Big West Championships
Date: Saturday, Nov. 2
Event: 6K
Time: 9:15 a.m. (PDT)
Location: UCR Ag Ops Course - Riverside, Calif.

IRVINE, Calif. - UC Irvine women's cross country heads back to Riverside for the 2024 Big West Championships on Saturday, November 2. The women's 6K race is scheduled for a 9:15 a.m. start at the UCR Agricultural Operations Course.

Representing the Anteaters at the conference meet will be Montgomery Allison, Makena Castillo, Nicole Contreras, Malia Gay, Cynthia Herrera, Liana Lee, Daisy Penney, Kaia Schmidt, Maggie Sczupak and Anna Vogtmann.

CHAMPIONSHIP REWIND
UCI finished fifth at the 2023 Big West Championships, which were held in Nipomo, California. Host Cal Poly defended its crown for the program's ninth conference title. Two years ago, the Anteaters took the Mustangs down to the wire as they came in second, just one point behind Cal Poly. Anna Vogtmann led the way in fifth with a school-record 19:52.8. The 'Eaters lead the league with 12 conference championships but are looking for their first title since 2005. They have had an All-Big West performer (top-10) in each of the last four conference meets.

REGIONAL RANKINGS
UC Irvine came in at No. 13 in the latest USTFCCCA West Region Rankings released on October 21. The Anteaters have been featured in all five polls this season, and achieved the program's highest ranking in the current regional system that dates back to 2009, at No. 11 on September 30 and October 7.

TWICE AS NICE
Senior Anna Vogtmann was named the Big West Athlete of the Week following each of her two races this season. On Oct. 15, Vogtmann earned her second weekly award for her performance at the Bill Dellinger Invitational. Running in an elite field of 154 athletes, she clocked in at 20:51.6 to take 30th. The Folsom, California, native was also recognized after her season debut at the UC Riverside Invitational (Sept. 21), where she covered the 6K course in 19:58.2 to place third out of 223. That time is tops in The Big West in 2024, and was just under six seconds shy of her personal and school-record 19:52.8, which she set in 2022.

IN THE TOP-10
Four current Anteaters rank among the top-10 in 6K program history. Anna Vogtmann (19:52.8) and Sameen Andar (19:57.6) own the top-two spots with their personal records that were established at the 2022 Big West Championship. Makena Castillo (20:42.6) and Kaia Schmidt (20:52.6) also entered the mix this year at No. 8 and No. 10, respectively.

LAST TIME OUT
UC Irvine finished fifth at the Highlander Invitational on Saturday, October 19. Eleven Anteaters ran either a personal record or season best in the 6K at the UCR Agricultural Operations Course. Liana Lee led the way, clocking a PR 21:40.9 to place 26th in a field of 256 athletes. Montgomery Allison wasn't far behind in 30th with a season-best 21:47.7. Rachel Moen was next across the line in a lifetime-best 21:57.7, while Marjourie Lopez notched a season-best 22:22.1. Olivia Liuson rounded out UCI's top-five scorers with a season-best 22:33.3.

UP NEXT
UC Irvine will travel to Colfax, Washington, for the NCAA West Regional on Friday, November 15.