LA MIRADA, Calif. --- Biola Cross Country gets its first look at the NCAA Division II national championship course this weekend as it competes at the Capital Cross Country Challenge, hosted by the Sacramento Running Association.

THIS WEEK: Capital Cross Country Challenge at Arcade Creek XC Course. Men's 8k at 9:40 a.m. and Women's 6k at 10:40 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 28.

MULTIMEDIA: Live results will be provided at http://www.rtspt.com/events/SacSt/cxc19/.

CAPITAL CROSS COUNTRY CHALLENGE: Men's 8k Saturday, Sept. 28 at 9:40 a.m. \\ Live Results \\ Course Map \\ Meet Information \\ Entries \\ Women's 6k Saturday, Sept. 28 at 10:40 a.m. \\ Live Results \\ Course Map \\ Meet Information \\ Entries
It's another big week on the regular season calendar for Biola Cross Country. Both teams compete at the course they hope to be competing at once again at the end of November for the national championship. The fields are stacked with the women's side featuring 63 teams with 10 of those teams either ranked or receiving votes in NCAA Division II. On the men's side there's 54 total teams with six teams either ranked or receiving votes. The highest ranked team on the women's side is No. 5 Colorado School of Mines. The men's side features top team No. 3 Chico State. The No. 1 men's team in NCAA Division II is Colorado School of Mines. The Orediggers aren't listed in the meet entries, but do have the meet listed on their school website so we'll see. Mines easily swept the proceedings last year at the de facto NCAA DII Pre-Nationals. The Oredigger men scored a meager 19 points to beat runner-up Mount Olive and Queens (N.C.) by 107 points, while the women totaled 37 in a 54-point romp. There are four races scheduled for Saturday and Biola will have team members competing in all of them. The men's invite is scheduled for 9:40 a.m. and men's open at 10:10 a.m. The women's 6k invite is set for 10:40 a.m. and the open race is booked for 11:05 a.m.

NOTE: Parking is $5 if you attend the meet in person.

FULL WOMEN'S FIELD: Academy of Art - No. 7 Alaska Anchorage - Azusa Pacific - Bentley - No. 21 Biola - Butte - Cal Poly - Cal Poly Pomona - No. 24 CSU East Bay - CSU Monterey Bay - No. 17 CSU San Marcos - Cal - No. 6 Chico State - College of Idaho - No. 5 Colorado School of Mines - Concordia Irvine - Colorado State Pueblo - Dallas Baptist - Dixie State - Dominican - Fresno Pacific - Fresno State - Grand Canyon - Hawaii -  Holy Names - Lewis - Loyola Marymount - Lynn - Menlo - Nevada - New Mexico State - NDNU - Oregon Tech - Palm Beach Atlantic - Pepperdine - Point Loma - RV Queens (N.C.) - Regis (Colo.) - Sacramento State - San Diego State - San Francisco State - San Jose State - Santa Clara - Seattle Pacific - Sierra - Sierra Nevada College - RV Simon Fraser - Sonoma State - Southern Oregon - St. Mary's - Stanislaus State - RV Tampa - UC Davis - No. 18 UC San Diego - UC Santa Cruz - UNLV - Western New Mexico - William Jessup - Wilmington (Del.)

FULL MEN'S FIELD: Academy of Art - No. 12 Alaska Anchorage - American River College - Azusa Pacific - Bentley - No. 18 Biola - Butte - Cal Poly - Cal Poly Pomona - CSU East Bay - CSU Monterey Bay - No. 15 CSU San Marcos - Cal - No. 3 Chico State - College of Idaho - Concordia Irvine - Colorado State Pueblo - Dixie State - Dominican - Fresno Pacific - Fresno State - Grand Canyon - Holy Names - Lewis - Loyola Marymount - Lynn - Menlo - Nevada - New Mexico State - NDNU - Oregon Tech - Palm Beach Atlantic - Pepperdine - Pomona-Pitzer - Portland - No. 19 Queens (N.C.) - Regis (Colo.) - Sacramento State - San Francisco State - San Jose State - Santa Clara - Sierra Nevada College - Simon Fraser - Southern Oregon - St. Mary's - RV Stanislaus State - Tampa - UC Davis - RV UC San Diego - UC Santa Cruz - Western New Mexico - William Jessup - Wilmington (Del.)

LAST TIME OUT: The last race weekend for Biola was a big one. The Eagles sparkled at Western Oregon's Sundowner Invitational, beating the regional competition and NCAA Division I programs en route to first and second-place finishes. The Eagles saw Gabe Plendcio win a race for the second time in as many outings and both teams saw a spike in their regional and national rankings as a result. 

IT'S GO TIME: The 2019 Biola Cross Country season has added significance in that it's the Eagles' first as full members in NCAA Division II. Back on July 12 the Biola campus received a call from the NCAA Division II Membership Committee notifying BU of its successful completion of the membership transition process. The change became official as of September 1 and now Biola is officially eligible for NCAA postseason play, national and regional rankings and official NCAA postseason honors for the first time. Biola will hope to have both teams qualify for the NCAA West Region Championships this fall. The Eagles will compete at preview meets for both NCAA Regionals and NCAA National Championships this season.

POLL POSITION: This past weekend did wonders for Biola's standing in both the regional and national rankings. The men beat two regionally ranked programs and topped an NCAA Division I team to move up to fifth in the regional rankings and 18th in the national top-25. The women's side beat one ranked team, but it was a big enough opponent to see the Eagles slide up two spots to no. 7 in the regional rankings and attain their first-ever national ranking at No. 21. 

PACWEST CHAMPIONSHIPS: Biola has the opportunity to host the 2019 PacWest Conference Championships on Saturday, Oct. 26. The Eagles will host the meet at Ted Craig Regional Park, using the same men's course as the Biola Invitational. The women's course will be set up a bit different since they will run a 6k and the Biola Invitational is a 5k course. Azusa Pacific is co-hosting the event.

NEXT WEEK: No meet.