In every race leading up to the NCAA Championships in Terre Haute, Ind., this past Monday, redshirt senior and returning All-American Austin Ramos was the top finisher for the Bruins.
The trend continued as Ramos finished 32nd overall in the field of 250 runners to capture the second cross-country All-American honor of his career.
Twin brothers Kyle and Drew Shackleton finished 96th and 104th, respectively, for the Bruins.
One would expect a hectic national race, but according to Ramos, the pace of the race was perfectly fine.
“I definitely think there were things I could have improved on in the race,” Ramos said. “I felt aerobically fine … but my legs felt really heavy for the second half of the race. But overall, I was really happy with being able to accomplish another All-American performance.”
Though the twins failed to meet pre-race aspirations to place in the top 45 and receive All-American accolades, coach Eric Peterson commended their solid seasons.
“Kyle was such a significant athlete on our team,” Peterson said. “He stepped up last year and led us right to the NCAA championship as a team for the first time in several years. He has been an important role player and has been all about the team.
“Drew is one of the most improved athletes in our program,” Peterson added. “To grow and ascend to the ranks of our team was huge for us. He is a junior, and we are going to count on him heavily in the 2008 season to be one of our team leaders and to get our team back to the NCAA championship. I know his goals are going to be really high next year.”
Along with the return of Drew Shackleton, Peterson has a lot to look forward to with a developing squad of athletes, including junior Laef Barnes, and freshmen Dylan and Spencer Knight, Kent Morikawa, and Evan Watchempino.
“(They) all gained valuable experience and have shown great promise for the future,” Peterson said. “We are going to count on them to be significant contributors to our team’s success in the future.”
The task of getting the entire Bruins team to the national race in 2008 begins immediately, as the athletes now switch their attention to the outdoor track season.
“One great thing about our sport is these kids now move into another season,” Peterson said. “They are going to be focused on improving their fitness, running mechanics, and competitiveness. The development that occurs from January to the end of June is huge and goes a long way in their own personal growth.”
There is no question that UCLA is a contender for the next several years and Ramos is optimistic that the team is on the right course.
“I hope that what I have done over the past four or five years will contribute to people wanting to come to UCLA, wanting to be a part of this program,” Ramos said. “I think my effect on the team will be easier to see in the years to come because the program is young right now and definitely has its better days ahead of it.”