THIS WEEK…
WHAT: UC Davis at 27th USF Invitational
WHEN: Saturday, August 31, 2019
WHERE: Golden Gate State Park - Speedway Meadow // San Francisco, Calif.
TIME: Women's 6K: 10 AM // Men's 8K: 10:45 AM
MORE INFO: Meet Packet //
Live Results
DAVIS, Calif. — This year's women's cross country team features an experienced roster that was left hungry for a Big West Conference title after finishing third last season, led by head coach Emma Petersen in her second year with UC Davis.
Led by All-Conference selections senior Sarah Anderson and sophomore Eva Goodisson — who also claimed 2018 Big West Freshman of the Year honors — the Aggies feature a senior class of five that have been a large part of the scoring five throughout the last several seasons.
"I think that Sarah Anderson is coming off an amazing track season," noted Petersen, "and should be able to up her cross country performances from last year and have the success that she was looking for and didn't quite get. I think that improvement is going to be shown at the Big West Conference and NCAA West Regional meets. We also have Julia Lemak who has shown a lot of strength, along with Haley Adel, who is our team captain and a great leader on the training ground and the races."
"Along with the seniors, Eva is a phenomenally talented athlete, and can really turn up on the day and race, and thats one of her biggest talents. She always pulls it out when she needs it on the big occasions. I think she will surprise a few people in the regional meet with a strong race, and coming off an injury-free year now will be big for her — to be able to have that consistent training," concluded Petersen.
Joining an already young team, the Aggies welcome the addition of nine new faces, nearly doubling the size of last year's roster.
"I think we have way more depth on the women's side now," added Petersen. "Our returners are bolstered by the addition of Brenna Wapstra Scott, who is coming in as a sophomore, and is already taking a leadership role with the older girls. And I think our freshmen talent is deep and they may score, they may not, but they will be there to run and learn and be a part of a team that is taking big steps in improvements and as a group they have a collective focus of searching for a conference title and their increased abilities should be displayed in the regional meet."
Upon the conclusion of her first full year as head men's and women's cross country coach, Petersen paused for a moment to reflect.
"I think biggest takeaway is that I have an amazing bunch of student-athletes to work with who are kind, hardworking, and diligent in everything they do, and that's been shown this past week in camp. It's been shown in the hard work they put over the summer, and I think that will make a huge difference to their racing season this year now that we've had a year to be together."
"And the other thing which I am always so happy to be a part of is the UC Davis Athletics staff, because I've never been in a staff that's so supportive and looking to do new and exciting things that provides opportunities for everyone who is involved in each sport. It's been fun for us to see all the different staff members coming together to help us because we see first-hand how doing that can transform the student-athlete experience for our team," finished Petersen.
The Aggies will be in action at the USF Invitational on August 31, racing at the Golden Gate Park. The gun will go off at 10 AM for the women's 6K, with the men to follow with an 8K at 10:45 AM. Full meet information can be found HERE. The women's roster includes additions of freshmen Chloe Arriaga, Emma Ariagga, Sierra Atkins, Emma Hicken, Ava Jablonski, Mavleen Mann, Julia Marriott, and Joyce Wu, as well as sophomore transfer Brenna Wapstra Scott.
Brief bios on each of the UC Davis newcomers are listed below in alphabetical order.
WOMEN'S NEWCOMERS
CHLOE ARRIAGA (Walnut, Calif./Walnut HS '19)
One of the nation's top distance runners, C. Arriaga earned a fourth-place finish at the 2018 CIF State Championships with a personal best time of 17:39.4, leading Walnut HS to a fourth-place team finish. Last season, C. Arriaga competed at the 2017 Footlocker Nationals after a seventh place regional finish, and placed 25th overall out of 40 competitors from across the nation. This season, C. Arriaga will not be able to repeat her performance, as she will be racing in the Nike Cross Nationals in Portland, Ore. on Dec. 1, instead of the Footlocker West Regional in Walnut, Calif. C. Arriaga intends to major in neurobiology, physiology, and behavior, and joins her twin sister Emma Arriaga on the 2019 cross country roster.
EMMA ARRIAGA (Walnut, Calif./Walnut HS '19)
As a three-time qualifier for the CIF State Championship meet, E. Arriaga bolstered the Walnut HS team score with an 11th-place finish (9 points), contributing to a fourth-place team finish at the 2018 Championships. Along with contributing to four first-place team league finishes, E. Arriaga received the school's most outstanding award, and the coaches award. E. Arriaga specializes in the 800m run in track, posting a personal best time of 2:14.40 in her junior year of track, with her senior season still to come. Expecting to major in animal science, E. Arriaga owns a pet pig named Bruno.
SIERRA ATKINS (Santa Rosa, Calif./Analy HS '19)
Atkins is a multi-sport athlete who excels on the basketball court as well as the track. As a basketball standout for Analy HS, she has contributed to a second place team league finish after being pulled up for varsity for playoffs her sophomore year, and has continued to influence the team as a guard, scoring over 100 points her junior season. In track, Atkins has been mainly a mid-distance runner, competing in the 1600m, with a personal best time of 4:58.03 that broke a 33-year old school record. Outside of athletics, Atkins has a talent in the arts, having illustrated a children's book at the age of eight and a painting displayed at the First Community Credit Union, and intends to major in communication.
