If there’s any indication of how big this weekend’s Wisconsin Adidas Invitational is, it’s this: UCLA coach Forest Braden was already thinking about it even as the Bruins faced crosstown rival USC Trojans last week.
“(We’re) looking forward to Wisconsin in a week – and that’s going to be a big test for us,” Braden said after the meet at the Rose Bowl last Thursday.
A big test, indeed. The meet in Madison, Wis. on Friday will feature 22 women’s and 19 men’s ranked cross country programs. The UCLA men’s team enters the meet deadlocked with the host University of Wisconsin at the No. 9 spot in the men’s AP Top 25, while the Bruin women’s team enters the meet just outside the top 30.
On Thursday, Braden called it one of the biggest regular season meets in recent memory for UCLA cross country.
“How you qualify for the national meet is based on placing at regionals – but it’s also about beating other teams from other regions and getting points to qualify for nationals,” Braden said. “(With) all the other great teams that are going to be at the meet tomnorrow, it is a good (opportunity) for us.”
The location and time of the meet – in the north-central region of the country in mid fall – would seem to be disadvantageous for the Bruins, who are accustomed to training in sunny Southern California. But Braden said that the weather has not been an issue after the team’s course run on Thursday.
“Amazingly, it was 69 degrees (on Thursday) and sunny,” Braden said. “It’s supposed to be in the 50s tomorrow with a little wind, which is always a factor, but that’s actually beautiful running weather.”
Outside of the adverse weather, the Bruins are pretty prepared for the course otherwise. UCLA has competed on the exact running trail in the same tournament for each of the last four years, but neither the men’s nor women’s team has ever placed higher than 10th.
If UCLA cross country wants to assert itself as one of the nation’s elite heading into playoffs, it will likely have to surpass that mark.
Compiled by Matthew Joye, Bruin Sports senior staff.