HONOLULU – The 2025 season proved as one of the most successful seasons for the Chaminade University women's cross country team to date.
For the fourth straight year – and fifth in the last six – the Silverswords finished inside the top 10 at the Pacific West Conference Championships, one of the best stretches in program history.
Anchoring the 'Swords' cause was junior
Nikiji Dayse (Memphis, Tenn./Bartlett), who continued to demonstrate why she is one of the top runners in school history. In three consecutive races, she set the program record in 6-kilometer events.
At the NCAA West Regional at the Ash Creek Preserve in Monmouth, Oregon, Dayse crossed the final line in 22 minutes, 16.97 seconds. She previously set the team's 6-k record at the Pacific West Conference Championships held at the Hawai'i Country Club (22:23.7) two weeks prior. A week before that, she broke the record she originally set on Oct. 11 in 22:28.0 at the Hawai'i Hilo Invitational, where she captured the individual title, her second career championship.
Dayse's 15th-place finish in the conference championship is the highest by a Silversword since 2011 and earned her a place on the All-PacWest Third Team, then came in 89th at the NCAA West Regional in Monmouth, Oregon. She also holds the three fastest 6-k times in program history.
But Dayse also got help, thanks to
Jocelyn Thomas (Tonganoxie, Kan./Kaiser, Honolulu), who was consistently Chaminade's No. 2 runner. The freshman proved to be an excellent complement to Dayse with three top-six finishes while also finishing in the upper-half at the PacWest Championships.
Juniors
Cassie Chong (Mililani, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Mililani),
Emily Cooper (Mount Desert Island, Maine/Mount Desert Island) and
Jordyn Koki (Ewa Beach, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Kamehameha-Kapalama), all returnees, had excellent seasons as well.
Cooper enjoyed a trio of third-place team finishes while Chong has a No. 3 finish at the UH Hilo Invitational where she finished in the top half of the results. Koki, who is graduating early and is forgoing her final year of athletic eligibility, had one of her best seasons with two No. 3 finishes and a pair at No. 4.
Softball player-turned-runner
Maggie Turnbach (Brick, N.J./St. Rose) had a productive debut season with the cross country team while her former softball teammate
Ava Walker (Las Vegas/Faith Lutheran) participated in three races as a dual-sport athlete.
Freshman
Aleah Montgomery (Wahiawa, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Leilehua) completed the seven-member squad by competing in four races.
