It’s been 29 years since the UCLA men’s and women’s cross country teams have both made the NCAA championships.
This year, both Bruin teams will be at the LaVern Gibson Championship Course in Terre Haute, Ind. The men’s team will be competing in the 10K while the women’s team will be running in the 6K.
On Friday, at the West Regional, both teams earned at-large bids to make it into the tournament. The men’s team finished fourth while the women’s team finished fifth, making it the women’s team’s first appearance in the tournament since 2004.
While this is the men’s second appearance in the last three years, for the seniors on the women’s team, their first NCAA Tournament will be their last.
“It’s sad but at the same time this is everything I’ve wanted, everything I’ve been dreaming for – to have a breakout race and go for it and see what I can do,” said redshirt senior Meghan Marvin. “I’ll be content either way with however I finish and I wouldn’t take it any other way because I have such a great team and people supporting me.”
Two redshirt seniors earned all-region accolades in the West Regional when Kelsey Smith finished ninth, followed by Marvin in 14th.
On the men’s side, UCLA will be looking for its other three all-region selections to carry them to the finish – 13th-place finisher sophomore Ferdinand Edman, 16th-place finisher redshirt junior Lane Werley and 22nd-place finisher junior Nick Hartle.
Compiled by Derrek Li, Bruin Sports senior staff with contributing reports by Aubrey Yeo, Bruin Sports senior staff.