EMMA HICKEN (Dove Canyon, Calif./Mission Viejo HS '19)
Hicken, an incoming freshman from Mission Viejo HS, competed in soccer, cross country, and track her first year of high school, before focusing only on the running the latter three years. Playing as a center midfielder for the Mission Viejo team, Hicken was the junior varsity MVP, while also earning All-Orange Country and Sea View All-League honors in cross country, and went home as the Frosh league champion in the 1600m, and second in the 3200m, all in her first year. With her senior year finishing on an outstanding note, Hicken was a six-time scholar athlete, collecting team titles at the OC Championships, South Coast League Finals, as well as the Mt. SAC Invitational, where she also won overall individual honors. In track, Hicken set school records in the 1600m (5:11.21) and 3200m (11:57.03), leading her team to a CIF Southern Section Division II Finals Championship. Graduating in the top six percent of her high school class, Hicken intends to study psychology.
AVA JABLONSKI (Portland, Ore./St. Mary's Academy '19)
The only newcomer from outside of California, Jablonski was a dual-sport athlete throughout her time at St. Mary's Academy, competing in soccer and track her first year on campus, before transitioning to cross country and track in her remaining three years. Jablonski led her team to three consecutive OSAA 6A /Three Rivers League titles, and picked up First Team All-League honors for her senior season of cross. As a four-year varsity letter winner for St. Mary's Academy, Jablonski earned scholar athlete distinction every season, while being voted team captain junior and senior year. A member of her school's National Honors Society, Jablonski intends to major in food science.
MAVLEEN MANN (Turlock, Calif./Pitman HS '19)
A two-time Stanislaus County Runner of the Week, Mann earned multiple All-League honors in cross country and track, along with Athlete of the Year, All-Academic honors, and Scholar-Athlete of the Year honors throughout her career at John H. Pitman HS so far. Racing individually at the 2018 CIF State Championships, Mann recorded a personal best time of 18:37.8 to cross in 33rd. Mann's intended major is psychology, but she is very well-rounded, holding membership in her school's Key Club, Drama Club, and Slam Poetry Club, as well as being the Interact Club historian.
JULIA MARRIOTT (Claremont, Calif./Claremont HS '19)
Helping Claremont HS win its third straight CIF DII State Championship, Marriott rounded out the scoring-five for a top high school cross country program with her 42nd place finish. A two-time letter winner in both cross country and track, Marriott has earned Palomares League All-Academic honors in both sports, and has carried the responsibility of being Orchestra Captain for two years, all while maintaining a 4.2 GPA. Marriott intends to major in psychology, with a minor in sociology.
BRENNA WAPSTRA SCOTT (Truckee, Calif./Tahoe-Truckee HS '17/JC/Colorado)
Coming to Davis from the University of Colorado, Boulder, the Truckee native competed in four sports throughout high school: soccer, cross country, cross country skiing, and track. Debuting in track in the shorter distances, Wapstra Scott won the 4x400m, 4x800m, and placed 7th in the 400m at the state meet to pick up Freshman of the Year honors, leading her team to a first place team finish, and second in the state, as Tahoe-Truckee HS competes in Nevada. Starting cross country her sophomore year, Wapstra Scott saved her best for last, as she took home the individual state title to lead her team to a team state title, earning MVP from Truckee HS and Best of Nevada Preps distinction. Wrapping up her track career, Wapstra Scott was a two-time 800m and 1600m state champion, as well as the 3200m title in 2017, with four total team championships to her name between track and cross. As a member of the Dean's List at Colorado, Wapstra Scott will be studying environmental science & management.
JOYCE WU (Arcadia, Calif./Arcadia HS '19)
Contributing to first place league finishes for Arcadia HS, Wu raced as part of a team that took fourth place at State, and made the CIF Finals her senior season. Wu also ran for O'Brien's Army in Arcadia throughout high school, and was part of a national championship team in 2017, finishing in sixth place as a team. She intends to study clinical nutrition at UC Davis, and rides a unicycle, rock climbs, does gymnastics, and brews kombucha in her spare time.
ABOUT UC DAVIS
Providing a small-town community feel while providing a world-class academic experience, UC Davis is home to more than 37,000 students and centrally located between San Francisco, Lake Tahoe, and the Napa Valley. The No. 5-ranked public university in the nation, according to the Wall Street Journal and Times Higher Education, offers nearly 100 graduate programs and more than 100 academic majors across four colleges and six professional schools, ranking among the world and nation's best in numerous disciplines, including veterinary science, agriculture, and plant and animal programs.
MARYA WELCH INITIATIVE
Named after the former physical education instructor, coach and Dean of Women who founded women's sports on the campus 25 years before the passage of Title IX, the Marya Welch Initiative for Women's Athletics provides comprehensive support for UC Davis' 16 athletics programs.
Through the support of the Marya Welch Initiative and its group members, student-athletes are provided the best possible opportunity to succeed inside the classroom, and in competition, through special project gifts and by increasing visibility and participation at women's events throughout the year.
All gifts to the Marya Welch Initiative are matched 1:1, doubling the impact on our women's programs.
To learn more about projects the Marya Welch Initiative is currently funding, like the Marya Welch Initiative on Facebook. Join this groundbreaking program by clicking here, contacting Assistant AD for Leadership Giving and Alumni Engagement Liz Martin at (530) 752-7326 or emartin@ucdavis.edu.
AGGIE EVO
Established during the 2017-18 academic year, the Aggie EVO System is UC Davis Athletics' investment in the primary mission of preparing student-athletes for a successful "launch" after graduation. Thanks to a collaboration of alumni, university resources, corporate partners, coaches and Student-Athlete Outcomes staff, all Aggies are guided over four years to acquire the skills, knowledge, opportunities and tools to better know and navigate the "World of Work" after graduating from UC Davis. Follow the Aggie EVO system on Twitter and Instagram at @AggieEVO.
