2019 CROSS COUNTRY RELEASE NO. 10
Raise The Curtain
This weekend is slated for the first Big West championships of the 2019-20 season. The 2019 Cross Country Championships will be held Saturday as all nine institutions will compete at UC Riverside’s Ag/Ops Cross Country Course, which has hosted the championships more than any other location in the past 20 years. The women are locked in to compete first, with their 6K beginning at 8:45 a.m. PT, while the starting gun for the men’s 8K race will begin at 9:30 a.m. PT. To find the end results of the meet, visit Finished Results or the Finished Results app to see results in real time.
A Look At The History Books
Cal Poly runner Laura Hollander holds the Big West course title for the women at UCR’s Ag/Ops Course. She completed the 6K race in 19:12.6 for the Mustangs back in 2012. On the men’s side, another Mustang, Joe Gatel has the crown for the men’s 8K competition, crossing the finish line in 23:36.8 in 2009. Both of those Cal Poly records still stand as the best times recorded in Big West history.
Throwback To 2018
Cal State Fullerton hosted the 2018 Big West championships at Carbon Canyon Regional Park in Brea, where Cal Poly swept the field for the fifth time in program history. Jake Ritter led the way for the Mustangs, completing the men’s 8K in a time of 24:27.5, giving Cal Poly their 19th win in program history and the most championships in the Big West. The men won a close duel against their rival UC Santa Barbara with 32 points to 37. If Ritter takes the race again this year, he will be the first Cal Poly runner to win in back-to-back years since Phillip Reid in 2006.
In last year’s women’s 6K event, Cal Poly’s Miranda Daschian earned first place in a course record 21:23.1, besting Cal State Fullerton junior Samantha Huerta by 3.4 seconds. Katie Izzo from Cal Poly was just two-tenths of a second behind Huerta, and junior Peyton Bilo took fourth-place despite battling a bee sting that occurred moments before the beginning of the competition. The women’s squad edged the host Cal State Fullerton 33-39, which is seeking its first team or individual championship.
Keep Your Eyes Open
Things to look for this Saturday are teams battling it out to earn their first team or individual championship. Squads aiming for an inaugural team title for the men are Cal State Fullerton, CSUN and UC Riverside. Cal Poly’s men’s program owns the best all-time score with a perfect score of 15 points in 2007. Although close last year, the Cal State Fullerton women’s team has yet to win a team championship, along with CSUN, Long Beach State and Hawai’i. The all-time best score on the women’s side is 26, held by the UC Santa Barbara 2006 club. Cal State Fullerton, CSUN and Hawai’i have never had a runner place in first, so they will be looking to take the top spot on Saturday as well.
No Changes In The West Region
There was no movement in the rankings last week, as most schools did not compete in preparation for the championship season. The UC Santa Barbara men are still in ninth after their performance at the Bronco Invitational. The Cal Poly men are holding down the 11th spot, and Cal State Fullerton ranks 15th after their big win at the Highlander Invitational. The UC Davis women are sitting in ninth, and the Cal State Fullerton women remain at No. 13.