PARKLAND – For seven Pacific Lutheran men's cross country student-athletes, the 2015 fall season continues this weekend as the Lutes travel to Claremont, Calif., for the 2015 NCAA West Regional Championships Saturday morning.

Race time is scheduled for 10 a.m. for the men's 8k race on Saturday at the Pomona College Campus course. The top seven finishers for the Lutes at the Northwest Conference Championships earned the opportunity to compete at the regional meet.

"This weekend we have a great opportunity to represent PLU down at the regional race," Brad Hodkinson said. "I think we will shock our competition and improve our ranking going into next year as teams realize that we have what it takes to be a national caliber team."

Hodkinson has been PLU's top runner all season and earned first-team all-conference honors with a fourth-place finish at the NWC Championships on Oct. 31. Kyle Rapacz placed 20th as the Lutes' next finisher, a spot he's held all season for PLU in his freshman campaign.

"The team has run hard all season and proved that even though we are young we have a lot of grit and character," Rapacz said. "I expect to see our hard work and attitudes pay off down in California."

Bo Frohock also maintained his season-long position in the PLU lineup at the NWC meet, finishing 27th as the Lutes' third placer.

"It is such a great opportunity to represent PLU at the regional meet," Frohock said. "With such a young team competing so well, I feel like the team has a dominant future as we continue to grow."

That youth Rapacz and Frohock mentioned references the fact that PLU's top four runners at the conference meet were all competing in their first seasons of collegiate eligibility. That includes fourth runner Tom Pfeifle, who made his Lute debut one meet before the conference championships and placed 41st at the NWC Meet.

"I'm very excited to be able to run at regionals," Pfeifle said. "I look forward to competing with my team and making a place for ourselves on a national level."

Beyond those four freshman, PLU has three juniors competing at Saturday's regional meet. The Lute squad that finished fifth at the NWC Championships includes no seniors. Matthew Macfarlane and Brendon Bonnell finished three seconds apart at the NWC Meet, placing 50th and 51st as PLU's fifth and sixth finishers.

"Preparation for this race started for us back in May, and after a long summer and season of preparation we've come together as a core group to make one final push toward nationals and our ranking for next year," Macfarlane said. "It should be a great showing for our future as a program, and I'm excited to be a part of it."

"I'm so happy for our men's team and our recent improvements going to regionals as a team, compared to previous years, showing not just all the teams in our conference but also at PLU that we have talent and there's more to come," Bonnell said. "I am honored to be representing PLU and being a Lute."

Team co-captain Charlie Mogen was PLU's seventh finisher at the NWC Championships and, along with fellow juniors Macfarlane and Bonnell, recognizes the chance the Lutes have to travel for the regional meet. This season marks the first time PLU has sent a full men's squad to the regional meet since 2011.

"The opportunity to compete at regionals is unique for our program, Mogen said. "We are a young team that can be competitive for years to come. Racing at the regional race is the beginning of creating a culture of success for this program. For me, personally this is an opportunity to represent PLU on a larger stage. Furthermore, the chance to compete with a fantastic group of athletes is an honor."