Cross Country Prepares for Pac-12 Championships
RIVERSIDE, Calif. – The Arizona Cross Country team will once again be back in Riverside this Friday, Oct. 28, for the Pac-12 Cross Country Championships.
Hosted by USC, the event will take place at the familiar UCR Agricultural Operations Course where the Wildcats have competed at twice this year. The meet will start with the women's 6k at 8:40 a.m. MST and will finish with the men's 8k at 9:40 a.m. MST. Both events can be streamed on the Pac-12 Network and live results can also be found here.
The championship follows Arizona's last outing in Riverside, Calif., for the UCR Highlander Invitational, where the men and women both placed fourth. On the women's side, Sailor Hutton was the team's top finisher in the 6k and she also finished 14th overall. Alisa Lyesina crossed the finish line second for the team and was followed by Mia Chavez. Grace Driskill will also return for the women this week, as she did not compete at the UCR Highlander Invitational. She has been the top finisher for the team in all of the races she's competed in.
Ian Sanchez Lopez led the men's team as their top finisher while also placing second overall with a new personal best in the 8k. His brother, Iker Sanchez Lopez, finished second for the team and placed 16th overall. Additionally, Cooper Quigley and Brennan Foody were the team's third and fourth finishers.
The Wildcats will also be debuting their new cross country and track and field kits at the championship meet. The uniforms are inspired by past Arizona designs with their paneling and two-tone coloring and highlight the tradition of the school. "Arizona" is largely displayed on the front of the jerseys, with "Wildcats" on the back. The traditional Arizona red, white, and blue colorway also encompasses all things Arizona. Another new touch can be seen with the "Bear Down" placed on the warmups, which serves as a last motivational reminder for the athletes before they start their competition. These kits will be used for the remainder of the cross country season and for the track and field season as well.
The UCR Highlander Invitational provided formidable Pac-12 competition for the Wildcats with the attendance of both Colorado and UCLA. The men placed higher than both of their Pac-12 competitors, while the women placed above Colorado. Earlier in the season, the Arizona women won the UC Riverside Invitational which also took place at the same course in Riverside, Calif.
At last year's Pac-12 Championships, the men did not finish, and the women placed 12th.
A meet recap will be posted to ArizonaWildcats.com detailing the competition results. Live updates will also be posted to @ArizonaTrack on Twitter.
RUNNERS
MEN
Brandon Bounds
Brennan Foody
Noah Jodon
Logan Marek
Cooper Quigley
Ian Sanchez Lopez
Iker Sanchez Lopez
Jeffrey Sillers
WOMEN
Mia Chavez
Grace Driskill
Brigid Hanley
Peyton Heiden
Sailor Hutton
Alisa Lyesina
Johnnie Mitchell
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