2015 Schedule
All dates and times subject to change
FULLERTON, Calif. – After both the men's and women's Cal State Fullerton cross country teams produced fifth place finishes at the 2014 Big West Championships, the Titans have unveiled their 2015 schedule as they look ahead.
Cal State Fullerton's schedule features six invitational events before the Big West Championships and NCAA Regionals. The 2015 season is highlighted by three meets, two of which are hosted by the Titans, the Mark Covert Classic and the Titan Invitational. Fullerton will also make its second consecutive trip to Kansas to participate in the Rim Rock Classic.
"I'm excited about both 2015 cross country squads," head coach John Elders said. "Both teams should be very competitive and our schedule should challenge them with some strong competition. I'm looking forward to traveling to Kansas again this year to run the historic Rim Rock Farms course. It should be a great experience for our student-athletes."
The Titans will begin their season in Brea, Calif., at the Mark Covert Classic on Sept. 5. The Fullerton-hosted event enters its 30th year and honors two-time national champion and Cal State Fullerton's first Division II All-American, Mark Covert. The legendary distance runner led the Titans to the NCAA team title in 1971 while being world renowned for his American record for most consecutive days running at least a mile from July 23, 1968 and ending 45 years later on the identical date in 2013. Fullerton has clinched the title on four different occasions, with the Titans last hoisting the championship during the 2008 season.
CSF will then travel to the Mustang Challenge in Santa Clarita, Calif., on Sept. 19. In 2014, the men's squad produced a second-place performance.
The squad will split on Oct. 3 with the Titans competing in both the Rim Rock Farm Classic in Lawrence, Kan., as well as the Pomona-Pitzer Invitational in Claremont, Calif.
In addition to having two covered bridges as part of the historic Rim Rock Farm Classic route, dispersed throughout the course are silhouette statues, specific hills, turns and landmarks in representation of notable Kansas alumni, making the course one of the most unique across the country. Following last year's historic Rim Rock Farm Classic, Emily Taylor and Danny Ramirez swept the Big West Cross Country Athlete of the Week award.
Posting a time of 22:25.5, Taylor finished eighth among collegiate runners on the 6K Rim Rock Farm course in Lawrence, Kan. Ramirez captured 10th place at the Rim Rock Farm 8K course, crossing the line in 25:14.0.
The Titans will then return to Riverside, Calif., to compete in the Highlander Invitational on Oct. 17 before closing out the regular season with the Titan Invitational on Oct. 24, which starts and ends at the Titan Track Complex.
Last year, the men finished second at the Highlander Invitational while the women recorded a third-place finish.
The Big West Championship (Oct. 31) returns to the flat and fast UC Riverside course for the second straight year. UCR will host the event for the eighth time over the last 11 years.
Beyond the conference championship, Fullerton will have the opportunity to participate at the NCAA West Regionals in Seattle, Wash. on Nov. 13, before the NCAA Championships take place on Nov. 21 in Louisville, Ky.
For more information about the Mark Covert Classic and Titan Invitational go to Fullertontitans.com.
On the men's side, Cal State Fullerton returns sophomore Sam Garcia, the Big West Men's Freshman of the Year.
Garcia posted an impressive outing at the Big West Championships in Riverside, Calif., as the only rookie to crack the top-20 individual standings, tallying a 20th place finish with an 8k time of 24:48.0 at the Ag/Ops Course.
On the women's side, Taylor returns for her senior campaign. In five out of the six events she participated in, Taylor crossed the line as the top Fullerton runner on the women's side.
