UC Riverside Invitational
Event: 6K Invitational & 5K Open
Time: 7:15 AM (6K) / 8:25 AM (5K)
Location: UCR Ag/Ops Course - Riverside, Calif.
Live Results: FinishedResults.com

Notes - Meet #2

IRVINE, Calif. - UC Irvine women's cross country is back in action this weekend as it heads to the Inland Empire for the UC Riverside Invitational on Saturday, Sept. 18. The 6,000-meter race is scheduled for a 7:15 a.m. start, while the 5,000-meter Open is slated for 8:25 a.m.
 
The Anteaters have nine student-athletes entered in the 6K Invitational - Sameen Andar, Makena Castillo, Elizabeth Celada Padilla, Hannah Chau, Olivia Liuson, McKenna Paulson, Amber Rios, Patricia Sanchez and Anna Vogtmann. They also have 16 entries in the 5K Open.
 
QUICK HITS
• Hannah Chau broke the 4,000-meter school record in the first race of the season (14:11.0).
• UC Irvine has a young team with 25 underclassmen and only three upperclassmen.
• The Anteaters have nine incoming freshmen, and 10 freshmen returning from the canceled 2020 season.
• Fifteen 'Eaters made their collegiate cross country debuts in the season opener on Sept. 1.
• UCI kicked off the 2021 campaign with the Anteater Opener, which was the program's first home meet since 2015.
 
LAST TIME OUT
Junior Hannah Chau established a 4,000-meter school record to lead UC Irvine to a second-place finish at the Anteater Opener on Sept. 1. The 'Eaters finished well ahead of San Diego State and fellow Big West member Long Beach State. California Baptist took home the team title.
 
"It was a really good effort competing against a strong California Baptist team who is ranked among the top-10 in the West Region," UCI distance coach Casey Kear said. "Hannah pushed the pace from the beginning and was able to hold on for third. Our next few finishers were freshmen so it's exciting to have that young core."
 
Chau, who led for most of the race, took third overall in a program-best 14:11.0. She beat the previous standard of 14:14.8 set by Chloe Fata in 2012. The next five 'Eaters to cross the finish line were all freshmen. Anna Vogtmann led the pack with an eighth-place showing in her collegiate debut. Vogtmann clocked in at 14:30.0, putting her at No. 4 on UC Irvine's all-time 4K list. Also entering the top-10 were Sameen Andar (14:54.1) and Makena Castillo (14:56.9). Olivia Liuson and Amber Rios followed with times of 14:58.0 and 15:10.7, respectively.
 
THE RETURNERS
• Junior Hannah Chau is one of the top returners in the Big West.
• Chau placed fifth at the 2019 Big West Cross Country Championships to earn all-conference honors.
• More recently, she won the individual 10K title at the 2021 Big West Track & Field Championships.
• Junior Patricia Sanchez had a top-30 finish with a 6K lifetime-best 21:52.84 at the conference meet two years ago.
• UCI also welcomes back six sophomores who competed in 2019.
 
THE NEWCOMERS
• Graduate transfer Evelin Meza brings strong NCAA Division I cross country credentials to a young squad.
• Meza, who is slated to make her UCI debut on Saturday, ran three years of cross country & track at San José State.
• The Anteaters also have nine true freshmen and 10 returning freshmen from the canceled 2020 season.
• Anna Vogtmann was the top performer among UCI's freshmen at the Anteater Opener, coming in eighth overall.
• Sameen Andar, Makena Castillo, Olivia Liuson and Amber Rios also had impressive performances in their debuts.
 
UP NEXT
The 'Eaters will have a few weeks to prepare for their next meet when they head back to the UCR/Ag Ops Course for the Highlander Invitational on Saturday, Oct. 16.