Cross Country Releases 2026 Schedule
July 21, 2026 | General, Men's Cross Country, Women's Cross Country
IRVINE, Calif. - UC Irvine men's and women's cross country have announced their 2026 schedule.
"On paper, our schedule is very similar to the last couple years with the exception of a different opener," UCI distance coach Casey Kear said. "We will primarily stay local with trips to Eugene and Sacramento outside the area. We get to head back to UC Riverside for the Big West Championship which is a course we love and have historically run well at. We have familiarity with the regional site in Sacramento and will continue to chase our goals of having student-athletes represented at the national championship."
The Anteaters are set to begin the campaign at the Aztec Coastal Classic in San Diego on Thursday, Sept. 3. They will then make the first of three trips to the UCR Ag/Ops Course for the UC Riverside Invitational on Sept. 19. At last year's UCR Invite, Juan Chantaca broke the men's 8K school record, while Kaia Schmidt and Emma Hadley both ran personal bests that rank among the program's all-time top-10 in the women's 6K.
The 'Eaters have three meets in October, starting with the Bill Dellinger Invitational in Oregon (Oct. 9). The following weekend, UC Irvine is slated to compete in the Highlander Invitational in Riverside. That is the final tune-up before the Big West Championship, which will also take place at UCR on Oct. 31.
The NCAA West Regional will be held in Sacramento on Nov. 13. Qualifying teams and individuals then make their way to Terre Haute, Indiana, for the NCAA Championships on Nov. 21.
"On paper, our schedule is very similar to the last couple years with the exception of a different opener," UCI distance coach Casey Kear said. "We will primarily stay local with trips to Eugene and Sacramento outside the area. We get to head back to UC Riverside for the Big West Championship which is a course we love and have historically run well at. We have familiarity with the regional site in Sacramento and will continue to chase our goals of having student-athletes represented at the national championship."
The Anteaters are set to begin the campaign at the Aztec Coastal Classic in San Diego on Thursday, Sept. 3. They will then make the first of three trips to the UCR Ag/Ops Course for the UC Riverside Invitational on Sept. 19. At last year's UCR Invite, Juan Chantaca broke the men's 8K school record, while Kaia Schmidt and Emma Hadley both ran personal bests that rank among the program's all-time top-10 in the women's 6K.
The 'Eaters have three meets in October, starting with the Bill Dellinger Invitational in Oregon (Oct. 9). The following weekend, UC Irvine is slated to compete in the Highlander Invitational in Riverside. That is the final tune-up before the Big West Championship, which will also take place at UCR on Oct. 31.
The NCAA West Regional will be held in Sacramento on Nov. 13. Qualifying teams and individuals then make their way to Terre Haute, Indiana, for the NCAA Championships on Nov. 21.
Players Mentioned
/ Men's Cross Country
/ Women's Cross Country
/ Women's Cross Country
Wednesday, July 01
Tuesday, May 12
Sunday, May 10
Sunday, May 10
