HPU hopes to hit stride at NCAA II Regional

By Brandon Masuoka
Advertiser Staff Writer

Hawai'i Pacific University cross country coach Raul Boca Torres will find out Saturday how his nationally ranked men's and women's teams stack up against the best in the West region.

The Sea Warriors will be looking to extend their season when they compete in the 19-team NCAA II West Regionals in Pomona, Calif.

The men's team — ranked fifth in the West region — needs to finish in the top four of the 10-kilometer race to qualify for the Nov. 22 NCAA Championships at Raleigh, N.C. The women's team — ranked ninth — needs to finish in the top three in the 6-kilometer race to qualify. The HPU men's and women's teams have won every Division II race in Hawai'i this season.

Brigham Young-Hawai'i, Chaminade and Hawai'i-Hilo are also expected to compete at the regionals.

Torres called Saturday's races "the most important event for us during the whole year."

"We do have six good runners on the men's side," he said. "We have a very good chance to have a good race and qualify for the nationals."

HPU's men's runners are sophomores Harald Buerkle, William Ngetich and Aaron Norton, juniors Mikkel Kleis and Chris Larson, and senior Abdeslam Naji. The women's team consists of sophomore Masako Sagawa, juniors Janine Brown, Kendra Byrd and Heather Postema, and senior Nina Christensen.

HPU has never qualified for the nationals as a team, but individual runners have qualified, Torres said. To qualify as an individual, a runner must be on a non-qualifying team and finish in the top five at regionals. If those five spots are taken by runners on qualifying teams, the next two individuals with the fastest times will qualify.

"We do have one guy on the men's side that has a good chance to win the regionals — William Ngetich," Torres said. "He's a kid from Kenya and he's really quick, really good and he's running really strong right now."

Reach Brandon Masuoka at bmasuoka@honoluluadvertiser.com or 535-2458.