Cross Country Announces 2017 Schedule

Santa Clara's men race at the 2016 Speedway Duals. The Broncos begin 2017 at the same venue — Hellman Hollow Meadow — on Sept. 2.
Santa Clara's men race at the 2016 Speedway Duals. The Broncos begin 2017 at the same venue — Hellman Hollow Meadow — on Sept. 2.

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Fresh off the end of the 2016-17 academic year, Santa Clara cross country has finalized its slate for the fall season. The Broncos released their 2017 schedule on Friday, announced by head coach Felipe Montoro.

Santa Clara is slotted for eight meets, including five in the Golden State and two in its home venue at Baylands Park in nearby Sunnyvale, California. 

"Overall, this is a great schedule for our teams," head coach Felipe Montoro said. "It's nice to get really good competition in this area that will help us prepare for postseason meets. Rest and sleep are ultimately as important as all of our hard work. Being local, friends and family can come and support the team which is a big bonus."

The campaign begins at the USF Invitational in San Francisco on Sept. 2. The Broncos start the season at the event hosted by the West Coast Conference and Bay Area rival Dons for the 13th year in a row. Santa Clara's women return to the course two weeks later at the Sundodger Invitational in Seattle (Sept. 16) and both teams are in action the following Friday (Sept. 22) as hosts of a dual meet against Saint Mary's.

"We're looking forward to the Sundodger Invitational since we haven't been in a few years," Montoro said. "Personally, I enjoy the dual meet with Saint Mary's and hosting that at our home venue."

In between home events is a split squad day on Sept. 30 that features the men racing at the Chile Pepper Festival in Fayetteville, Arkansas and the women heading to Sacramento, California for the Capital Cross Challenge. Santa Clara returns to Baylands for the 12th annual Bronco Invitational on Oct. 14. 

"We decided to split the genders on our travel trips, which allows us to take a few more runners per gender," Montoro said. "Our student-athletes like the opportunity to travel and they will gain good experience by getting away from home, especially for the men in Arkansas. This will set us up nicely for the Bronco Invitational and the postseason."

The Broncos get a week off before the WCC Championships — held in the Bay Area and hosted by San Francisco. They trek back to Seattle for the NCAA Division I West Region Championships on Nov. 10 with aspirations of qualifying for the NCAA National Championship Meet on Nov. 18 in Louisville, Kentucky.

Santa Clara fields a veteran men's side that returns all but one runner from its 2016 conference championships and NCAA regional meet lineups. The women return four of their five scorers from both the regional and conference tilts.

"The men are going to be more experienced than in recent seasons. I've consistently said this group is a young group — that's no longer the case," Montoro said. "I'm looking forward to seeing if we can make that jump.

"The women are a young group, so we'll use the first few meets to gauge where the team is at and make adjustments as the season progresses."

FOURTH ANNUAL BOCCE BALL SOCIAL

Bronco cross country/track & field is set to ring in the summer with the 4th Annual Bocce Ball Social on Saturday, June 21. This marks the first time the event will be held on the Mission campus.

The tournament, held at Santa Clara University's Stanton Field, includes food and drink as well as an opportunity to reconnect with former teammates and friends. SCU cross country/track & field gear will be available for purchase and can also be won as a prize. Parking is free in the Leavey Center lot.

"This is a great event every year that combines support for the program with getting Broncos back together," Montoro said. "We're excited to have it at SCU for the first time and really looking forward to seeing alumni from many different eras."

If you are unable to attend the event and would still like to make a donation, click here. All proceeds and donations directly support Bronco student-athletes.

Questions? Contact Associate Head Coach Pete Cushman at (408) 554-4886 or pcushman@scu.edu.

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