SAN DIEGO, Calif. – Vanguard Women's Track and Field traveled south for the 2026 Pacific West Conference Championships at Point Loma. VU emerged in sixth place out of the eight competing teams, posting 41 points and stacking four medals over the three-day event.

There was no stopping freshman standout, Kaylee Best, who became VU Track and Field's first PacWest Champion, boasting wins in long jump and triple jump, while rewriting her school records in each event.

Best wasn't only the Vanguard All-PacWest performer, however. Megan Charley posted a podium spot in the 800m, while captain Madyson Nakamura nailed third place in the 10,000m run.

Despite trailing after day one on Thursday, underdogs Biola went on to win the 2026 PacWest Championships for the first time in school history, ending the near 10-year streak of dominance from Azusa Pacific. The Eagles were picked just fourth in the polls back in March but overcame the defending champions with 195 points and 17 medals.

What Happened? Best broke both of her previous school records in the jumps, cleaning house with wins in both long and triple jump to claim 20 of VU's eventual 41 points. The freshman set a new school record on her first attempt in the long jump at 20' 6¼". Her triple jump win featured another record on her sixth and final try (40' 9"). It marked the fourth successive meet the freshman cleared 40'.

Kolena Apana joined Best in both jumps, taking 10th in the long jump with a 17' 6" launch and ninth in the triple jump, 37' 3¾".

Briana Martin claimed personal bests in both of her outings, spearheading a sixth-place trek in the triple jump (37' 8½") and using a 91' 1" heave in the javelin throw to stake 13th.

Abigail Wolf closed out the jumpers in the high jump, flashing past 4' 6¾ " to finish in 16th.

The 800m prelims featured a loaded Vanguard cast. Charley led the VU competitors in third (2:17.13), and Haley Butenschoen snatched a personal best in eighth with a 2:18.66. The rest of the Lion pack included Mary Sawczuk (2:20.85), Brady Wylie (2:25.14), Kaitlyn Smith (2:27.65), Isabella Alvarez (2:27.79), and ZoeTheodora Taylor (2:40.30).

Charley and Butenschoen each managed to break through the prelims, where Charley continued to shine, positing a 2:14.77 time which landed her the runners-up spot, eight points for VU, and an All-PacWest nod. It was the seventh-fastest 800m VU run in school history, passing Megan Williams's time from April 2010. Butenschoen followed up with a personal best with a 2:18.83 to end in eighth.  

Nakamura was VU's final All-Conference performer, making her mark in the 10,000m. She finished on a rapid 1:19.74 run through her final split, taking third place and securing a new personal-best by over two minutes with her 36:52.91 result. It was the seventh-best time in program history, passing Madison Parr from March 2019.    

Emily Noyes followed Nakamura in a career-best 39:43.41 run for 13th. Kaitlyn Barragan was 17th (41:18.45), and Sydney Sydney was in the top 20 with a 42:22.61 time.

The 1500m prelims saw Isabella Sword and Mary Sawczuk peel away for the main event, where they finished 10th and 12th, respectively. Sword stamped near identical times in each (4:47.42), and Sawczuk tore off two seconds in her 4:52.15 result.

The result of VU's 1500m preliminary docket was made up Zoe Tavares, who sported a personal best 4:57:00 time in 13th. Giselle Rubio was .40 behind her (4:57.40) in 14th. Brady Wylie was the last Lion of the bunch to dock a personal-best, running a 4:58.38, and Hailey Quiroz ended in 16th with a 5:01.57 time.

The 3000m steeplechase saw Chase Sullivan take 10th, coming in at 12:12.69.  Three seconds separated Adrianna Huffstuttler and Macey Thomas, who both found career-bests. Huffstuttler stood in 12th with a 12:19.20, and Thomas raced in at 12:22.55.

Elizabeth Betten was 11th in both the 100m and 200m prelims, at 12.26. She also paced a 25.20 run in the 200m. The 100m saw Angelique Addae carve a new career-best, just .4 of a second behind Betten in 12th (12.30). Jillian Orm jumped into a top 20 spot for the prelims with a 13.21 finish.

The 4x100 relay team of Addae, Alvarez, Orm, and Betten shaved off a second from the prelims to finish seventh with a 49.15 time.

Their 4x400 relay group finished eighth, as Svendsen, Sawczuk, Alvarez, and Betten clocked a 4:03.03.

Svendsen's 15.62 in the 100H prelims was the 15th-best, and she took 11th in the 400H prelims with a 1:05.08. Hannah Finch finished in 15th (1:07.52).

Rebecca Sicotte was 14th in shot put with a 29' 1¾" in her second attempt. She was 15th in javelin throw, sending her heave past 81' 10".  

Aaliyah Espinoza took 11th in discus throw (124' 8"), which led VU, and was 15th in hammer throw (117' 10").

Andrea Espinoza Noriega and Gimena Hurtado, meanwhile, both found personal bests in the hammer throw. Espinoza Noriega was 11th with a 137' 7" throw, and Hurtado tallied a 134' 6", which put her in 12th. Their metrics put them in fifth and sixth, respectively, all-time in VU's record books. Espinoza Noriega was 12th in discus throw (121' 6"), and Hurtado's 117' 9" result gave her 14th place.

What Was Said? "I'm so proud of our athletes!" started Head Coach Brian Wilkins. "They competed their hearts out this weekend with grit, sacrifice, joy, and the desire to glorify God. They didn't hold anything back. It's been a great season and this weekend was very special ending for the majority of our team."

What's Next? The season concludes at the Franson Last Chance Meet on May 8-9.