Cross Country Splits Squad for Weekend Meets

LOS ANGELES – UCLA Cross Country is splitting squad for the upcoming week of competition, as the team is competing at the Pre-Nationals Meet in Tallahassee, Fla., and the Highlander Invitational in Riverside, Calif. The meets will take place on Friday, Oct. 15 and Saturday, Oct. 16, respectively.
 
Meet Information (FSU XC Invite / Pre-Nationals)

• Friday, Oct. 15 in Tallahassee, Fla.
• Men's 8k at 5:00 a.m. PT / Women's 6k at 5:35 a.m. PT
• Live Results

Course Description (FSU XC Invite / Pre-Nationals)

• The Apalachee Regional Park cross country course, developed by the Leon Country Recreation Department in collaboration with Florida State University Athletics and the local Gulf Winds Track Club, was designed with the sport in mind. A series of trails and loops allows for competition to be contested over a wide range of race lengths.

Elite Competition
The Pre-Nationals meet is a premier regular season event in cross country, hosted this year by future National Meet host, Florida State University. Thirty-nine collegiate teams are set to toe the line in the men's Garnet Race, including perennial heavyweights Northern Arizona, Notre Dame, and Georgetown. Pac-12 opponents Arizona State and Colorado will also be in attendance. The Bruins are one of 35 teams competing in the women's Garnet Race, with the team getting a look at Northern Arizona, Colorado, and North Carolina.
 
Last Time Out – Pre-Nationals
The Bruins last competed in the Pre-Nationals meet in 2018, as the team traveled to compete in Madison, Wisc., the eventual site of the NCAA Cross Country Championships. UCLA's men's squad finished fourth overall, finishing with 205 points on the day. Garrett Reynolds led the way with a 25th-place finish and a time of 24:15.5 on the 8k course. Colin Burke (24:19.10) and George Gleason (24:32.9) also recorded top-50 finishes, crossing the line in 30th and 44th place, respectively. The Bruin women finished 11th overall on the day and were led by then-sophomores Erika Adler (20:44.6) and Christina Rice (20:46.0), who went 24-26, respectively, on the 6k course.
 
Meet Information (Highlander Invitational)

• Saturday, Oct. 16 in Riverside, Calif.
• Men's 8k at 8:00 a.m. PT / Women's 6k at 8:40 a.m. PT
• Live Results

Course Description (Highlander Invitational)

• The UC Riverside course is mostly flat with a few rolling hills, and hard packed dirt with pre-competition watering to reduce dust. It is run through the agricultural operations center, which features 100-year-old citrus trees.

Last Time Out – Highlander Invitational
UCLA's men's and women's squads last competed at the Highlander Invitational in October 2019. The Bruin men finished second overall and were led by DJ Lawson (24:17.6) and Andy Ehrenberg (24:38.2), who took third and eighth place, respectively, on the 8k course. The UCLA women were third on the day and led by Gwyn George (21:13.0) and Alyssa Bautista (21:28.1), who crossed the 6k line in seventh and 12th place, respectively.
 
Meet Recap – Bill Dellinger Invitational
The Bruins were most recently in action at the Bill Dellinger Invitational on Sept. 23, with the men's squad finishing eighth and the women securing a 14th-place finish. Peter Herold was UCLA's top finisher in the men's 8k, crossing the line at 23:35.7 for 15th place overall. Darius Riley was 27th at 23:43.2, while Andrew Martinez (44th), Munir Kabbara (50th), and Ronan McMahon-Staggs (53rd) rounded out the team's scoring five. Audrey Allen made her UCLA debut in the 6k and was the top finisher for the women's squad, crossing in 46th place with a time of 21:02.1. Emma Tavella was close behind in 49th place, finishing with a time of 21:04.3. Alyssa Bautista (76th), Claire Selleck (79th), and Ashley Johnson (99th) completed the scoring for the Bruins.