SACRAMENTO, Calif. — For the first time in program history, Sacramento State will compete at The Big West Championship on Saturday, Oct. 31. The men's 8K race will start at 8:30 a.m. while the women's 6K race gets underway 45 minutes later.
 
The races will take place at the Ag/Ops Cross Country Course in Riverside, Calif. Entrance to the race is $14 general admission for ages three and up at the door, $12 if bought during presale. Admission is free for all students from Big West institutions with a valid student ID. Purchase tickets >>>
 
Sacramento State last competed at the Santa Clara Bronco Invitational on Oct. 17. The team was led by a pair of freshmen as Lucas Ruark guided the men and Sara Thompson the women. The Hornets have 17 entries for The Big West Championship comprised of nine women and eight men.
 
Ryan Martin had the fastest times for the men in the first two meets of the season but did not compete in the last two contests. In his absence, Brandon Moreno was the fastest Hornet, and placed fifth overall, at the Pacific Invitational before Ruark led the team at Santa Clara.
 
Freshman Taylor Wellersdick was the fastest Hornet woman in the first two meets of the year, including finishing eighth at the UC Riverside Invitational which will be on the same course as Saturday. Marina Lipary was sixth overall and had the fastest time for Sacramento State at the Pacific Invitational.
 
The Big West Cross Country Championship will the first title handed out by the conference in the 2026-27 school year. The Hornets will be competing in the meet for the first time after 30 years in the Big Sky. CBU and Cal Poly are the top ranked teams from The Big West in the USTFCCCA West Regional rankings. CBU is seventh in the men's poll and 11^th in the women's while Cal Poly is 13^th in both. The only other teams in the top 15 are the Cal State Fullerton men (15^th) and the UC Irvine women (14^th).
 
Big West Championship
Teams
Cal Poly, Cal State Fullerton, CBU, Cal State Bakersfield, CSUN, Long Beach State, Sacramento State, UC Irvine, UC Riverside, UC San Diego, UC Santa Barbara, Utah Valley
 
Sacramento State Entries
Men
Matthew Bertrand, Justin Catanach, Ryan Martin, Noah Mikusevich, Brandon Moreno, Saul Orozco, Thomas Rasner, Lucas Ruark
 
Women
Dominique Abbott, Dakota Gibson, Marina Lipary, Meg Moyer, Keira Quigley, Scarlett Riddle, Kate Sanders, Sara Thompson, Taylor Wellersdick