University of the Pacific made history over the weekend as men’s cross country won the Pacific Invitational in only its second year, while less than 24 hours later, Pacific swimming and diving swept the men’s and women’s team championships at the PAC Invite.

For Director of Cross Country and Track and Field Cherise Roberts, the men's breakthrough Friday at Micke Grove Golf Course was the product of a complete team effort.

"I was so happy with how the men's team performed,” Roberts said. “Before the race, I said to forget about the time and just race the bodies. I told them I cared about effort. Every single one of them put in the effort and I was happy to get a win out of it."

Mechanical engineering and physics major Jett Davenport ’29 led the historic performance by winning the men's 8k in 24:47.3, becoming the first Pacific men's runner to capture the individual title at the program's home meet. He crossed the finish line more than 10 seconds ahead of the runner-up.

"My main goal was just to compete," Davenport said. "It got really hard toward the end, but I decided that I wanted it more, and I went for it. Bringing the win home here for Pacific and the community felt so great."

The celebration continued Saturday at the Douglass M. Eberhardt Aquatics Center.

The Pacific swimming and diving program swept the PAC Invite for the first time since 2018 and earned its first home meet victory under the leadership of head coach Katelyne Herrington. The women accumulated 861 points to defeat UC Santa Barbara, Cal State Bakersfield, Saint Mary’s, UC Davis and Stanford while the men delivered 1,143 points to comfortably claim their championship.

"It feels great, but it's not me. It's definitely them," Herrington said. "I felt like the team came in with a different energy this year, different desires. They had higher goals than I've ever had before, and I think that showed this weekend."

Sport management major Whitney Merriman ’28 exemplified that energy, earning victories in the 200 IM and 200 breaststroke while also individually qualifying for the National Invitational Championships in the 100 IM.

"Both the men's and the women's side are off to a strong start for the season, and considering it's only October, I think we should all be excited for what's ahead this season," Merriman said.

The results capped a weekend that stretched beyond individual victories. From Lodi to Stockton, Pacific student-athletes delivered landmark performances while competing in front of their home community.

For Davenport, the accomplishments also provided a glimpse of what could follow.

"I'm super proud of everyone," Davenport said. "It's a confidence booster for us. As long as you believe in yourself, we can do it."

Herrington shared a similar outlook after watching her Tigers raise the bar at home.

"We've already achieved quite a few of our goals," Herrington said. "I'm excited to refine some of our goals and look ahead to what's next."

Backed by both Pacific soccer programs earning their first points in West Coast Conference play across the weekend along with these historic results, the Tigers are poised to carry the momentum over into the remainder of their October slate and beyond. See the full Pacific Athletics schedule.