Anteaters Head To Riverside For Highlander Invitational

Saturday, October 17

Riverside, Calif. / Ag/Ops Cross Country Course

8:00 AM

UC Irvine

Highlander Invitational

Anteaters Head To Riverside For Highlander Invitational

October 16, 2026 | Men's Cross Country, Women's Cross Country

UC Irvine men's and women's cross country teams return to action Saturday at UC Riverside

Highlander Invitational
Date: Saturday, Oct. 17
Events: Men's 8K / Women's 6K
Time: 8 a.m. / 8:40 a.m. (PDT)
Location: UCR Agricultural Operations Course – Riverside, Calif.
Live Results

IRVINE, Calif. – The UC Irvine men's and women's cross country teams return to Riverside for the Highlander Invitational on Saturday, Oct. 17. The Anteaters will compete at the UC Riverside Agricultural Operations Course, with the men's 8K Invitational beginning at 8 a.m. and the women's 6K Invitational following at 8:40 a.m.

The Highlander Invitational marks another opportunity for the Anteaters to compete on a familiar course as they continue preparations for the upcoming Big West Championships.

LAST TIME OUT
Both UC Irvine squads competed at the Bill Dellinger Invitational in Eugene, Ore., on Oct. 9, facing a competitive field that included nationally ranked Oregon.
The Anteater women placed fourth in the 12-team field with 118 points.

Senior Kaia Schmidt led UCI in her season debut, placing 16th overall among 105 competitors with a 6K time of 21:00.8. Schmidt was the top Big West finisher in the race and earned conference Athlete of the Week honors for her performance.

On the men's side, UC Irvine finished ninth, led by senior Jimmy Markowicz, who clocked a season-best 8K time of 25:08.3 to place 44th overall. Junior Juan Chantaca followed in 46th (25:11.4), while freshman Nathan Wilber (25:13.5) and sophomore Ziyad Abdallah (25:15.6) placed 48th and 49th, respectively. Freshman Owen Souther rounded out the Anteaters' scoring five in 25:45.1.

SCHMIDT EARNS BIG WEST HONORS
Senior Kaia Schmidt was named The Big West Women's Cross Country Athlete of the Week on Oct. 13 following her performance at the Bill Dellinger Invitational.

Schmidt was the top Big West finisher in the race, earning her second career weekly conference honor. The reigning All-Big West performer previously received the award in September 2025 after a standout performance at the UCR Invitational.

FAMILIAR TERRITORY
UC Irvine returns to a course where both teams have produced strong individual performances. At the UCR Invitational on Sept. 19, the Anteater women captured the 6K team title with 65 points, while the men finished 11th in the 8K.

Senior Emma Hadley won the women's individual title in a personal-record 20:09.9, moving to fourth in program history. Sophomore Grace Baxter finished fourth overall in 20:27.7, while Cynthia Herrera and Sona Kourilova also recorded personal bests.

On the men's side, Chantaca placed 16th in 24:01.6. The junior set UCI's 8K school record of 23:38.4 on the same course in 2025.

The UCR Agricultural Operations Course features a predominantly flat, hard-packed dirt surface with a few rolling hills. The course winds through the university's agricultural operations center, including groves of century-old citrus trees.

CHAMPIONSHIP PREPARATIONS
Saturday's meet serves as UC Irvine's final regular-season competition before the Big West Championships, which will also be held at the UCR Agricultural Operations Course on Oct. 31.

The Anteater women are seeking their first conference cross country championship since 2005 after finishing second in 2025. The squad has already recorded a team victory at the UCR Invitational and a fourth-place finish at the Bill Dellinger Invitational this fall.

The men's team continues to develop a lineup featuring both experienced returners and emerging underclassmen as the postseason approaches.

UP NEXT
UC Irvine returns to Riverside for the Big West Cross Country Championships on Saturday, Oct. 31. The men's 8K is scheduled for 8:30 a.m., followed by the women's 6K at 9:15 a.m.