For the first time in its Division I history, UC Riverside is tabbed as the favorite in the race for the Big West women’s cross country title as voted on by the league’s nine head coaches.
The Highlanders collected 77 points and six of the nine first place votes on the way to the top position. UCR is led by Brenda Martinez, who had a sensational 2007 cross country season and backed it up with an excellent 2008 track campaign. Martinez finished fourth at last season’s conference cross country meet and claimed a spot at the NCAA Championships after finishing 22nd at the West Regional meet. She also won the Big West 800 meter title and competed in the Olympic Trials in the same event. The Highlanders also return Cristina Olivas and Danielle Evans, who finished eighth and 14th at the 2007 Big West Championships, respectively. Giving UCR even more depth is Ashleigh Pratt, who wrapped up last season’s conference meet in 29th place.
UC Irvine recorded the remaining three first place votes to total 70 points for second place. The Anteaters return all five of their top runners from a year ago in Laura Olvera, Candice Proctor, Samantha Constantini, Erinn Kim and Lauren Chramosta. Olvera has finished in the top three at the conference championships in each of her three seasons in a UCI uniform, while Proctor is coming off a 10th place showing a year ago.
UC Davis and UC Santa Barbara each collected 55 points to tie for third place in the poll. The Aggies, in just their second year of Division I competition, return a solid core in Kim Conley, Kaitlin Gregg and Brianna Larson. Both Conley and Gregg have run under 21:20 in the 6K, while Larson wasn’t too far off at 21:43. UCD also has depth in Caitlin Fitzgerald and Brittany Escamilla and talented freshmen such as Sarah Sumpter and Krista Drechsler.
The Gauchos, who are the defending conference champion, look to continue their recent dominance behind Danielle Domenichelli, Liza Hitchner and Bree Strenkowski. Domenichelli finished fifth at last season’s conference championships, while Hitchner had an excellent showing at the West Regional meet with a 24th place showing. Strenkowski was named the Freshman of the Year after a solid season which saw her finish 22nd at the Big West meet and 53rd at the West Region meet.
Cal State Fullerton finished up in fifth place with 44 points, outdistancing Long Beach State which was sixth with 42 tallies. Rounding out the preseason poll were Cal Poly (32), Cal State Northridge (16) and Pacific (14).
2008 BIG WEST WOMEN'S CROSS COUNTRY PRESEASON POLL
No. School Pts.
1. UC Riverside (6) 77
2. UC Irvine (3) 70
3 UC Davis 55
UC Santa Barbara 55
5. Cal State Fullerton 44
6. Long Beach State 42
7. Cal Poly 32
8. Cal State Northridge 16
9. Pacific 14
( ) First-place votes