UC Irvine Heads to Highlander Invitational on Saturday

Saturday, October 19

Riverside, Calif. / UCR Ag Ops Course

8:00 AM

UC Irvine

Highlander Invitational

juan-sanchez-mxc-2024-highlander-invite-preview

UC Irvine Heads to Highlander Invitational on Saturday

October 18, 2024 | Men's Cross Country

Live Results Meet Notes

Highlander Invitational
Date: Saturday, Oct. 19
Event: Men's 8K
Time: 8:00 a.m. (PDT)
Location: UCR Ag Ops Course - Riverside, Calif.

IRVINE, Calif. - The UC Irvine men's cross country team will compete in the Highlander Invitational this Saturday, Oct. 19 at UC Riverside's Agricultural Operations Course. The 8K race is slated for an 8 a.m. start.

QUICK HITS
• UC Irvine is 15th in the USTFCCCA Division I West Region Rankings.
• It is the first time the Anteaters have been featured in the top-15 since 2012.
• Five current 'Eaters rank among the top-10 in 8K program history.
• Four weeks ago at the UCR Invite, Juan Chantaca ran a personal-record 23:51.4, which is third on UCI's all-time list.
• The Anteaters have a veteran squad with nine returners, including six seniors.

REGIONAL RANKINGS
UC Irvine remained at No. 15 in the latest USTFCCCA Division I West Region Rankings (Oct. 7). The Anteaters initially made their way into the top-15 for the first time since 2012 in the poll that was released on Sept. 30.

LAST TIME OUT
UCI had its second runner-up finish of the season at the Charles Bowles Invitational in Salem, Oregon, on Saturday, Oct. 5. The 'Eaters had five runners in the top-20 for 58 points. Juan Chantaca led the way, completing the 8K course in 23:56.6 to place fourth in a field of 279 athletes. Joshua Schuld was next across the line for UC Irvine in 12th with a season-best 24:26.8. Jacob Bustamante was right on his heels in 13th, clocking a personal-record 24:28.6. Bustamante's PR ranks 10th in program history. He is the fifth Anteater on the current roster to crack the all-time top-10. Cameron Smith, who had run a lifetime-best 24:18.8 two weeks earlier, came in at 24:29.5 (14th). Zeid Hussain added a season-best 24:40.7 for a 19th-place showing. Omar Reyes also notched a personal-record 24:52.4 (22nd), while Juan Sanchez rounded out UCI's top-seven in 28th.

MAKING A STATEMENT
Redshirt freshman Juan Chantaca has led the Anteaters in every race this season with three-straight top-20 showings. In his first collegiate cross country race, Chantaca claimed runner-up honors after completing the Irvine Invitational 8K course at the Great Park in 25:10.9. He was named the Big West Men's Cross Country Athlete of the Week for his effort. Two weeks later in Riverside, Chantaca improved his personal best by over a minute as he clocked the third-fastest time in program history at 23:51.4. On Oct. 5, he also took fourth out of 279 with a time of 23:56.6 at the Charles Bowles Invitational.

LEAVING A MARK
Of UC Irvine's nine returners, six are either fourth or fifth year seniors. Four of those seniors have made their way into UC Irvine's 8K records. As sophomores in 2022, Zeid Hussain tied the school record at 23:47.0 and Joshua Schuld ran the No. 7 time in program history (24:15.0). This season, Cameron Smith (24:18.8) and Jacob Bustamante (24:28.6) have both run personal bests that rank ninth and 10th, respectively.

UP NEXT
UC Irvine will make its way back to the UCR Ag Ops Course for the third time this season as it is the host site of the 2024 Big West Championship. The men's 8K race is scheduled for an 8:30 a.m. start on Saturday, Nov. 2.