This Week
The Point Loma cross country team will return to UC San Diego on Saturday, Oct. 7, looking to defend their Triton Classic title. The 6k race will begin at 8 a.m., on the UCSD North Campus Course. Last season, PLNU took home the team championship with 54 points as five runners finished in the top 23.
About the Meet
The Triton Classic will feature many NCAA Division II opponents Point Loma could potentially see at regionals, with five of the top 10 teams in the West competing in the meet. California Baptist is the top-ranked regional team at No. 2 followed by Cal Poly Pomona (No. 5), Humboldt State (No. 7), Point Loma (No. 8) and UC San Diego (No. 10). Other division II teams participating include Biola, Cal State East Bay, Cal State LA, Cal State San Bernardino and Sonoma State.
Coverage
This year the Triton Classic will be available on live results through PLNU's Game Day page at plnuseaslions.com/gameday. Finished Results will be handling all the timing.
About the Course
The UCSD North Campus Course varies in terrain from grass to dirt trails with concrete and asphalt mixed in. The race will begin on the soccer field. To
see a course map, click here.
The Team
This will be the fourth race of the season for the Point Loma women's cross country team. The Sea Lions have competed in the Biola Invitational, the Sundodger Invitational and the Charles Bowles Classic. PLNU is currently ranked No. 8 in the NCAA West Region and just fell out of the top 25 of the USTFCCCA national poll.
The Sea Lions
Hannah Benoit Bucher, the 2016 PacWest Newcomer of the Year, is out front pacing Point Loma again this season. In three races this season she has finished second, third and fourth. The junior will be joined by
Brianna Bartello,
Marissa Bartello,
Josie Frye,
Mackenzie Harder,
Alex Hernandez,
Brielle Budroe,
Jocelyn Duran,
Jessica Kroeckel and others on the course on Saturday.
Coach Jerry Arvin
Point Loma head coach
Jerry Arvin, the 2016 PacWest co-Coach of the Year, weighs in on the upcoming Triton Classic.
On having a closely located meet: "It will be much better not having to travel. We will still be up early, but they will appreciate it being a quick day for them because we won't have long travels back after the race. It will be a much more comfortable race."
On the course and the competition: "The course will be demanding and the competition will be good. Five of the top 10 ranked teams in the region will be there so it is going to be a challenge. This is one of the hardest courses we run. This course also presents a challenge, not just the other teams."
On defending team title: "The women want to run well but there is not urgency in having to defend the title."
Up next
The season continues next Saturday, Oct. 14 at the Vanguard Invitational in Irvine, Calif. The race will begin at 9 a.m.
