37-year-old record falls to track and field’s Brenda Daza

From The Panther archives; Photo by Maya Hawks

With 100 meters left in the 10k, Brenda Daza took one final look at the clock and knew it was time to shatter a 37-year-old school record. 

She crossed the finish line eighth in the event and first in school history. Once again, Daza had etched her name deeper into Chapman lore.

During Azusa Pacific University’s Bryan Clay Invitational last week, the junior psychology and sociology double major and dual-sport athlete broke Chapman’s 10k record with a time of 36:32.06. The previous record of 37:01.00 was set by Carla Figueroa back in 1989. 

This event marks Daza’s second school record of the year. In October, she crushed the record for the 6k cross country race with a time of 20:56.01.

“I was already so close to the record that I was like, ‘Okay, it's a no-brainer that I'm going to break it, it's just a matter of how much,’” Daza said. “So my goal was just to try and go under that time as much as possible.”

As a distance runner, these types of moments are exactly what Daza has been training for. She was the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) 10k champion in 2025 and was the fifth runner in program history to compete in the NCAA Division III Cross Country National Championships.

Daza is now ranked 40th in the 2026 NCAA Division III Outdoor Qualifying list in the 10k following her record-breaking run. 

Behind those accomplishments are hours of preparation and dedication. Running a 10k event requires more than just physical stamina. It takes strategy.

“Once you hit that 5k mark — the halfway point — I like to say that's really when the race starts,” Daza said. “That's the deciding point where you're like, ‘Okay, am I going to hold this pace for five more kilometers, or am I going to start dying?’”

But sometimes, there’s another battle waiting to be fought — one that can make all the difference.

“It's all mental,” Daza said. “Even if you don't feel physically the best on that race day, as long as you are just telling yourself positive things and telling yourself that you can do hard things, then it is still very much possible that you can go and do something crazy.”

At that point in the race, Daza knew she was on pace to beat the 37-year-old record. And with a new surge of motivation, she made that dream a reality.

Now, Daza prepares for the SCIAC Championships, scheduled for May 2 and 3. She said the Bryan Clay Invitational has brought her confidence heading into the postseason. With all the momentum on her side, it’s time to see what more Daza can do once she takes her mark, gets set and goes.

After all, records are only temporary when Daza is on the track.