FULLERTON, Calif. – In six weeks, the Cal State Fullerton 2017 cross country season will begin as the Titans host the annual Mark Covert Classic on Saturday, Sep. 2, at Carbon Canyon Regional Park in Brea, Calif.
In 2016, Cal State Fullerton put together one of its best seasons in a decade, and the Titans return to action with five events on the schedule prior to the Big West Championships.
"I'm very excited about the quality of both the men's and women's squads," head coach John Elders said as he enters his 30th season. "After a strong 2016 campaign, I believe we've improved both teams significantly. Our 2017 invitational schedule will challenge us every week, and should help prepare us for a successful championship season. I'm really looking forward to getting the season started at the Mark Covert Classic."
Prior to the start of the season, the Cal State Fullerton cross country program will host its annual PRs and Pancakes Fundraiser on Saturday, Aug. 26, beginning with a Clash of the Titans 5K Run at 8:00 am beginning at the Titan Track and Field Complex on the Cal State Fullerton campus. The event will then conclude with a Pancakes Fundraiser at 9:30 am PT at Joe's No Limits Bar and Grill (124 W Commonwealth Ave) in Fullerton.
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Following the Mark Covert Classic, which the Fullerton women won last year, the Titans will compete at the 37th annual UC Riverside Invitational at the UCR AG OPS Course on Saturday, Sep. 16, the same location that the 2017 Big West Conference Championships will be held.
Following the competition at UCR, the Titans will return to another familiar venue, Haggin Oaks Golf Course, for the Capitol Cross Challenge hosted by Sacramento State on Saturday, Sep. 30. Haggin Oaks was the home of the 2016 NCAA West Regional.
A new destination for the Titans will be the Bronco Invitational, hosted by Santa Clara at Baylands Park in Sunnyvale, Calif., on Saturday, Oct. 14.
The regular season concludes with the Titan Invitational at the Titan Track Complex on Friday, Oct. 20.
UC Riverside will host the Big West Championships after a one-year absence on Saturday, Oct. 28. A year ago, on a rainy day in the beautiful state of Hawaii, the Cal State Fullerton cross country teams made the future look bright, as the Titan men placed third and the women finished fourth.
With the third-place finish, the men's squad produced its best finish at the championships since 1993. The Titan women collected their best finish at the event since 2008 after coming in fourth.
Jason Hillquist, entering his senior year at CSF, was the top-finisher for the men as he elevated himself at the conclusion of the race by jumping two spots to place 12th overall with a time of 25:34.3. With the 12th-place finish, Hillquist posted the highest individual place for a Fullerton runner in the men's event at the Big West Cross Country Championships since 2006 when Jordan Horn finished 10th overall.
On the women's side, departed senior Sierra Ungerman produced a 12th-place finish in 22:20.1, which was the best individual finish by a Fullerton runner in the women's event since 2009.
Returning senior Brianna Jacklin also finished inside the top-20 for the Titan women with a time of 22:35.3 to place 16th overall.
The 2017 postseason will begin on Friday, Nov. 10 at the NCAA West Regional Championships held at Jefferson Park Golf Course in Seattle, Wash., while the NCAA Championships will be hosted by Louisville at E.P. Tom Sawyer State Park on Saturday, Nov. 18.
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Fans can purchase tickets for various Cal State Fullerton athletic events by visiting FullertonTitans.com/Tickets. The Athletic Ticket Office can also be contacted by phone at 657-278-2783 or by email at athletictixs@fullerton.edu. The Ticket Office is located at the Titan House off of Gymnasium Drive at the eastern end of the Intramural Fields and is open from 10 am – 4 pm PT, Monday – Friday.
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