Cross country prepares for Pac-12 championship run
Senior runner Lane Werley (middle) has a chance to compete for a top-three individual finish at Friday’s Pac-12 championship, said Bruin coach Forest Braden in a UCLA Athletics press release. Werley only finished 48th at last year’s conference meet but his 25:01 time was off his season-best by over a minute. (UCLA Athletics)
Cross country
Pac-12 championship
Today, 10:30 a.m
Colfax, Wash.
By Matt Cummings
Oct. 30, 2015 12:42 a.m.
The cross country team will run in its most important race so far this season on Friday, as it competes in the Pac-12 Cross Country Championship in Colfax, Washington.
The men’s team, ranked No. 15 in the country after an impressive display at the Wisconsin Adidas Invitational, will face off against five other ranked teams from the conference, including No. 1 Colorado and No. 3 Oregon.
“As we enter the postseason there is less room for error,” coach Forest Braden told UCLA Athletics. “The mistakes we have made during the early-season races should have been remedied.”
The meet will also provide a look at the abilities of some of UCLA’s top runners. Although racers may not always run full-bore during regular-season competitions, they should do so as the postseason begins.
On the men’s side, Braden said in the UCLA Athletics press release, senior Lane Werley has a chance to finish in the top three spots of the men’s individual rankings while freshman Carolina Johnson could contend with the top women’s runners.
Last year, both Bruin squads placed fifth at the conference meet. For the men, then-sophomore Ferdinand Edman paced the team with an 18th-place finish. After incurring a stress fracture during the track season, Edman has not run yet this year but is expected to compete on Friday, providing the Bruins with an extra infusion of talent.
Werley and fellow seniors Sergey Sushchikh, Sean Davis and Nick Hartle will be running in their final Pac-12 championship, as will seniors Ashlee Powers and Kelly Brooks on the women’s side.
The Pac-12 championship also represent the final meet before NCAA competition begins with the West Regional on Nov. 13 in Seattle.
Compiled by Matt Cummings, Bruin Sports senior staff.
