HONOLULU, Hawai'i (Oct. 31) – Two weeks after their dominant podium finishes at the Bronco Invitational, the UC Santa Barbara Men's and Women's Cross Country teams are traveling to O'ahu to compete at the Big West Championships hosted by the University of Hawaii. The Gauchos are set to carry on the success established within their regular season, move up in conference standings, and secure a spot for NCAA West Regionals.
DETAILS
Race 1: Men's 8K at 10:30 a.m
Race 2: Women's 6K at 11:30 a.m
Location: Queen Kapi'olani Regional Park, Honolulu, Hawai'i
Forecast: Sunny with a high of 85*, winds from 10-20 mph
How to watch: tune in with finished results
LAST MEET
The UC Santa Barbara Cross Country teams were last seen in action in Sunnyvale, Calif. Where they competed at the Bronco Invitational hosted by Santa Clara University. The UCSB squads once again rose to the challenge in their second big invitational of the season, with the women finishing first overall in a field of 16 teams and the men finishing second against 18 other programs.
This meet marked the Gauchos as formidable competition heading into the conference championships, with Zach Parker securing Big West Athlete of the week for the third time this regular season, and the USTFCCCA ranking the UCSB women's team at 15th overall in the West Region.
In a standout performance, Zachary Parker crossed the line first out of 180 finishers, in a personal record of 23:43.4 on the 8k course. Parker not only led his team to second place finish, but this race placed him sixth all time in UCSB history for the men's 8k. The next Gauchos to cross the line were Nate Osborn, Conrad Voigt, Matthew Galindo, and Will Mulliken to complete the scoring five, all finishing in personal records to lead their team to the podium.
On the women's side, Addie Oversmith continues to impress in her debut collegiate season, setting a personal record of 20:33.6 in the 6k to finish second overall out of 151 finishers. This performance places Oversmith at ninth all time in UCSB history for the women's 6k, an incredible feat for a freshman. The five scoring Gauchos all placed within the top 25, with Isabel Ross, Jordin Lieberman, Danielle Hollander, and Keira Sorenson all setting personal records to help their squad secure victory.
COMING UP
If all goes according to plan, the UCSB men's and women's team will not only have a successful meet at the Big West Championships, but secure a bid for NCAA West Cross Country Regionals. West Regionals is set to take place in Sacramento, Calif. on November 14, with the women competing at 9 am PT and men following at 10 am PT.
