LONG BEACH, Calif. – Today, Vanguard track and field reaches its halfway point of the 2026 season; the perfect checkmark to assess the Pacific West Conference track and field polls for the PacWest Championships, released this morning from the conference office. Both Vanguard collectives were slotted near the middle of the ranks, with the men's and women's teams each seated in sixth place, respectively. On the men's side, Fresno Pacific is favored to be repeat champions come late April (23-25) at Point Loma, while the women's poll featured the usual suspect, Azusa Pacific at the top, as the Cougars are hoping to make it 10 straight PacWest Championships. You can view the men's poll here and women's poll here.

The men received 27 points to steer them toward sixth place out of the eight competing teams. Their lead over seventh-place Dominican (16) and eighth-place Jessup (10) remained comfortable, and they were seeded just one tick behind fifth-place Westmont, which netted 28 points. Fresno Pacific seized six first-place votes as the reigning champion Sunbirds garnered 60 points to lead the poll. Azusa Pacific came in second with 55 points and one first-place vote, as the Cougars are aiming to regain control of the conference in their final run through the division. Concordia (47 points) and Biola (45 points) make up the last two members of the top five, with Eagles earning the last first-place vote.

The women are one spot better off than last year, collecting 39 points to place them in sixth. VU are sandwiched in between the PacWest Championship hosts Point Loma (43 points), who were picked fifth, and old NAIA foes Westmont (23 points), who settled into seventh. The gap between fourth and fifth place sits at a steady 17 points, as Biola came in at 60 points and one first-place nod. Azusa Pacific is on top, and looks to leave NCAA DII contention in style, as the Cougars won the poll with 73 points, claiming six first-place votes. Fresno Pacific was seeded at number two, just three points behind the Cougars (70 points). They split the remaining first-place votes with Concordia, with the Golden Eagles placing third in the rankings with 66 points.