With the 2008 cross country season already underway, the UCLA men’s and women’s teams will both be sticking to their theme for the year: the team.
Two weekends ago at the UC Irvine Invitational, the men’s team took the crown and the women’s team placed second. No one runner stood out among the crowd but the overall performances of the squads was impressive.
“Running by nature is not really a team sport, because we don’t defend our opponent,” coach Eric Peterson said. “But, more importantly, cross country requires a minimum of five guys running well on the same day. We’re approaching this season not worrying about our opponent but to maximize own ability.”
The men’s team will be led by an experienced threesome in seniors Laef Barnes, Mike Haddan and Drew Shackleton. Last season, despite an injury to Haddan, the three athletes helped the Bruins qualify for the national championships, an event the team has not been to in years. All three did not compete in Irvine, however.
“Those guys make my job easier,” said Peterson, who is entering his 15th season on the UCLA staff.
“They have an exceptional level of experience. The leadership in great hands with them.”
The seniors will head the group of men, but close behind will be a number of athletes who make up this deep Bruin squad. Juniors Alex Crabill and Marlon Patterson, the top finisher two weeks ago, will be joined by sophomores Kent Morikawa, Kevin Sullivan, and Marco Anzures, battling for a scoring spot. In cross country, the top five finishers qualify for the team score.
“We are in a strong region,” Shackleton said. “We have to run as a unit and stay together during the race. If we run as a unit we feed off of each other. We have the 4 and 5 runners at a higher level than ever and that will help us succeed.”
On the women’s side, the team is a mix of veterans and talented freshmen. Lauren Jirges, Shannon Murakami and Cobbie Jones return to avenge a disappointing 2007 season. Newcomers Katja Goldring, Sadee Martinez and Taryn Pastoor bring a fresh attitude to the team.
“It’s weird being a senior and watching the freshmen,” Jirges said. “Their excitement rubs off on the rest of us. Having a new wave of freshmen step up is good for the team.”
So far the “new wave” has made an impact. In Irvine, Goldring won seventh place as the top UCLA finisher, and Martinez placed 20th. Jirges and Murakami also finished in the top 20 in 14th and 15th places, respectively.
The strong starts for both teams put them in a good position for a successful 2008 campaign for high finishes in the Pac-10, Western Regionals and possibly the nationals.
“We already are better than where we were last year,” Peterson said. “How good can we be next couple of months is what we’re thinking about. There’s a completely different feel and attitude.”
The cross country season continues this weekend with the Big Wave Classic in Honolulu. Other notable events include the Stanford Invitational on Sept. 27 and the Dellinger Invitational at the University of Oregon in Eugene on Oct. 4.