WAHIAWA, O'ahu, Hawai'i – The Chaminade University women's cross country team finished ninth, accumulating 268 points at the Pacific West Conference Championships at the Hawai'i Country Club on Saturday.
Individually,
Nikiji Dayse (Memphis, Tenn./Bartlett) crossed the finish line in 22 minutes, 23.7 seconds, coming in 15th overall, the highest finish by a Silverswords runner at the conference championship since Emily Ochsner's 11th-place finish in 2011. Her 15th-place finish earned her All-PacWest Third Team kudos, the first all-conference honor for CUH since Ochsner made the first team in 2012.
Dayse's time is a new program record in a 6-k event. She originally set the mark at the Hawai'i Hilo Invitational on Oct. 11 with a time of 22:28.0.
Freshman
Jocelyn Thomas (Tonganoxie, Kan./Kaiser, Honolulu) was 46th in her first PacWest Championship, clocking a 24:01.7, setting a new personal best in a 6-k.
Competing in her final conference championship, the 'Swords' lone senior,
Jordyn Koki (Ewa Beach, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Kamehameha-Kapalama), came in at 27:09.5.
Cassie Chong (Mililani, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Mililani) was Chaminade's next finisher at 28:09.9 followed by
Emily Cooper (Mount Desert Island, Maine/Mount Desert Island) at 29:22.3.
The Silverswords were rounded out by
Maggie Turnbach (Brick, N.J./St. Rose) at 29:28.6,
Aleah Montgomery (Wahiawa, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Leilehua) at 31:33.0 and
Ava Walker (Las Vegas/Faith Lutheran) in 32:30.4.
Biola won the PacWest title with 42 points, its fourth straight conference crown, while Point Loma was second with 69. The Eagles' Bethany Mapes was the top finisher in 21:40.6, nearly six seconds better than Vanguard's Ella Murray.
The Silverswords will await word on competing at the NCAA West Regional, which will be on Nov. 8 in Monmouth, Oregon.
