NIPOMO, Calif. (Aug. 30, 2023) – UC Santa Barbara Cross Country is gearing up to start its season with The Big West preview hosted by Cal Poly on Friday, Sept. 1. The Gauchos will be racing six other Big West teams (Cal Poly, UC Davis, UC Irvine, Long Beach State, CSUN, and UC Riverside) in the inaugural race of the 2023 season. 

DETAILS
Race 1: Women's 5k at 8:30 a.m.
Race 2: Men's 6k at 9:15 a.m. 
Location: Blacklake Golf Resort in Nipomo.
Forecast: Cool, with temperatures averaging around 70º and partial cloud cover. 
How to watch: Follow along with Finished Results.

LAST SEASON
UC Santa Barbara Men's Cross Country finished the 2022 season by placing second in the Big West Championships, following behind only Cal Poly. UC Santa Barbara's Ethan Godsey and Gus Marshall were named to the All-Big West Team after finishing in the Top 10. Women's Cross Country finished fourth in the championships and are looking to clinch the first-place spot this year. 

NEXT UP
During September, the Gauchos will travel to Riverside for the Riverside Invitational on Saturday, Sept. 16, followed by Springfield, Ore. for the Dellinger Invitational on Sept. 22, hosted by the University of Oregon.

ROSTER ADDITIONS
Women's Cross Country will see the debut of eight freshmen (Claire Babbitt, Alexa Bryson, Nikki Dorostkar, Sammi Dorostkar, Danielle Hollander, Leah Mendibles, Keira Potter, and Mia Ziblatt) and two transfer students (Maya Lacamp and Claire Selleck). The men's team also features 10 new runners, with nine freshmen (KC Barber, Zach Blum, Manny Correia, Noah de la Rionda, Van Filek, Hayden Owen, Jake Ratkovich, Luca Romero, and Parker Simmons) and one transfer (Matt Frey).