UC Riverside Invitational
Date: Saturday, Sept. 17
Event: Men's 8K
Time: 7:50 a.m.
Location: UCR Ag/Ops Course

IRVINE, Calif. - The UC Irvine men's cross country team is back in action this weekend as it heads to the Inland Empire for the UC Riverside Invitational on Saturday, Sept. 17. The 8000m Invitational is set to get underway at 7:50 a.m., while the 8000m Open is scheduled for an 8:55 a.m. start. Both races will take place at the UCR Ag/Ops Course.
 
QUICK HITS
• UCI is coming off a runner-up team finish at the Anteater Opener.
• Lukas Amare led the way with his first collegiate cross country victory, winning the 6K race in 18:26.0.
• Amare was UC Irvine's first individual champion since 2017.
• Joshua Schuld also took third in a personal-record 18:29.1.
• The Anteaters do not have any newcomers as their roster features 11 returning letterwinners.
 
LAST TIME OUT
Sophomore Lukas Amare claimed the individual title to lead UC Irvine to a runner-up team finish in the Anteater Opener at the ARC Fields on Thursday, Sept. 1. The 'Eaters took two of the top-three spots and combined for 33 points to come in just behind California Baptist (27), which was ranked seventh in the West Region. Fellow Big West schools Long Beach State and CSUN were third and fourth, respectively. Amare pulled ahead of the lead pack on the final 1K loop for a two-second victory. He cut 36 seconds off his 6K personal record with a time of 18:26.0. Sophomore Joshua Schuld wasn't far behind in third, clocking a lifetime-best 18:29.1. It was his best finish in his young collegiate career. Sophomores Jacob Bustamante (8th, 18:52.7) and Cameron Smith (9th, 18:56.2) both added a top-10 showing and a 6K personal best.
 
"It was exciting to see Lukas get his first collegiate cross country win on his home course," UCI distance coach Casey Kear said after the season opener. "Lukas and the guys have been working really hard to take our program to the next level so he was really able to showcase that. The guys are starting to believe they can be good and compete with anyone in our conference. We still have a lot of work to do, but I'm excited about our trajectory and progression."
 
YOUTHFUL EXPERIENCE
Among UC Irvine's 11 returners are nine sophomores, one junior and one senior. Although still young with a majority of the team entering their second year of eligibility, the group gained invaluable experience in 2021. As true freshmen, Joshua Schuld and Zeid Hussain, both local products out of Beckman High School, were consistently among UCI's top-three. Schuld led the 'Eaters in three of his five races, including in his first career 10K at the NCAA West Regional. Lukas Amare, a redshirt freshman in 2021, was also UC Irvine's No. 1 runner at last year's Anteater Opener and Big West Championships. Overall, it is a collective unit that should show depth and strength in numbers.
 
SUMMER FUN
UCI's youth showed last year as the squad came in eighth place at the Big West Championships. Disappointed with their finish, the student-athletes took the initiative to dedicate themselves to an off-season altitude camp in Flagstaff, Arizona, on their own. They ran some of their highest mileage weeks of their careers and got in some of the best training they've ever had.
 
UP NEXT
The Anteaters will have a few weeks to dedicate toward training before returning to competition on Saturday, Oct. 15, when they make their way to Santa Clara for the Bronco Invitational.