IRVINE, Calif. - The UC Irvine men's and women's cross country teams have released their schedule for the upcoming 2022 season.
 
"Our early season schedule looks similar to years past with a home opener and a trip to UC Riverside," said distance coach Casey Kear. "The biggest change is our mid-season trip up the coast to run at the Bronco Invitational hosted by Santa Clara. It has a reputation of being a really solid meet, a fast course and a great place to prepare us for both the Big West Championships as well as the NCAA West Regionals."
 
UCI is set to kick off the campaign by hosting the second annual Anteater Opener at the ARC Fields on Thursday, Sept. 1.
 
The 'Eaters then head to the Inland Empire for their sixth consecutive appearance in the UC Riverside Invitational on Sept. 17. Following a 27-day layoff from competition, the Anteaters will travel to Santa Clara for the Bronco Invitational (Oct. 15).
 
UC Irvine stays local the following weekend, making the short trip to Fullerton for the Titan Invitational (Oct. 21). That will be the squad's final tune-up before the Big West Championships, which returns to the UC Riverside Ag/Ops Course on Saturday, Oct. 29.
 
"We are excited to return to UC Riverside for the Big West Championships at the end of October," Kear added. "It is a course we are familiar with and have run well at in the past."
 
The NCAA West Regionals will then be held in Seattle, Washington, on Friday, Nov. 11, with qualifying teams and individuals advancing to the NCAA Championships in Stillwater, Oklahoma, on Nov. 19.