at Highlander Invitational
Date: Saturday, Oct. 14
Event: Women's 5000m Invitational
Time:  8:30 a.m. (PDT)
Location: UCR Agricultural Operations Course - Riverside, Calif.
 
THIS WEEK
The UC Irvine women's cross country team returns to the UCR Ag/Ops Course in Riverside for the second time this season as it will compete in the Highlander Invitational on Saturday, Oct. 14. The women's 5000m gets underway at 8:30 a.m.
 
A total of 12 schools will take part in the sixth annual Highlander Invitational this weekend, including fellow Big West members CSUN, Long Beach State and host UC Riverside. Keely Boyd, Brenda Dorantes, Amy Flores, Anastasia Karnaze, Olympia Martinez, Megan Mirkhanian, Jenessa Reyes and Amy Sovinsky are set to represent the Anteaters in a field of 106 runners.

RESULTS
Final results can be found at FinishedResults.com. Unofficial results can also be tracked live through the Finished Results app.
 
MEET REWIND
This is the sixth year in a row the 'Eaters will run at the Highlander Invitational. In 2016, they finished fourth among seven teams. Anastasia Karnaze was UCI's top performer, placing 11th overall with a 5K personal-record 17:48.14. Brenda Dorantes added a career-best 18:15.75 to come in 17th.
 
SOPHOMORE CORE
The Anteaters have three sophomores who have been among the team's top five finishers in all three races this year. Anastasia Karnaze led the way at the Pepperdine Invitational, UC Riverside Invitational and Master's University XC Invitational, with her best showing coming in the season opener where she took fourth overall. Keely Boyd was UCI's third runner at each of those meets, while Brenda Dorantes has consistently been in the fourth or fifth spot for the 'Eaters. All three established personal records in the 4K at Pepperdine.
 
MAKING A STATEMENT
Senior Jenessa Reyes has made an immediate impact in her first cross country season at UC Irvine. At the Pepperdine Invitational, Reyes passed a couple Waves runners down the final stretch to give UCI a 26-29 victory over the host school. She was also the team's second finisher at the UC Riverside Invitational 6K (22:30.7) and the Master's University Invitational 5K (18:52.5). Reyes came to Irvine from Orange Coast College last year but only competed in outdoor track & field.
 
AND WE'RE OFF
In their most recent outing on Saturday, Sept. 30, the 'Eaters finished second at the Master's University XC Invitational in Santa Clarita. Anastasia Karnaze continued to lead the way as she was the team's top finisher for the third time in as many races. Karnaze placed second among NCAA Division I athletes, and 13th overall, completing the 5000-meter course in 18:13.1. Jenessa Reyes crossed the finish line next for UCI with a 32nd-place showing (18:52.5). Keely Boyd was also 55th with a 5K personal-record 19:17.1, while Megan Mirkhanian was 62nd (19:25.0). Brenda Dorantes followed in 84th (19:56.9) to round out the Anteaters' top-five.
 
On Sept. 16, UC Irvine finished 14th against NCAA Division I teams at the UC Riverside Invitational 6K. Karnaze was first for the 'Eaters, placing 90th out of 220 overall competitors (21:59.2). Reyes added a career-best 22:30.7.
 
The Anteaters also went 4-1 at the season-opening Pepperdine Invitational (Sept. 1), defeating USC, Bakersfield, CSUN and Pepperdine, while falling to Long Beach State. Karnaze took fourth with a career-best 14:58.71 over 4000 meters.
 
BIG WEST PREP
This is UC Irvine's final tune-up before the Big West Championships on Saturday, Oct. 28.  The conference meet returns to the Inland Empire for the eighth time in the last 10 years, as the 'Eaters will be back at UCR Ag/Ops Course for the third time in 2017.
 
"We have a lot of local races and we're really focusing on getting on that UC Riverside course where the conference championship will be held," distance coach Chris Evans said prior to the start of the season. "We're there for the UCR Invitational and Highlander Invitational, both of which give us a chance to race top-level competition and to get to know the course so when the Big West meet comes, we're ready with our game plan and how we are going to attack that course."