Riverside—The UC Riverside Cross Country and Track & Field programs welcome 21 new student-athletes into the fold this year, as the Highlanders continue their climb up the Big West Conference standings.

"This ties our largest class (2013-14) in terms of sheer numbers with 21 total signees," said Head Coach Nate Browne. "That group was our most productive collectively in terms of national, regional and conference level production. There is a ton of talent here in this group. Time will tell whether they can rival that class in terms of production. The overall theme in this group is great students, great athletes and even better people from some fantastic families. Our staff is excited to work with each of them."

The Cross Country season begins on Friday, September 1 at the Nature's Bakery Nevada Twilight Classis in Sparks, Nevada.

MEET THE HIGHLANDERS
Eve Alberico (sprints)
San Dimas, CA / Bishop Amat HS
Eve is a multi-tooled sprinter from Bishop Amat High School where she was a Southern Section CIF Finalist in the 100m for Division 3. She has run the 100m (12.27), 200m (25.40) & 400m (59.46) as well as all relays. She also dropped 7.95 for a 60m and 42.01 in the 300m during the "indoor" qualifying season. Eve will major in biology with hopes of going onto med school after graduation. 

"Eve will add versatility to our sprints group. She can do a little bit of everything. Having run 55 second 4x400m splits in high school, she'll certainly be in our relay pool. She's expressed some desire to try some longer sprint races including 800m ones, so stay tuned." – Coach Nate Browne

Jake Arnold (throws)
Huntington Beach, CA / Marina HS
Jake hails from the perennially strong throws group out of Marina High School. He was a state qualifier in the discus this past year and a CIF State Finalist in the shot put for the second year in a row, finishing ninth this season after a seventh-place a season ago. His best shot put toss is 59-06.50 and 174-09 in the discus. Jake will be an undeclared major in the fall and wants to go into law enforcement after graduation.     

"We are very fortunate to have Jake join us at UC Riverside. He will help us, and be a Big West and NCAA Regional contender immediately in every event in which he competes" – Coach Kent Pagel

Cydney Branch (middle distance)
Palmdale, CA / Pete Knight HS / Western State University
Cydney transfers in from the Western State University program in Gunnison, Colorado. She was a 2017 NCAA Division II National Qualifier in the 800m where she finished 17th overall. She also earned All-Conference at the RMAC Outdoor Championships in the 800m finishing third. Her best marks are 2:09.97a for the 800m and 4:47.35a for the 1500m, she also has a 57.25 open 400m to her credit. She will transfer in as a psychology major. 

"Cyd brings a wealth of talent and experience to our middle distance group. She adds great depth for us at 800m, and she will be contending for a spot on our 4x400 immediately." – Coach Rob Hansen

Haley Cabrera (distances)
Big Bear City, CA / Big Bear HS
Haley is an excellent student and distance runner from the altitude of Big Bear who will major in environmental biology. She was a CIF Finalist during the cross country season and qualified for CIF Prelims in the 3200m during the track season. She's run 17:57 for three miles during the cross country season, 11:34.22 for 3200m on the track, and 5:19.13 at 1600m as well. 

"Haley is a vibrant and extremely intelligent young lady, who adds not only character to our group, but the desire to improve every day. We're excited to see what she does with the longer distance at the collegiate level." – Coach Rob Hansen

Jose Castellon (hurdles/multis)
Riverside, CA / Rubidoux HS
Jose is a multi-talented athlete from nearby Rubidoux High School who has gotten the chance to compete in several events. He was a CIF Finalist this season in the 300m hurdles with a season best time of 38.28. He's also run 14.97 for the 110m hurdles and has jumped 6-02 in the high jump as an 11th grader. Jose will come in as a biology major this fall.

"Jose has proven himself as a high level hurdler, and we are excited to see his potential in the multi-events. His size and skill set will make him a threat across many different event areas." – Coach Daniel Newell

Jose Cruz (middle distance)
Sacramento, CA / McClatchy HS
Jose was a back to back CIF State qualifier in the 800m race the last two seasons. In 2017 he qualified for the CA State Meet 800m final and finished 11th overall. His season best time of 1:52.50 was the sixth best 800m performance in California this year. He also competed in cross country for McClatchy and raced the 400m, 1600m and 4x400m relay as well. He will start out as an undeclared major and hopes to move towards engineering.  

