IRVINE, Calif. - The UC Irvine women's cross country team is set to open the 2023 campaign at the Big West Preview on Friday, Sept. 1. The meet, which is hosted by Cal Poly, will be held at Blacklake Golf Course in Nipomo, California. The women's 5,000-meter race is scheduled for an 8:30 a.m. start. 

The Anteaters are featured in the USTFCCCA Preseason West Region Rankings, coming in at No. 14. They are one of three Big West schools in the initial poll along with No. 11 Cal Poly and No. 13 UC Davis.

QUICK HITS
• For the first time since 2019, UC Irvine is slated to kick off the campaign on the road.
• Seven Big West teams will get an early look at the 2023 championship course in Nipomo, California.
• Last year, the Anteaters claimed runner-up honors at the Big West Championship meet in Riverside.
• They came in one point behind Cal Poly in the closest finish in conference history.
• UCI returns 15 letterwinners from that 2022 squad, while bringing in six newcomers.

PHOTO FINISH
UC Irvine is coming off one of its best seasons in recent years. Last fall, UCI took second at the 2022 Big West Cross Country Championships and placed among the top-15 at the NCAA West Regional meet. The Anteaters' conference finish was their highest since 2014, but it was also a heartbreaking one as they came within one point of the program's 13th Big West title. The 'Eaters (64 points), who had four individuals place among the top-11 including a league-best three All-Big West performers, were edged by Cal Poly (63) in the closest finish in conference history.

BREAKING RECORDS
Leading a strong core group of returners are juniors Sameen Andar and Anna Vogtmann. Both earned All-Big West honors in cross country last year. Vogtmann was UCI's No. 1 runner, finishing fifth at the championship meet in a school-record 19:52.8. Andar was right behind her in sixth, clocking in at 19:57.6 to move up to No. 2 in program history. Andar also had an outstanding track & field season, breaking a 37-year-old school record in the 5000m (16:13.12), while claiming the Big West title and qualifying for the NCAA West Preliminary Championships in the 10K. 

COLLECTIVE EFFORT
UC Irvine lost two key pieces from last year's squad with the graduation of Hannah Chau and Evelin Meza. The 'Eaters will rely on a collective effort to fill those two spots. In addition to Vogtmann and Andar, UCI welcomes back juniors Malia Gay, Olivia Liuson and Maggie Sczupak, all of whom were part of the team's runner-up conference finish a year ago. Sophomore Makena Castillo, who redshirted last season with an injury, returns as well, while the 'Eaters also hope to see immediate contributions from their six newcomers. 

40TH ANNIVERSARY
This year marks the 40th anniversary of the inaugural Big West Women's Cross Country Championship. The 1983 meet was a significant event as it was the first women's competition sponsored by the Pacific Coast Athletic Association (renamed The Big West in 1988), and the first women's sport sponsorship by a league west of the Rockies. In addition, it was significant for UC Irvine as it was the start of a dynasty. The Anteaters beat out UC Santa Barbara and UNLV for the first of their league-leading 12 conference titles. Lisa Gonzales claimed the individual championship and she was followed by teammates Susan Zika (2nd), Judy McLaughlin (3rd), Lorraine Mercado (5th) and Jennifer Abraham (7th).

UP NEXT
UC Irvine will make its way to the Inland Empire for the UC Riverside Invitational on Saturday, Sept. 16.