LA MIRADA, Calif. --- Twenty-two teams will hit the course at Ted Craig Regional Park bright and early on Saturday morning for the 2019 PacWest Conference Cross Country Championships. Biola and Azusa Pacific co-host with Biola's sights sets on a men's championship repeat and hopefully the first women's PacWest Championship.

The men definitely enter the 8k championship event as the conference favorite. The Eagles have been ranked regionally all season long and were selected in the PacWest preseason coaches' poll to repeat.

The Eagles have the best team time in the conference this season and also sport the top individual runner, four-time PacWest Runner of the Week Gabe Plendcio. Concordia Irvine has the second-best team time this season, followed by Notre Dame de Namur and Academy of Art rounding out the top-4.

ART U finished second to the Eagles last season. CUI is looking for a big bump after placing seventh one year ago. Earlier this season the Biola Invitational was held at this very same 8k course. Biola was the top PacWest team, followed by ART U, Concordia and Fresno Pacific.

After Plendcio, Concordia's Angel Aguirre (24:39.6) and ART U's Rabah Houali (24:46.3) have the best 8k times in the conference this year.

Biola's women placed third last season and are looking to compete for the win this year. They've been the top-ranked team in the conference this year, appearing on the regional and national poll throughout the season and also being picked to win in the preseason poll. However, the Eagles do not hold the top 6k team time in the conference this season, so the Eagles will have to have their best day to come out on top.

Azusa Pacific holds the top team time in the conference this year, turning in a 1:52:21 in the 6k Cougar Challenge hosted by CSU San Marcos back in early-September. Sammy Bockoven was the top runner for the Cougars that day with a 21:17. That's the top time in the conference this year, too.

Bockoven figures to compete against Point Loma's Zita Molnar, Fresno Pacific's Jordyn Zorn and several others for the top individual spot in Saturday's field.

This is the first time Biola will host a 6k race at Ted Craig Regional Park. The Eagles have traditionally had a 5k as part of the season-opening Biola Invitational, including the race earlier this year.

Molnar was the top PacWest finisher at the Biola Invitational. She ran the 5k in 18:14.47 to help her to the first of her three PacWest Runner of the Week honors of 2019. Hawaii Pacific's Robyn Kaltenbrun and Biola's own Mackenna Mason rounded out the top-3 PacWest runners at that race. 

Biola was the top PacWest team, finishing fourth overall. Following them was Concordia Irvine (fifth), Academy of Art (6th) and Point Loma (8th).

Last season's championship saw Azusa Pacific and Point Loma tie for the title with the Sea Lions winning off a tiebreak.

So, tomorrow's race should be very, very interesting with a lot of teams seemingly in the mix and running a brand new course.

Competition begins at 8 a.m. at Craig Regional Park with the women's 6k. The men will follow at 9 a.m. The event will feature live results at http://finishedresults.trackscoreboard.com/#/results.

TEAM PROFILES
MEN'S TEAMS
Biola
2018 Finish - 1st
2019 Top Team Time: 2:05:16 (1st)
Top Individual: Gabe Plendcio
Best 8k time: 24:32.9 (1st)

Concordia Irvine
2018 Finish - 7th
2019 Top Team Time: 2:06:01 (2nd)
Top Individual: Angel Aguirre
Best 8k time: 24:39.68 (2nd)

Notre Dame de Namur
2018 Finish - 3rd
2019 Top Team Time: 2:08:13 (3rd)
Top Individual: Lawson Sims
Best 8k time: 25:13.7 (6th)

Academy of Art
2018 Finish - 2nd
2019 Top Team Time: 2:08:46 (4th)
Top Individual: Rabah Houali
Best 8k time: 24:46.3 (3rd)

Fresno Pacific
2018 Finish - 6th
2019 Top Team Time: 2:11:42 (5th)
Top Individual: Chandler Maciel
Best 8k time: 24:59.9 (5th)

Azusa Pacific
2018 Finish - 5th
2019 Top Team Time: 2:12:10 (6th)
Top Individual: Nathaniel Tamminga
Best 8k time: 25:35.9 (7th)

Hawaii Pacific
2018 Finish - 4th
2019 Top Team Time: 2:12:47 (7th)
Top Individual: Lukas Motschmann
Best 8k time: 24:50.6 (4th)

Holy Names
2018 Finish - 9th
2019 Top Team Time: 2:28:53 (8th)
Top Individual: Roberto Soto
Best 8k time: 28:09.9 (9th)

Dominican
2018 Finish - 8th
2019 Top Team Time: 2:29:38 (9th)
Top Individual: Buay Deng 
Best 8k time: 26:33.0 (8th)

Chaminade
2018 Finish - 10th
2019 Top Team Time: 2:38:19 (10th)
Top Individual: Peyton Oshiro
Best 8k time: 28:51.9 (10th)

WOMEN'S TEAMS
Azusa Pacific
2018 Finish - 2nd
2019 Top Team Time: 1:52:21 (1st)
Top Individual: Sammy Bockoven
Best 6k time: 21:17.0 (1st)

Fresno Pacific
2018 Finish - 5th
2019 Top Team Time: 1:52:41 (2nd)
Top Individual: Jordyn Zorn
Best 6k time: 21:43.6 (3rd)

Biola
2018 Finish - 3rd
2019 Top Team Time: 1:52:50 (3rd)
Top Individual: Mackenna Mason
Best 6k time: 21:55.1 (5th)

Academy of Art
2018 Finish - 4th
2019 Top Team Time: 1:53:49 (4th)
Top Individual: Hasna Kaarour
Best 6k time: 21:50.8 (4th)

Concordia Irvine
2018 Finish - 6th
2019 Top Team Time: 1:54:02 (5th)
Top Individual: Rosalba Cabrera
Best 6k time: 22:39.4 (7th)

Notre Dame de Namur
2018 Finish - 8th
2019 Top Team Time: 1:55:51 (6th)
Top Individual: Leslie Oseguera
Best 6k time: 22:51.1 (8th)

Point Loma
2018 Finish - 1st
2019 Top Team Time: 1:57:26 (7th)
Top Individual: Zita Molnar
Best 6k time: 21:37.2 (2nd)

Dominican
2018 Finish - 10th
2019 Top Team Time: 2:07:45 (8th)
Top Individual: Breanna Herrera
Best 6k time: 24:59.5 (12th)

Holy Names
2018 Finish - N/A
2019 Top Team Time: 2:11:00 (9th)
Top Individual: Jade Guerrero
Best 6k time: 24:00.8 (9th)

Hawaii Hilo
2018 Finish - 9th
2019 Top Team Time: 2:11.13 (10th)
Top Individual: Olivia Jarvis 
Best 6k time: 24:03.9 (11th)

Hawaii Pacific
2018 Finish - 7th
2019 Top Team Time: 2:12:47 (11th)
Top Individual: Robyn Kaltenbrunn
Best 6k time: 22:02.1 (6th)

Chaminade
2018 Finish - 11th
2019 Top Team Time: 2:13.45 (12th)
Top Individual: Alena Albertson
Best 6k time: 24:02.9 (10th)