THIS WEEK…
WHAT: UC Davis hosts inaugural Stump Invitational
WHEN: Friday, September 13, 2019
WHERE: Wildhorse Golf Club // Davis, Calif.
TIME: Women's 6K: 5:30 PM // Men's 8K: 6:15 PM
TEAM'S COMPETING: Cal, Chico State, Pacific (W), Santa Clara (W), St. Mary's, UC Davis, USF
MORE INFO: Meet Packet // Live Results
DAVIS, Calif. — After a two-week hiatus, UC Davis men's and women's cross country is slated for their only home meet of the season this Friday evening at the inaugural Stump Invitational, named in honor of Aggie great, Sarah "Stump" Sumpter.
The field is set with seven total teams, including regionally-ranked No. 14 Cal women and both top-ten ranked USF squads. Also entered in the meet is Division II contender Chico State, as well as Nor Cal foes St. Mary's, and the women's teams from Pacific and Santa Clara. The meet will be run at Wildhorse Golf Club, and the course will also serve host to the 2020 Big West Championships.
The Aggies are set to race a full roster on Friday, spearheaded by Brenna Wapstra Scott and Nicholas Brichta, who were UC Davis' top finishers two weeks ago at the USF Invitational. There were several new faces in the Aggies' scoring five in the Bay, complementing the experienced returners from both the men's and women's teams.
The Stump Invitational is scheduled to begin with the women's 6k at 5:30 PM, followed by the men's 8k at 6:15 PM. Upon the conclusion of the meet, there will be an alumni and supporters social at the club, with several guests of honor set to speak, featuring UC Davis Director of Athletics Kevin Blue, UC Davis alum and two-time Olympian Kim Conley, as well as current and former UC Davis coaches.
MORE ON STUMP…
Sarah Sumpter, who was affectionately known as "Stump" by her teammates and friends, competed on the UC Davis cross country and track & field teams shortly after the Aggies' transition into the Division I era, putting UC Davis on the map. Stump redshirted her first year of cross country in 2008, before claiming the Big West Championship individual title in 2009 to be named Big West Cross Country Athlete of the Year, and remains the only Aggie to earn either honor.
The following year, on September 10, 2010, Stump was diagnosed with brain cancer during an otherwise routine doctors appointment the day before the season's first meet, and underwent immediate surgery to remove most of the tumor, with chemotherapy to follow. Given instructions not to run, Stump eventually made her comeback as an unattached runner during the track season, competing at the Aggie Open just six months after her diagnosis.
Following her return to running, Stump made three consecutive All-Big West finishes in cross country, and led the Aggies to their first conference title in 2011. In track, Stump broke a 29-year-old UC Davis school record in the 10,000m, en route to winning the elusive 5k-10k double crown at the Big West Championships in 2012 to earn Big West Track Athlete of the Year. Stump placed 12th at the NCAA West Regional 10k to earn a spot in the NCAA Final rounds that year, and placed 15th for Second Team All-America honors, making for a landslide pick for UC Davis' Hubert Heitman award — given to the outstanding female athlete of the year.
Stump passed away on September 21, 2015, after a five-year battle with brain cancer, but her legacy remains.
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.
