Cross Country Kicks Off 2026 Season At The San Francisco Invitational

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DAVIS, Calif. — UC Davis cross country officially kicks off its first season in the Mountain West Conference on Friday, Sept. 4, traveling to San Francisco to compete at the USF Invitational. The men’s 8000m race is set to kick off at 2:30 p.m. PT, followed by the women’s 6000m race at 3:30 p.m. PT.

HOW TO WATCH/LISTEN/FOLLOW

Sep. 4  — USF Invitational | Live Results | @ucdavisxc (X/Instagram)

Men’s 8k – 2:30 p.m.

Women’s 6k – 3:30 p.m.

The 2026 season marks a new chapter for the program under the direction of Gavin O’Neal, who joins the Aggies as the Director of Track & Field and Cross Country to lead the team into its first year competing in the Mountain West.

On the course, the women’s side brings back 17 strong returners to lead the team this fall, including Peyton Adams (So.), Hannah Aguirre (So.), Miriam Aguirre (So.), Kiah Aitken (Jr.), Emily Allison (Jr.), Brooke Butler (Sr.), Phoebe Drazsnzak (So.), Grace Dunham (Jr.), Kirra Fisk (Jr.), Cassidy Kajita (Jr.), Tauren Mitchell (Jr.), Jocelyn Pacheco (Sr.), Kayla Towne (Jr.), Gracie Trenam (Jr.), Angelina Valladeres (Jr.), Lauren Villegas (Jr.), and Stormy Wallace (Gr.).

The men’s roster features a balance of established experience and incoming talent. Upperclassmen Tanner Gray (Jr.) and Caden Hicks (Jr.)  lead the distance group alongside track & field veteran Christian Taylor (Sr.), guiding an incoming freshman class that includes Grant Breger (Fr.), Wesley Ewing (Fr.), Chase Joanou (Fr.), Linus Martin (Fr.), Dominic McMahon (Fr.), Austin Petrik (Fr.), and Desmond Vaughs (Fr.).

ABOUT UC DAVIS ATHLETICS: 

UC Davis, the No. 2 ranked public university by the Wall Street Journal, is home to 40,000 undergraduate students and 12,000 employees. Ranked No. 1 in Agriculture and Forestry as well as No. 1 in Veterinary Medicine, UC Davis is located in a true California college town nestled between world-class destinations such as the San Francisco Bay Area, Napa Valley and Lake Tahoe. Over 650 Aggie student-athletes compete in 25 Division I varsity sports, with 16 sports transitioning to the Mountain West Conference beginning in 2026–27. 

For more information, visit https://ucdavisaggies.com/.