UCLA Cross Country Schedule Preview

The day before the first football game another UCLA team gets their season started. The Bruins men and women cross country teams, and coach Forest Braden, will look to improve on their 7^th place finishes at the 2013 Pac-12 championships. The men followed that up with a 6^th place finish, and the women 12^th, in the NCAA West Regional Championships in Sacramento.

Both the men and women will each return one all-conference performer from the 2013 season and both are contenders to win the conference championship next season. Nick Hartle finished 14^th overall in the conference championship and earned second-team accolades and he later went on to a 26^th place finish at the NCAA West Regional Championships. Kelsey Smith had the best finish for any Bruin female since 2005 with her seventh place finish at the Pac-12 Championships earning her first team honors. She later went on to finish 11^th overall at the NCAA West Regional Championships.

Coming into the 2014 season the Bruins will have six meets prior to the Pac-12 championships in Oakland, CA on October 31. Lets take a look at the 2014 UCLA men and women cross country schedules.

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Friday Aug. 29: Nature’s Bakery Nevada Twilight Classic (Sparks, NV)

This is a first time meet for the Bruins and it has traditionally been a women only meet. Last season the Nevada women defeated Pacific and UNLV.

Saturday Sept. 13: BYU Autumn Classic (Provo, UT)

The Bruins will be competing in this event for the first time in school history. Last season the BYU men and women won this meet over Portland, Weber State, and Idaho State.

Saturday Oct 4: Washington Invitational (Seattle, WA)

Yet another first time meet for the Bruins is the Washington Invitational. This meet used to be called the Seattle U/UW Open and was a dual meet between Seattle and Washington.

Thursday Oct 9: UCLA/USC Dual at The Rose Bowl (Pasadena, CA)

This is the second year of this dual at The Rose Bowl. The UCLA women defeated the USC women last year and will look to do the same this year. The USC men do not have a cross country team, so the men raced against alumni and Cerritos Junior College.

Friday Oct 17: Wisconsin adidas Invitational (Madison, WI)

The men finished 27^th, out 35 teams, and the women finished 27^th, out of 37 teams, in this elite meet. Last year the Northern Arizona men and Arizona women won this event.

Friday Oct 24: Titan Invitational (Fullerton, CA)

Both the men and women were the top Division 1 finishers in this meet last season and will look to repeat in 2014. The Bruin men finished 3^rd overall and the women 1^st overall.

Friday Oct 31: Pac-12 Championships (Oakland, CA)

The Cal Bears will be hosting this years Pac-12 cross country championships for the first time in school history. Last season the Arizona women and Colorado men took the conference titles. The UCLA men and women each finished 7^th overall.

Friday Nov 4: NCAA Regionals (Stanford, CA)

The Stanford Cardinal will be hosting this years cross country championships for the first time since 2011. Last season the Arizona women and Stanford men took home the regional championships. The UCLA men finished 6^th and the women finished 12^th at last years championships.

Saturday Nov 22: NCAA Championships (Terre Haute, IN)

Indiana State will host the cross country championships for the 2^nd consecutive year and for the 9^th time in the last 10 years. Last season the Colorado men and Providence women took home the national championship. No Bruins competed in the NCAA championships in 2013. In 2012 the Bruin men finished 13^th at the NCAA championships that saw Lane Werley finish 25^th overall, out of 245 runners. The UCLA women have not had an athlete race at NCAAs since 2009 when Shannon Murakami finished 114th out of 254 runners.