SAN DIEGO — The West Coast Conference Cross Country Championships return to Mission Bay on Friday, and for the first time in a decade the University of San Diego will race for a conference title at home. USD hosts the 2026 championships at Tecolote Shores on the east shore of the bay, with the women's 6K set for a 10:05 a.m. start and the men's 8K to follow at 11:05 a.m.
For the Toreros, the homecoming is more than a convenient commute.
"Gives us the opportunity to bring cross country to San Diego, and also brings it to our backyard. We are really close to the university, we have a lovely location, and we have a great cross country course we want to share with both the WCC and others, and our fans as well," head coach Will Guarino said.
The field is a different one from the meet San Diego last hosted in 2016, and from last fall's. Gonzaga, Oregon State and Washington State have left the league, and Washington State took both 2025 team titles with it, so Friday will crown a new champion in each race. Portland was picked first in both preseason coaches polls, with San Francisco second. The Toreros were tabbed fifth among nine women's programs and eighth among eight men's teams after placing ninth in both races in Spokane Valley a year ago.
Sophomore Clare Boneau, USD's lone selection to either preseason All-WCC team, led the women at the season-opening Aztec Coastal Classic on Sept. 3, placing 12th in 18:10.0 over 5K at Mission Valley River Park. Rebecca Bronstein followed in 17th (18:19.5) and the Toreros packed their scoring five inside 43 seconds to finish fourth.
Bronstein delivered the program's signature run of the fall a month later at the Louisville XC Classic. She ran with the leaders of the 6K Blue race from the gun, held off a closing pack by three-tenths of a second at the line and placed third among 204 finishers in 22:35.2. The Toreros scored 64 points behind her to finish second of 24 scoring teams, their best team result of the season.
Camryn Kozak has set the pace on the two trips to Riverside. She led USD at the UC Riverside Invitational on Sept. 19, with freshman Evelyn Cody the next Torero across, and did it again at the Highlander Invitational on Oct. 17, where her 21:36.5 placed 58th in a field of 223 and took 18.9 seconds off her September time on the same UCR Ag Ops course.
The men have been a freshman story from the first gun. Every Torero who scored at the Aztec Coastal Classic was a first-year runner, and Parker McAdam has crossed first for USD in all four meets. He was 14th in the opener in 22:30.2 over 7K, with classmate Bob Johnson 1.7 seconds back in 15th, and was the only Torero under 25 minutes at the UC Riverside Invitational, where his 24:57.2 placed 84th of 219.
Louisville brought his best run. Starting 69th at the first split of the 8K Blue race, McAdam moved up 41 places to finish 28th of 228 in 25:59.8, and the Toreros placed 11th as a team. Two weeks later at the Highlander Invitational he ran 25:12.1 for 88th of 209, 55 places clear of the next San Diego finisher.
With first-year runners driving both rosters, Guarino is looking for one quality above all on the biggest stage.
"Courage. Courage is really one of the most important things that you can have in the championship, and it doesn't matter regardless of sport. Courage is really where it's at. Being able to deliver at the grand stage is something important at life, and this is the commencement of their own journey," Guarino said.
Friday opens a two-week championship stretch for both programs. The Toreros close the season at the NCAA West Regionals on Friday, Nov. 13, at 10 a.m. at Arcade Creek Golf Course in Sacramento, the same course that hosted the 2025 regional.
2026 WEST COAST CONFERENCE CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS
Friday, Oct. 30 | Tecolote Shores, Mission Bay Park | San Diego
Host: University of San Diego
Women's 6K – 10:05 a.m. PT
Men's 8K – 11:05 a.m. PT
Watch: ESPN+
Live results via Record Timing
