Having found success on the national stage with the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics and National Christian College Athletic Association over the past decade, the Azusa Pacific cross country program is prompted with a new opportunity: postseason competition in NCAA Division II.
With the women coming off of back-to-back PacWest conference titles and the men returning with their first national title, that opportunity seems to be within reach.
The men’s team returned All-PacWest leader Peter Buscheck along with sophomore Kyle Bueckert and senior Devin Pierce. Buscheck and Buekert were among the team’s top-five finishers for the program’s first-ever men’s national title at the NCCAA National Championship meet last season.
The eight-man roster rounds out with five freshmen, who saw their first collegiate action at the UC Riverside Invitational Sept. 13.
The men and women each competed against Division I and II programs in that opening meet, including conference rival California Baptist. The men finished fifth among Division II competitors, while the women finished third in their respective division.
The women also came away with a top-10 individual finish from senior transfer Staci Foster, who earned PacWest Runner of the Week for her performance. Foster is among four newcomers on the women’s roster, joined by three freshmen: Eileen Stressling, Jess Aguilar and Taylor Hurlock.
The women have returned All-PacWest first team member Kristie Sikma, who competed for the Cougars in the last three national championship appearances, which included the 2012 NCCAA Championship title and two second-place performances at the 2011 NAIA Championships and 2013 NCCAA Championship Meet.
Additionally, the Cougars returned three other members of their 2013 PacWest Conference Championship squad: seniors Elle Farrar and Elizabeth Lyons and sophomore Kylie Betts. Betts also earned All-PacWest honors last season.
With their first meet finished, the Cougars will continue their regular season Sept. 27 at the Stanford Invitational.
“The competition level at Stanford is unlike any other we’ll see for the rest of the year. It’s a good chance to go up against the big boys,” Buscheck said. “I feel like we rise to the occasion when the competition is toughest.”
According to Grey, the invitational is a unique opportunity to compete against elite programs.
“We like to go there so that when we go to the line at regionals or at nationals, we’re not scared of anybody because we saw schools that good at Stanford,” Grey said.
This preparation in the regular season allows the Cougars room for growth leading up to regionals, where they’ll be presented with the possibility of competing in the NCAA National Championships; however, only the top six teams advance to the national competition. For Grey, competing in the NCAA this year means tougher going.
“The standard is a lot higher,” Grey said. “When we go to UCR and we get our butts kicked by some of the better teams in the region we know, ‘OK, this is where we have to get to, and we have this much time to do it, so we have to stay on it and keep working hard.’”
Seniors like Ferrar who have competed for the Cougars will still in the NAIA perhaps have a better understanding of the higher standard that comes with the NCAA status.
“I’m just excited to be a part of this transition,” Farrar said. “I think if we can get to nationals it would be a great experience.”