UCLA XC Heads to Washington Invite
October 01, 2015 | Cross Country
LOS ANGELES – The UCLA cross country team will head to the Jefferson Park Golf Course in Seattle, Wash., to compete in the Washington Invitational. The meet, scheduled for Friday, Oct. 2 will begin at 3:15 p.m. with the women's 6k and conclude with the men's 8k at 4 p.m.
“This is our first test of the season,” UCLA cross country coach Forest Braden said. “The preseason is over and now it's time to get this season going. Washington put on a great meet last year and I expect a similar meet in terms of quality and competition.”
The No. 11-ranked UCLA men's team will be put to the test for the first time this season as the Bruins will face a field that sports four highly ranked squads and two more receiving votes out of the 11 teams competing. The field includes No. 2 Stanford, No. 5 Oregon and No. 12 BYU, while host Washington and Portland are receiving votes. Gonzaga, Seattle U, and Eastern Washington will round out the competition.
"I'm looking for fifth-year seniors Lane Werley and Sergey Sushchikh to lead the way for our men, although Myles Smith should be with those guys every step of the way," Braden said. "Nick Hartle, Daniel De La Torre, Richard Ho, Jonah Diaz and Austin O'Neil will be making their season debuts along with Werley and Sushchikh."
The same field will race on the women's side, with the addition of Oregon State. UCLA will go up against No. 4 Stanford, No. 5 Oregon, No. 12 Washington and No. 23 BYU.
"Our ladies were led by freshmen Taylor Taite, Julia Rizk and senior Aliya Shirif two weeks ago and I expect all three to be right up at the front of our pack once again," Braden explained. "The ladies have been training as a group and I want to see us race that way on Friday. Emily Scharmann and Valerie Morrison will open their seasons for us tomorrow and should immediately make an impact."
The Bruins trained through the weekend this past week and enter Friday with fresh legs. Last season at the Washington Invite, UCLA impressed as the men finished second overall in a field that featured nine ranked teams while the women placed fourth.
UCLA last competed at the Mustang Challenge, two weekends ago. The men took top honors while the women were the runner-up in a meet held at Central Park in Santa Clarita.
The men were paced by Myles Smith, who won the 8k event in a time of 25:00.68. Smith seized the lead early and cruised to a 14-second victory. The men secured the victory over a field of 18 teams, outdistancing LMU, 38-69.
The women placed second overall with 94 points and were led by freshman Taylor Taite. The newcomer placed 10th overall with a 5k time of 18:10.78.
"Both teams have been very positive and disciplined through the early part of the season," Braden added. "Physically we are fit, strong and healthy. This race will give us a gauge of where we are and what we need to do to get better."
UCLA will return to the trail and head to the Wisconsin Adidas Invitational on Friday, Oct. 16. The meet will be run on the Thomas Zimmer Championship Course in Madison, Wisc.
Players Mentioned
