Fresh off his third-place finish in the four kilometer race at
the Stanford Invitational last weekend, Jon Rankin will have a
chance to lead the UCLA men’s cross country team again.
Rankin will look to improve upon his performance from last week at
the Notre Dame Invitational at the Burke Memorial Golf Course on
the Notre Dame campus this weekend. While the season’s
challenging meets are still ahead for the team, Rankin’s
early performances have helped him distinguish himself from the
rest of the Bruins. “I’m fortunate that in my last year
I’m as healthy, as strong and as motivated as I’ve ever
been,” Rankin said. It seems as if the fifth-year senior has
constantly run just out of the spotlight, mostly due to a string of
stress fractures that have plagued his college career.
“He’s extraordinarily gifted,” coach Eric
Peterson said. “His body was just fragile. What we’re
seeing now is him coming into his own.” Able to preserve his
strength, Rankin emerged from his injuries and developed into a
more mature athlete physically and emotionally. “It was
really a time of growth for me,” he said. Still,
Rankin’s jump start in tallying top finishes doesn’t
mean a strong pack of runners is going to let him get away easily.
A loaded field of 26 teams awaits the Bruins at the Notre Dame
Invitational, headlined by No. 2 Stanford, No. 9 BYU and No. 11 Air
Force. “It’s only a matter of time before they catch up
with me,” said Rankin.
WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY: Ashley Caldwell,
UCLA’s lone returning All-American, will look to build upon
last week’s 14th place this weekend at Notre Dame. Caldwell,
who sat out the team’s first meet due to injury, was
disappointed with her performance last week and is eager to get
back to her top form. “I was a little hesitant (last week)
because I couldn’t train,” Caldwell said. “On the
day of the race I was still doubting myself, but you’ve got
to start somewhere.” Caldwell and the Bruins will be tested
this week as a trio of the nation’s top teams will be on
hand. Top-ranked Stanford, No. 4 Notre Dame and No. 7 Michigan will
also flex their muscles this weekend in Indiana. Still, Peterson is
thrilled to have her in the fold once again. “To have her
back and run the way she did on Saturday was good for her,”
Peterson said. “We hope to see her really progress from one
race to the next.”