FRESNO, California – As fast as they come is as fast as they go. The first Pacific West Conference Championship will already be on the line in mid-October as the Hawai'i Hilo Women's Cross Country team is set to compete for the title Saturday morning at Woodward Park.
The Vulcans, who were voted at No. 10 in the PacWest Preseason Coaches Poll, will look to improve upon a ninth-place finish in 2022.
Hawai'i Hilo started head coach Alan Ryan's first-year campaign without the eligible number of runners needed to score as a team at the season-opening meet on the North Shore of O'ahu. But the Vulcans have steadily made progress and placed at the following four events leading up to the conference championship meet.
"It's a new team so we've really figured that out this season and that's really what cross country is about so it was really cool to see that unfold through all the races," sixth-year Vulcans runner Olivia Jarvis said. "We've had like a core group in this back half of the season, and at the HPU Invitational, we really raced and worked together. That's really powerful to have your team all together in a race."
Jarvis has helped lead the team through the head-coach transition and will be competing in her 28th collegiate meet and fifth PacWest Championship on Saturday.
"I've definitely been moral support and since I've had so much experience through this program — I mean all the girls can run but you got to learn how to race in these competitions. It's something I definitely had to learn my freshman year. Like high school you just go and you survive, but here you got to be more tactical," Jarvis said.
"We ran the course today and [Aurea Streadbeck] and I are trying to describe what conference is but I think it's just something they'll have to experience," Jarvis continued. "Maybe what makes championship so special is everyone's put in miles to be there. I always get chills thinking about that too like we've all worked really hard to be here."
Jarvis, Streadbeck, Cloud Rodin, Kate Smith and Kalani Gonzales will represent the Vulcans in Saturday's 6K race against the 10 other PacWest squads.
Biola is the defending champ after having placed all 10 runners in the top 20 last year. Seven of those runners will be competing again in Saturday's race. Lynette Ruiz narrowly took the individual crown on a last-millisecond dash to the finish line.
Jarvis is already working through the second year toward a master's in Tropical Conservation Biology and Environmental Science after being granted extra eligibility due to the COVID-19 pandemic and having sat out 2022 with an injury.
Saturday's meet will be the final of her collegiate career and will mark a full-circle moment for the Oceanside, California native.
"I think I've put in a lot of work over the years and it's just been really awesome to experience all the seasons with all the different teams and see it all unfold. It'll be nice to end it with these girls and coach Ryan, who started with me at the beginning, and Fresno too — this course I ran in state championships in high school and this was my first conference course my freshman year. I'm not as speedy as I used to be. I'm really old now, but just being able to be on the team has been really great and I'm really thankful to be here."
The PacWest Championship Women's Cross Country race will start 9 a.m. local Pacific Time (6 a.m. Hawai'i) at Woodward Park.
