2008 was another banner year for Big West cross country as the league witnesses several milestones and solid results across the board.
Starting on the men's side, a familar face won the league title as nationally-ranked Cal Poly claimed its conference-record sixth consecutive Big West Championship. While the Mustangs didn't sweep the top five spots like a year ago, their top five scorers were among the first seven finishers on the way to 19 points.. Cal Poly also posted a seventh place finish at the NCAA West Region meet to earn an at-large berth into the NCAA Championships. The Mustangs also extended some major award streaks as Daniel Gonia became the third straight Male Athlete of the Year winner, while head coach Mark Conover was chosen as the conference’s top coach for the sixth consecutive season.
It wasn't all about the Mustangs in 2008 as several other schools had outstanding individual and team efforts. UC Riverside continued its march towards the top of the league with a third place finish at the Big West Championship meet, tying its best effort as a member of the conference. Chad Hall claimed Freshman of the Year honors for the Highlanders, becoming the first major award winner from UCR in Big West history. Hall ran the second fastest 8K time this season at 24:04.9 during the UCR Invitational October 18. That was only bettered by Gonia at the conference championships on the same course.
UC Davis continued its ascent toward the upper echelon of the Big West with a solid 2008 campaign. The Aggies placed had two top 10 finishers at the Big West Championships on the way to a second place finish, an excellent result for a squad in just its second year of Division I competition. UCD also came through with an 11th place finish among 25 teams at the West Region Championships.
On the women's side, history was made as UC Riverside completed its journey to the top of the league with its first Big West championship. The Highlanders’ title completes a remarkable turnaround for a club that finished last at the conference meet five years ago. It also netted head coach Irv Ray his first Big West Coach of the Year honor. Along the way, UCR achieved its highest regional ranking (#5) and received votes in the national poll for the first time.
UC Irvine was right behind the Highlanders at the Big West Championships, narrowly missing its first championship since 2005. Laura Olvera also became a part of Big West lore as she was the first runner to finish in the top three at the conference meet for four consecutive seasons. Only Lauren Christman of UC Santa Barbara had as many as three finishes in the top three, but she picked those up in non-consecutive seasons.
Much like its men's team, the UC Davis women also had a stellar season. The Aggies finished third at the conference championships after posting a fifth place finish in its first year of competition. UC Davis also found itself in the regional rankings during the 2008 season, a prelude to a successful postseason run. UCD finished 6th of 30 teams at the NCAA West Region meet, the best showing by a Big West school. The Aggies just missed making the NCAA Championships as a team, but sent two individuals in Kim Conley and Kaitlin Gregg. The appearances for the two Aggie seniors make them the first runners in school history since Patti Gray in 1983 to receive berths into the D-I championship meet. In the past, NCAA Division II and III athletes could qualify for the D-I championships with good enough showings at their respective championship meet. Gray with the last UCD athlete to achieve that honor, which no longer exists.