Lancers to dancers: Road to March Madness
BY ERICA DENNIS CONTRIBUTING WRITER
At California Baptist University, both women’s and men’s basketball teams went dancing to the NCAA Division I Tournament, also known as March Madness, for the first time in program history. 75 years after CBU was founded, the basketball teams made history and laid the foundation for the years ahead.
This time of year is known as March Madness. This tournament features 68 teams for women’s and men’s basketball competing to become national champions. The stages of this tournament include the Sweet 16, Elite Eight, and Final Four. This was the second time women’s basketball made it to the NCAA Tournament, with the previous time being the 2023-24 season. They secured their spot in the tournament this year by dominating Abilene Christian University, 74-58.
The men made their first appearance ever in the NCAA Tournament, entering the tournament after a nail-biting performance against Utah Valley University, finishing 63-61.
Many students spent part of their spring break staying updated with the Lancers through streaming the games or watching updates through social
media. Tori Watts, a junior exercise science major, kept up with the games on social media and expressed her anticipation that the men would also win the WAC Tournament.
“I was watching all the updates, and I saw the women’s one, and you know, anticipating the guy’s winning too, and they did,” Watts said.
Both teams became the Western Athletic Conference champions, with this being the women’s third time and the men’s first. These accomplishments brought excitement to students, faculty, staff and the CBU community, creating a milestone for CBU athletics.
Jovannie Gomez, a junior elementary education major, talks about what it meant to the university to have both teams advance.
“I think it’s a good opportunity for us to really show like our skills and like in terms of our school as well, I feel like it’ll really put us out there more,” Gomez said. Both becoming part of the NCAA Division 1 Basketball Tournament meant that CBU received a lot of fresh eyes on their respective programs. Delaney Donahue, a junior applied theology and digital media communication double major, addresses the impact of both teams advancing in the highly
anticipated tournament.
“CBU was being mentioned all over Instagram and X after both games with people legitimately considering CBU as viable competitors moving forward,” Donahue said.
CBU showed the world a glimpse of who they are and what they can do, and this was only the beginning for each team. CBU sold tickets for students to go and support both teams, taking their school spirit to San Diego and Los Angeles.
“It was electric. Standing in a sea of people all cheering as loud as they can for CBU, even as the odds are stacked against us, made me feel connected to our school and my fellow students in a way I haven’t experienced before,” Donahue said.
Experiencing March Madness showed how strong CBU and its community are. Lancer fans from all over tuned in to watch the games.
“We’re so proud of them and grateful for the opportunity to cheer them on,” Donahue said.
Although the games didn’t end as desired, CBU remained extremely proud of both teams, proving how much they deserve to be a part of the Big West Conference this upcoming year. This monumental moment for CBU Athletics showed the success of CBU over the past 75 years.
People remember the moments
BY CAYANNA LIGON S&W EDITOR
From Major League Baseball to the National Hockey League, people often develop personal biases that shape their favorite sports teams, and California Baptist University students and alumni are no different.
Garrett Mendoza, biomedical sciences graduate student, said he has supported the New York Yankees since he was six years old. After he began playing T-ball and Little League, Mendoza said the sport inspired him to start watching baseball games.
“The first time I ever, like, played Little League when it was like an actual person throwing to me instead of, like, a tee or a pitching machine, was the Yankees,” Mendoza said.
Mendoza said he started watching the Yankees at home, even though his father support-
ed the Dodgers and favored the color blue. Because of his father, Mendoza remained a Yankees fan years later.
“I say it’s his fault because he’s a huge Dodgers fan, but he didn’t get me involved in the Dodgers family but involved in the Yankees, so it is his fault because he put on the TV for me,” Mendoza said.
Mendoza said he follows the Yankees through news articles and digital content every day.
He said his confidence in the team centers on Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge, who is publicly a Christian. Mendoza said he admired Judge for his humility and positive influence.
“And one of the things I listened to recently is they do a faith night for the Yankees, and he speaks there and is very open about his faith,” Mendoza said.
that made them sports fans
Illustration by Lorelei Arriola that from him,” Taylor said.
“I pay a lot of attention to my team.”
Kyle Taylor, junior business administration major, said he has supported the Los Angeles Kings hockey team for about three years. His father introduced him to the team.
“Um, yeah, my dad definitely watched them, and I learned
Students often develop personal values and interests through the influence of others. Many reflect on people or experiences that have shaped their interests.
During the season, Taylor shared predictions for the Kings as they faced several challenging games. He hoped the team would defeat the Edmonton Oilers of Canada, a consistent competitor in the league.
“But if we do end up getting a spot on the wild card, because we’re kind of like, right in there, like we need a couple more points to get into the playoffs,” Taylor said.
Taylor said he enjoys watching players such as Anže Kopitar, Alex Lafferiere, Adrian Kempe and Drew Doughty.
Tony Escarzaga, parcel clerk for the Moreno Valley School District and a CBU alumnus, said he began following sports when he was 5-years-old.
“Probably want to say when I was five, I would watch, like, basketball games with my dad on TV,” Escarzaga said.
Escarzaga now watches as many hockey games as possible featuring his favorite team, the Anaheim Ducks.
“I try to catch as many Duck games as I can, either live or watching it on their app,” Escarzaga said.
Escarzaga said he also uses the Anaheim Ducks app to
make predictions. Once, Escarzaga even created a bracket for fun.
“So I do go on there and make predictions, but it’s just part of the community, having fun,” Escarzaga said. Escarzaga said watching sports has become more meaningful when shared with others.
“I learned over the years, it’s always fun to cheer for your home team, but also, having that person that you can cheer with, that you can talk with, that’s just as interested in the game as you are, really enhances the experience,” Escarzaga said.
For many fans, following sports provides an opportunity for entertainment and connection, whether they watch games with friends and family or enjoy them on their own. Specific reasons and personal experiences for supporting a team often shape how individuals experience sports.
