All five fall sports teams at Cal State San Marcos have won their conference championship and advanced to their respective NAIA National Championship tournament. Below is information for all five teams.
CSUSM to Host Women's Soccer National Championship Opening Round Match
Cal State San Marcos will serve as host school for this Saturday's NAIA Women's Soccer National Championship Opening Round match between CSUSM and Westmont College.
The match will take place at 10 AM on Saturday, November 19th, at Mangrum Field.
Coach Ron Pulvers' CSUSM squad, which won last week's A.I.I. Conference Tournament in Thomasville, GA, is the #11 seed in the field. The Cougars come in with a 15-3-1 record on the season. The Westmont College Warriors will enter the match as the #14 seed with a 12-6-0 record.
32 teams in total qualified for the NAIA National Championships, and all will be in action on Saturday. The 16 winners will advance to the “final site” in Decatur, Alabama for the remainder of the single-elimination tournament until a national champion is crowned.
Tickets will be sold at the gate ($7 for adults; 5$ for CSUSM students and children under 12). Live stats for all tournament games will be available here.
CSUSM Women's Cross-Country Looking for Third Straight National Title
The Cal State San Marcos women's cross-country team will be back in Vancouver, Washington on Saturday, November 19th to defend their 2009 and 2010 NAIA National Championship titles and look to capture the crown a third straight year.
Coach Steve Scott's Cougars, currently ranked #2 in the nation, ran away with last weekend's A.I.I. Conference Championship in San Marcos, and will look to carry that momentum into this Saturday. #2-ranked CSUSM will need to best a loaded, top-ranked Azusa Pacific team in what should be a very tightly-contested race.
The women's 5K begins at 11:45 AM at Fort Vancouver National Historic Site. Information and results can be found here.
CSUSM Men's Cross-Country Eyeing the Podium at Nationals
After finishing 12th at last year's NAIA National Championship, Cal State San Marcos men's cross-country enters this year's event retooled, rested, and ready to compete for a spot on the podium.
The #9-ranked Cougars are coming off an exceptional performance at the A.I.I. Conference Championships in San Marcos, which the team won for the fourth straight year. With improved depth, star sophomore runner Western Nelson, and the return of Danny Lyon from injury, the team is looking very strong heading into the meet.
The men's 8K race at NAIA National Championships will begin at 10:30 AM at Fort Vancouver Historic Site in Vancouver, Washington. More information can be found here.
CSUSM Men's Soccer to Face Azusa Pacific in NAIA National Championship Opening Round
Coming off their first-ever A.I.I. Conference Championship, Cal State San Marcos men's soccer will make its NAIA National Championship Tournament debut on Saturday, November 19th against Azusa Pacific University. The game will be played at APU, who enter the match as the #8 seed with a 12-3-3 record.
CSUSM, unseeded with a 10-6-1 record, enters the match as the underdog, but a dangerous one. The Cougars are coming off their best performance of the season in the A.I.I. Conference Championship Game, a 3-1 win over Thomas (GA).
All 32 qualifiers will be in action this Saturday at host school sites, with the 16 winners advancing to the final site in Decatur, Alabama to continue the single-elimination tournament for the national title. Live stats for all tournament games will be available here.
CSUSM Volleyball Heading to Point Loma for Nationals
In its first-ever season of competition, Cal State San Marcos volleyball will make its NAIA National Championship Opening Round debut locally at Point Loma Nazarene University on Saturday, November 19th at 2:00 PM.
Coach Andrea Leonard's Cougars captured the A.I.I. Conference Championship this weekend in Phoenix, AZ, improving their season record to 29-7. In order to reach the 30-win milestone, CSUSM will need to defeat Point Loma, who were 18-8 on the season and defeated CSUSM in straight sets back in September.
The 36-team tournament will begin with 24 teams in action on Saturday. The top 11 teams and NAIA National Championship host school Morningside (IA) received byes in the Opening Round. The 12 winners from Saturday combined with those 12 schools will make up the field of teams heading to Sioux City, Iowa for the NAIA National Championship.
