauren Wallberg, Kimberly Allard, Riley Phillips, Rachel Witz, Silvia Sanchez and Mikala Gillis. That’s not all, though, as Vesling, Allard and Kesterson received all-region nods on Monday.
The men ended the season on a three-game winning spree and had 22 goals in its final seven games to finish 8-9-1 overall and 7-5-0 in the PacWest. Aidan Apodaca had a stellar collegiate debut, leading the Lancers with seven goals scored to be named the PacWest Freshman of the Year. Five other Lancers were named to the all-conference teams, including Paul Oliver, Josue Soto, Chris Gaitan, Josh Robinson and Bryan Portillo. Oliver was also a Daktronics All-Region selection.
Women’s volleyball capped its season with a win at Fresno Pacific, one of several banner wins for the Lancers in 2014. With just six returners, nine newcomers and one senior, the young, new-look Lancers came together quickly and showed they could hang with and top some of the best teams in Division II. CBU finished the year at 16-12 overall and 12-8 in the PacWest for sixth place in the conference. The Lancers earned their highlight win of the season during the GNAC-PacWest Crossover Tournament they hosted early in the year, as they defeated ninth-ranked Western Washington in straight sets. Four CBU players went on to earn All-PacWest honors, with Lauren Hackett and Michelle Waber being named the conference Freshman and Newcomer of the Year and to the first and second teams, respectively. Jordyn Siko took home second-team honors and Jessica Harris was an honorable mention pick in the conference.
An emotional season for California Baptist University – 16-year Coach Rick Rowland’s last with the squad – came to a close this past weekend. The Lancers helped secure some history for Rowland, who is shifting his focus solely to CBU swim and dive in 2015-16, producing the team’s highest-ever finish in a conference after taking fourth at the WWPA Championships. Sophomore goalie Joseph Moorman also rewrote the Lancers’ record books, setting a single-season record for saves (425), games with 10 or more saves (29) and saves in a game (27) in 2014. The Lancers went 15-20 this season but were in just about every game they played, with five of its defeats coming by one goal or in overtime this season. They were dominant at home, going 10-3 in front of their fans, and posting a banner 10-9 win over 11th-ranked UC Davis at the Lancer Aquatic Center. Overall, CBU has posted a 13-18, 1-5 in WWPA record this year and suffered several close losses.
Men’s and women’s golf kicked off their seasons with four tournaments in the fall. A talented, young group full of promise leads the men, while experience is the main characteristic of the women.
Two freshmen, Kavan Eubank and Greg Gonzalez, have been the Lancers statistical leaders so far. Eubank has posted team-best finishes at all four tournaments this year, with Gonzalez sharing those honors with him at the past two events. CBU returns from its winter hiatus on Feb. 16th at the Folino Invitational.
On the women’s side, the Lancers are ranked eighth in NCAA Division II at the break with top-10 finishes at all four of its tournaments this year. The Lancers finished top three at three events, including a victory at the WNMU Fall Intercollegiate. CBU resumes its season on Feb. 16 at the Super San Diego Championship.