RIVERSIDE, Calif. – UC Santa Barbara Women's and Men's Cross Country will visit Riverside for a second time this season to compete in the Big West Championships on Saturday, Nov. 2. The races will take place at the Agriculture Operations Cross Country Course, where the men will run in an 8K at 8:30 a.m. followed by the women's 6K at 9:15 a.m. An awards ceremony will commence following the end of the women's competition, announcing individual and team awards.

LAST MEET
The Gauchos traveled north to compete in the Bronco Invitational hosted by Santa Clara two weeks ago, where Santa Barbara witnessed four athletes record personal bests. The women's team placed 12th out of 19 teams while the men finished with a spot on the podium, placing 3rd out of 17 schools.

Sophomore Parker Simmons and senior Zachary Parker recorded top 10 finishes for the men with times of 24:08.2 and 24:17.9 in the 8K, respectively. Lindsey Reed led the way once again for Santa Barbara's women, placing 59th overall and posting a time of 21:56.6. Parker Herbert, Parker Stickney, Hayden Owen, and Sophia Gutierrez were the Gauchos who recorded personal records on the day.

CONDITIONS
UC Santa Barbara faces the chance of racing in rainy conditions in Riverside on Saturday, with a 70% to 80% chance of rain from the late morning to late evening. With races occurring in the early morning, the Gauchos may be lucky enough to avoid the downpour. Winds will reach between three and five miles per hour with temperatures residing between 47°F and 53°F.

UP NEXT
If UC Santa Barbara performs well this weekend, they will have earned their bid to NCAA West Regionals in Colfax, Wash., which will occur on Friday, Nov. 15 at the Colfax Golf Club.