UCLA
Pac-12 Cross Country Championships
Men Third, Women Eighth at Pac-12 Cross Country Championships
October 27, 2017 | Cross Country
Eugene, Ore. โ The UCLA cross country teams got their postseason campaign started Friday at the Pac-12 Championships, with the UCLA men taking third and the Bruin women finishing eighth overall. Junior Robert Brandt took sixth overall in the men's 8k, while freshman Erika Adler led the Bruins in the 6k competition with a 22nd-place finish.
The men's 8k saw Brandt, a transfer from Cal, assert himself as one of the top runners in the Pac-12. Brandt was leading the race at Split 6 and crossed the finish line sixth overall with a time of 23:55.9. Sophomore Garrett Reynolds had Brandt in his sights the whole race, finishing 14th overall in a time of 24:08.3, an improvement of 21 spots from the conference meet a year ago. Junior Jackson Marshall was the Bruins' third runner, clocking a time of 24:16.5 to finish 23rd.
"Robert, again, has solidified himself as a top contender in our conference and that always translates well when you look to the region and the country," said assistant coach Devin Elizondo. "He had a nice finish at the Minnesota Griak Invite, a Top-10 finish at Wisconsin, and another Top-10 finish here, and he was in that lead pack the whole time."
Senior Myles Smith was the Bruins' fourth runner, finishing in 26th place and a time of 24:23.5. Redshirt sophomore Colin Burke took 35th overall, completing UCLA's scoring five with a time of 24:31.5. Redshirt sophomore George Gleason (40th) and redshirt freshman Carter Blunt (43rd) rounded out the Bruins' Top-7, finishing with times of 24:34.5 and 24:37.3, respectively.
The Stanford men took home the 2017 conference title with 41 points, snapping Colorado's streak of six consecutive victories at the Pac-12 Championships. Stanford junior Grant Fisher won the 8k race, making him the first male runner not named Edward Cheserek (four-time winner for Oregon) to win the Pac-12 individual title since 2012. The UCLA men ended with 103 points, finishing in third place at the conference meet for the second year in a row.
"I'm really proud of all their work and their service throughout the year," said Elizondo. "To be able to walk off the conference course with another third-place finish is, I know really special for them, and something I was hoping they would be able to achieve."
Seniors Daniel De La Torre (44th) and Richard Ho (49th) finished with times of 24:38.9 and 24:48.6, respectively. Redshirt freshman Chris Morzenti filled out UCLA's squad, finishing in 64th place with a time of 25:26.6.
Adler continued her breakout freshman campaign with a 22nd-place finish in the women's 6k in a time of 19:31.5. She placed as the Bruins' top runner for the third time this season, as she fought to stick with the front pack of the conference's best runners. Sophomore Cassandra Durgy posted her second consecutive Top-50 Pac-12 Championship finish, taking 43rd place with a time of 20:07.9. Sophomore Claire Markey gutted out a 52-place finish in a time of 20:22.0, running tough in her first race after missing the regular season with injury.
A pair of true freshmen rounded out UCLA's scoring five, as Christina Rice (20:23.9) and Kira Loren (20:53.2) took 54th and 71st overall, respectively, in their postseason debuts. Redshirt sophomore Jackie Garner was the sixth runner for the Bruins, finishing in 73rd place with a time of 20:54.1. Junior Taylor Taite completed UCLA's Top-7 with an 80th-place finish, recording a time of 21:04.0.
The Colorado women won their third consecutive Pac-12 Championship with 53 points on the day, with Buffalo junior Dani Jones taking the individual title with a time of 18:57.3. UCLA finished with 221 points, good for eighth place.
"Overall a great competitive race for our team," said assistant Coach Jennifer DeRego. "The women got off the line quick and put themselves in position to compete with the top pack. Some of our ladies were just racing in high school races five months ago and now they're racing among experienced women in one of the top conferences and regions in the nation."
Senior Roni Yamane finished 90th overall with a time of 21:27.7. Redshirt freshmen Kelly Bernd (21:32.5) and Lucie Semone (21:58.7) completed the UCLA women's squad, finishing 91st and 97th, respectively.
"This team of women strives for competitive greatness and with a recipe of patience, perseverance, and a daily commitment to the process, they will rise up as champions," said DeRego.
The UCLA cross country squads will continue their postseason schedules at the NCAA West Regional Championships in Seattle. The competition will be held at Jefferson Park Golf Course on Friday, November 10.
2017 Pac-12 Cross Country Championships
Oct. 13, 2017 - Eugene, Ore.
6. Robert Brandt (23:55.9)
14. Garrett Reynolds (24:08.3)
23. Jackson Marshall (24:16.5)
26. Myles Smith (24:23.5)
35. Colin Burke (24:31.5)
40. George Gleason (24:34.5)
43. Carter Blunt (24:37.3)
Women's Results - Team 8th (221)
22. Erika Adler (19:31.5)
43. Cassandra Durgy (20:07.9)
52. Claire Markey (20:22.0)
54. Christina Rice (20:23.9)
71. Kira Loren (20:53.2)
73. Jackie Garner (20:54.1)
80. Taylor Taite (21:01.6)
Players Mentioned
