Men's Cross Country Back in Action at Highlander Invitational

Saturday, October 19

Riverside, Calif.

8:00 AM

UC Irvine

Highlander Invitational

Men's Cross Country Back in Action at Highlander Invitational

October 17, 2019 | Men's Cross Country

Highlander Invitational
Date: Saturday, Oct. 19
Event: 8K
Time: 8 a.m. (PDT)
Location: UCR Ag/Ops Course - Riverside, Calif.
Live Results: FinishedResults.com

Notes - Meet #4

IRVINE, Calif. - The UC Irvine men's cross country team is back in action after a three-week hiatus as it travels to Riverside for the Highlander Invitational on Saturday, Oct. 19. The men's 8000-meter race is slated for an 8 a.m. start at the UCR Ag/Ops Course. Omar Adel, Sebastian Bautista, Christian Hernandez, Jhamani Long, Michael McCarthy and Jason Messner will be competing for the Anteaters.

QUICK HITS
• This marks the eighth consecutive year the 'Eaters are competing in the Highlander Invitational.
• Since 2012, they have recorded six top-five finishes with two team titles, the most recent coming in 2016.
• The Highlander Invite is UCI's final tune-up before the Big West Championships on Nov. 2.
• Saturday's race will be run on the same course as the upcoming conference meet.
• Sophomore Sebastian Bautista has been UC Irvine's No. 1 runner in each of the first three races.
• He established an 8K personal-record 25:47.7 at the Mark Covert Classic.
• Senior Sam Ayala, who missed the first three meets with an injury, will redshirt the cross country season.
• Ayala was the team's top returner after posting his first career top-20 showing at the 2018 Big West Championships.
• The Anteaters' eight-man roster includes four returnees and four newcomers.
• UCI officially welcomed distance coach Casey Kear to their cross country/track & field staff in August.
• Kear comes to Irvine from Long Beach State where he mentored a Big West Freshman of the Year.

LAST TIME OUT
• UC Irvine finished 18th at The Master's University XC Invitational on Saturday, Sept. 28.
• Sebastian Bautista was the first to cross the finish line for the Anteaters, coming in at 26:08.9. He placed 43rd out of 297 overall runners.
• Sophomore Christian Hernandez took 76th at 26:55.4, while senior Jhamani Long was 119th (27:41.2).
• Freshman Michael McCarthy (28:55.3) and sophomore Omar Adel (29:42.5) rounded out the 'Eater lineup.
• Freshmen Nick Krohn and Jason Messner did not compete in the meet.

COACH'S CORNER
"We haven't raced close to our potential yet this year and our guys have to stay focused and trust the process. It's a long season and the most important races are still ahead." - UCI Distance Coach Casey Kear

UP NEXT
• UC Irvine returns to Riverside for the Big West Championships on Saturday, Nov. 2.