SAN FRANCISCO – The Pacific men's and women's cross country program kicks off the 2026 campaign at the USF Invitational, hosted by San Francisco on Friday at Golden Gate Park.

Under the direction of first-year head coach Cherise Roberts, the Tigers will kick off the year in the Bay Area, looking to set the tone for a busy September slate at the 33rd edition of the USF Invitational.

Spearheading the returning women's competitors for Pacific will be senior Valeria Espinoza. The Antioch, California native will look to be a staple up front after setting a couple personal records last season in the 4k and 6k. Espinoza was named a WCC All-Academic Honorable Mention. Sophomore Keira Hampton and sophomore Daphne Iosua also return as two of Pacific's top runners from a season ago.

On the men's side, senior Logan Evans will lead the Tigers into competition. Last year, Evans set an 8k personal record with a time of 25:33.0 at the San Francisco Invitational. Evans competed in all five meets last year and looks to serve as a vocal leader for a relatively young Pacific squad.

Sophomore Jett Davenport also serves as a key returner for the Pacific men after setting a pair of personal records in the 6k and 8k last year. Davenport earned WCC Runner of the Week once last season on Sept. 23, 2025.

A few fresh faces to look out for on the women's side are sophomore Alexane Hunte and junior Edith Neslen. Both of which will make their Pacific debuts on Friday. Freshman Thomas Capelli and freshman Braden Himley are poised to make an immediate impact in their first years as college runners.

The USF Invitational will begin at 2:30 p.m. with the men's 8k race, followed by the women's 6k race at 3:30 p.m. The mostly flat course is a 2000-meter loop composed of grass and dirt.

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