WAHIAWA, O'ahu, Hawai'i – The Chaminade University men's and women's cross country teams don't have to go very far to compete in this year's Pacific West Conference Championships.
Both Silversword teams will make the half-hour drive from the Chaminade campus to the Hawai'i Country Club golf course in this Saturday's PacWest Championships, hosted by Hawai'i Pacific University. The event gets underway with the women's 6-kilometer race at 8 a.m. followed by the men's 8-k at 8:45.
The teams are familiar with the course, having competed there at the HPU Invitational back on Sept. 27 and in October 2024.
The 'Swords' ladies will seek a low finish, having finished in the top 9 each of the past three seasons.
Nikiji Dayse (Memphis, Tenn./Bartlett) will look to continue her stellar season, having won the Hawai'i Hilo Invitational in her last outing with a time of 22 minutes and 28.0 seconds, setting a program record in a 6-k race. The junior has also posted personal-best 6-k times in each of her first two conference championships.
Complimenting Dayse is
Jocelyn Thomas (Tonganoxie, Kan./Kaiser, Honolulu), who has been the Silverswords' No. 2 finisher in three previous races, while being the first to finish at the Chaminade Invitational on Sept. 20.
Emily Cooper (Mount Desert Island, Maine/Mount Desert Island) has been their third finisher in two races while
Cassie Chong (Mililani, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Mililani) has second- and third-place team finishes.
The team's lone senior,
Jordyn Koki (Ewa Beach, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Kamehameha-Kapalama), coming off a personal 6k best in Hilo, will look for her best PacWest finish in her final conference race.
Saturday's conference championship will be a new experience for the Silversword men. The only runner with experience is sophomore
Anthony John Bergancia (Saipan, Northern Marianas Islands/Marianas), who is the team's lone returnee from a year ago, but put together a solid run in last season's PacWest Championships in Irvine, California.
Kalama Francisco (Pahoa, Hawai'i/Kamehameha-Hawai'i) looks to take his efforts on a higher stage on Saturday. The freshman has been the 'Swords' top finisher in all four races this season and has enjoyed top three placements including as the runner-up in Hilo.
The team also has carbon copy team finishes throughout the year with Francisco at No. 1, Bergancia at No. 2,
Anthony Fontanez (Belmar, N.J./St. Rose) at No. 3 and
James Carter (Raleigh, Miss./Harrison Central) at No. 4.
Both Silversword teams will look for high conference finishes to solidify their respective spots at the NCAA West Regional in Monmouth, Oregon, on Nov. 8.
