There comes a time when every team has to step up and take it to the next level. For the men’s cross country team, that time is now.
The No. 21 UCLA men’s team is as deep as it has been in years, a claim proven true by its fourth-place finish at the Pac-10 Championships in late October, its best finish in 10 years.
Now, the Bruins shift their attention to the NCAA West Region Championships held at the Springfield Country Club in Eugene, Ore. The importance of the Regional is marked by the two automatic bids to the National Championships in Terre Haute, Ind., that are up for grabs.
UCLA will be matching up against a tough cast of opponents in what is considered the most challenging region in the country.
“We know what we’re up against,” coach Eric Peterson said. “There are seven other very capable teams that are competing at the national level. We’re not interested in just qualifying for the national meet; we want to be a great team. This is the time to put it all out there, and we are not going to hold anything back. We realize it is possibly the strongest region in the country, but that has only made us better.”
Peterson certainly has the personnel to compete at a high level and vie for a qualifying spot, as he will send a full squad of seven athletes to the region championships.
“We feel really good and confident in our lead runner, Austin Ramos,” Peterson said. “He has been a great competitor for us, not only this season but over the years. He’s in the best shape of his life and he’s running well, competing well, and he’s certainly been a strong point for us.”
Ramos, a senior who earned All-Conference honors for his fourth-place finish, is one of the 10 Bruins who set new career-bests at the conference championships in Corvallis, Ore. In that event, Peterson and his athletes were hoping to finish in the top two.
“It essentially opens our eyes to the reality that there is a change that we need to make from a competitive standpoint,” Peterson said. “By running as fast as they did at the Pac-10 Championships, some of the guys have realized that they are capable of racing at a higher level.”
This race marks the second time the teams will be competing in Eugene; the first time was at the Bill Dellinger Invitational in which the men finished sixth overall. Familiarity with a route is helpful, but the men will endure an extra loop, increasing the distance from 8 kilometers to 10 km. Still, a contriby Blair Angulo
Bruin Sports contributor
bangulo@media.ucla.edu
There comes a time when every team has to step up and take it to the next level. For the men’s cross country team, that time is now.
The No. 21 UCLA men’s team is as deep as it has been in years, a claim proven true by its fourth-place finish at the Pac-10 Championships in late October, its best finish in 10 years.
Now, the Bruins shift their attention to the NCAA West Region Championships held at the Springfield Country Club in Eugene, Ore. The importance of the Regional is marked by the two automatic bids to the National Championships in Terre Haute, Ind., that are up for grabs.
UCLA will be matching up against a tough cast of opponents in what is considered the most challenging region in the country.
“We know what we’re up against,” coach Eric Peterson said. “There are seven other very capable teams that are competing at the national level. We’re not interested in just qualifying for the national meet; we want to be a great team. This is the time to put it all out there, and we are not going to hold anything back. We realize it is possibly the strongest region in the country, but that has only made us better.”
Peterson certainly has the personnel to compete at a high level and vie for a qualifying spot, as he will send a full squad of seven athletes to the region championships.
“We feel really good and confident in our lead runner, Austin Ramos,” Peterson said. “He has been a great competitor for us, not only this season but over the years. He’s in the best shape of his life and he’s running well, competing well, and he’s certainly been a strong point for us.”
Ramos, a senior who earned All-Conference honors for his fourth-place finish, is one of the 10 Bruins who set new career-bests at the conference championships in Corvallis, Ore. In that event, Peterson and his athletes were hoping to finish in the top two.
“It essentially opens our eyes to the reality that there is a change that we need to make from a competitive standpoint,” Peterson said. “By running as fast as they did at the Pac-10 Championships, some of the guys have realized that they are capable of racing at a higher level.”
This race marks the second time the teams will be competing in Eugene; the first time was at the Bill Dellinger Invitational in which the men finished sixth overall. Familiarity with a route is helpful, but the men will endure an extra loop, increasing the distance from 8 kilometers to 10 km. Still, a contribution from consistent depth will be essential for the men to complete their tall aspirations.
As for the women, the story going into regionals is completely different. The team finished last in the Pac-10 Championships and remains focused on growing as a team during an obvious rebuilding year.
“We did not have the kind of race we were hoping for,” Peterson said. “We are going to the regional race with a complete women’s team and I know we are capable of so much more than we have shown this season. Our goal is to finish off the season with the best performance we can produce.”
The fact that the women’s team has to maintain a realistic mind-set cannot be stressed enough.
“It’s not really that different; for us improving is like winning,” senior Claire Rethmeier said. “We’re obviously not in a position to win but if we just improve and do better than we did last week, it is like winning for us.”
For the women, the gaps between runners have been too great to overcome and have cost the team valuable points.
“It’s going to be a matter of committing to the race,” Rethmeier said. “Lauren (Jirges), Shannon (Murakami) and I train together in practice and we can run together, but it’s just a matter of doing it in a race. It will make a huge difference in the score if we can do that.”