LOS ANGELES, Calif. – Men's and women's cross country prepare for the 2026 SCIAC Championships hosted at Strehle Track on the campus of Pomona-Pitzer in Claremont, Calif. The races are set for 9:00 (women) and 9:45 (men) on Friday, October 30th.

MEN'S RACE

After a sixth place finish a season ago, men's cross country is looking to break into the top half of the field.
 

Jack Elfenbaum is coming off of a top-5 performance as a junior in last year's SCIAC Championships in which he placed 4th in the men's 8K with a time of 25:13.70. Elfenbaum will look to improve on last year's performance as he competes in his final SCIAC Championship race.
 

Sophomore Alireza Tofangdar try to build on his performance as a first year at last year's Championships where he placed 52nd with a time of 27:17.30. Tofangdar also placed 105th with a time of 27:07.0 earlier this season at the Master's Invite. 
 

Gavin Jensen had a top-40 finish earlier this month in Minnesota at the DIII Prenationals, placing 39th with a time of 27:03.00.
 

Danny Bravo will build upon a great performance at the Highlander Invitational on October 17th in which he was the top Occidental finisher, placing 25th with a time of 26:10.70.
 

Also coming off of impressive performances at the Highlander Invitational and will have a chance to score for the Tigers at this year's Championships are Ethan Chock, Ian Anderson, and Emil Lev-Twombly who all placed in the top 40 of the event with times of 26:22.00, 26:32.3, and 26:34.8, respectively.
 

Noe Barraza is coming into this year's Championships as a senior who placed in the top 40 at the SCIAC Championships a year ago with a time of 27:02.80.
 

Joining Elfenbaum and Barraza as seniors in their last SCIAC Championship race will be Jonathan Henry, Finlay McAfee, and Samuel Nussbaum. 

WOMEN'S RACE

The women get the early start and will look to build off a 3rd place finish in the 2025 SCIAC Championships.

Coming off of an impressive performance as a first year in which she finished 23rd with a time of 23:13.00 at last year's SCIAC Championships, Anya Agha will look to build on last year's performance. 
 

Other names to watch will be Victoria Vahi and Mia Zawisny, who both performed well at the UCR Invite back in September as well as DIII Prenationals in Minnesota. At Prenationals Vahi was the top ranked Tiger with a time of 23:46.00 and Zawisny finished with a time of 24:40.50.
 

Missy Leclaire also just recently finished as the top Occidental finisher at the Highlander Invite, coming in 14th with a time of 22:53.2, improving upon a time of 24:30.80 at the DIII Prenationals earlier in the season. 
 

Anne Madole was right behind Leclaire at the Highlander Invite, placing 20th with a time of 23:10.6 at the event, also improving upon her time at DIII Prenationals by over one minute.
 

Additionally at the Highlander Invite, Lucinda Toft placed 49th with a time of 24:00.10 and Azura Munson finished with a time of 24:17.30
 

Of the seniors, Rosemary Peters and Toft will compete in their final SCIAC Championship races.