ARCATA, Calif.--- Both Cal Poly Humboldt men's and women's cross country squads will have the chance to begin their season on home turf, as the Lumberjacks host the Jim Hunt Humboldt Invitational at Beau Pre Golf Club in McKinleyville, Calif. on Saturday, Sept. 17. Action will kick off with the men's 8k at 8:30am followed immediately by the women's 6k at 9:15am.
This year's change of venue is significant, as Beau Pre played host to the 1990 and 1996 NCAA Division II National Cross Country Championships.
"We're definitely excited about the new course out at Beau Pre Golf Club," Coach Harris said. "It's a venue that's got some strong history with Humboldt having hosted the NCAA championships twice out there in the '90s, so returning there is exciting."
The women's team returns two all-Conference selections from last fall in Rosa Granados and Saedy Williamson. This past spring, Granados ran the sixth fastest 10k time in school history with a national provisional qualifying time of 36:27.66, while Williamson ran the 10th fastest mark in school history (37:20.92).
"They are certainly two people to look out for this weekend," Harris said. "I'm sure they'll be near the front of the race."
On the men's side, Coach Harris brings in one of the biggest and strongest recruiting classes in recent history to complement a talented group of returners.
"There's a big deep squad," Harris said. "We had a strong recruiting class that came in. A lot of those guys will be competing unattached before we decide if we're going to redshirt them or not. Carson Smith returns in better shape certainly than he's ever been in and Ricardo Torres has really taken things to a new level as far as his commitment and his training and preparation."
A new addition to this year's squad is local talent Nick Brichta, who joins the Lumberjacks as a credential student after successful seasons at College of the Redwoods and UC Davis. The Arcata High School product should make an immediate impact in his return to Humboldt County.
"He's been looking really strong," Harris said. "He's definitely another one to watch out for."
Teams attending include Southern Oregon, Willamette University and Clackamas Community College. On the men's side, Humboldt will face stiff competition from NAIA opponent Southern Oregon. The Raiders come in ranked no. 10 in the US Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) NAIA national preseason poll, while the women's squad comes in ranked no. 16.
"They're going to be tough to beat," the coach said. "It's great competition for us. It's a great way for us to measure ourselves against one of the top NAIA programs in the nation and to continue the rivalry that we've had with them both in cross country and in track."
After this race, the Jacks will have a week off before returning to the course on Saturday, Oct. 1 when they travel to Salem, Ore. to race at the Charles Bowles Willamette Invitational, hosted by Willamette University.