"Jose is a phenomenal middle distance talent! He runs very hard, very aggressively & very confidently." – Coach Rob Hansen

Justin Eipp (distance)
Temecula, CA / Great Oak HS
Justin joins former a teammate (Brandon Shields) as another recruit from national distance powerhouse Great Oaks High School under the direction of Coach Doug Soles. Justin was a scorer on Great Oak's Division I State Championship team during the fall of 2016. He has raced 15:31 for 5k cross country, 4:25.85 for 1600m and 9:36.34 for the 3200m distance. He will start UCR as a pre-business major.    
  
"Justin is a great distance runner. He has been taught how to compete and how to win, and that is very important at the college level. I'd say he's ahead of the curve there." – Coach Rob Hansen

Kathryn Hammar (distance)
Riverside, CA / Martin Luther King HS
Kathryn joins us from local program, Martin Luther King High School where she competed for Coach Brad Peters. Kathryn came on strong this track season after having her senior cross country season cut short by injury. She qualified for the CIF Prelims in the 1600m out of the Big VIII League Finals.  At the CIF Prelim meet she set a new lifetime best of 5:08.18.  During cross country, she ran a three mile best of 17:54. Kathryn will come into UCR as an engineering major.

"Kathryn has overcome some tough obstacles to get where she is now. She has a ton of upside, and the work ethic and coachability to get to a very high level in our program." – Coach Rob Hansen

Kelechi Ikejiofor (horizontal jumps)
Downey, CA / Downey HS
Kelechi is a combo horizontal jumper by way of Downey High School. In only her second season of jumping, she was a 2017 Division 1 CIF Finalist in the long jump where she finished seventh. Her best long jump distance is 18-09.50, while she has reached 36-03 in the triple jump. She is planning on majoring in psychology as she begins her undergraduate work.  

"Kelechi had a break out season this year in only her second year of jumping. What she lacks in experience, she certainly makes up for with enthusiasm and optimism. She will be a pleasure to coach, and will quickly be a scorer at championship meets." – Coach Daniel Newell

Hana Johnson (horizontal jumps)
Oakland, CA / Bishop O'Dowd HS
Hana is a tremendous talent from perennial state powerhouse Bishop O'Dowd under the direction of Coach Jamal Cooks. She is also cousin to UCR Track & Field alum Megan McFarland. She is primarily a triple jumper, but also long jumps on occasion. She was a state finalist this season in the triple jump after qualifying each of the previous two seasons in the event. This year she finished eighth, and had a best jump over the season of 39-08, while adding a 17-10 long jump effort. Hana will come into school as an undeclared major.  

"Hana will be a difference-maker for our jumps group. Throughout her career she has proven to be a great performer at big meets, and brings in a wealth of experience. She has tremendous upside, and I can't wait to see what she does in a Highlanders jersey." – Coach Daniel Newell

Jonathan Lee (distances)
Agoura, CA / Agoura HS
Lee is an up and coming distance talent by way of Agoura High School. During the cross country season, he was able to run 14:55 for three miles, finished third at the Marmont Cross Country League Finals, and moved on to the CIF Southern Section Finals. During the track season, he added personal best of 4:24.38 for 1600m and ran a 9:27.67 3200m lifetime best at the prestigious Arcadia Invitational. He will enter UCR as an undeclared CNAS major.      
 
"Jonathan has many tools. He's been successful as a middle distance runner, as a cross country runner, and I believe he's only scratched the surface on what he can do. He is a confident and knowledgeable young distance runner, who should make his way to the front of our roster in a short amount of time." – Coach Rob Hansen

Rebekah Pendleton (distances)
Riverside, CA / Martin Luther King HS
Rebekah is a strong dual cross country and track athlete who really came into her own this fall. She finished third at the Big VIII XC League Finals, and was a big part of Martin Luther King High School's state qualifying cross country team, where they finished sixtsh overall. Rebekah ran 18:23 on the Woodward Park 5k course during that race. During the track season, she qualified for CIF in the 3200m race, running 11:28.06 to take third at her league finals. She added a 5:17.82 1600m PR earlier in the season. She will come in as an undeclared major in the fall.

"Rebekah had a stellar cross country season this year. When she gets on the cross country course, she runs with intensity and confidence. We fully expect that to translate to our cross country team as well. I believe her biggest upside is her desire to do longer distances. She's passionate about getting after it at 5000m/10000m." – Coach Rob Hansen

Anthony Reyes (jumps/sprints)
Lake Elsinore, CA / Lake Elsinore HS
Anthony is a four-sport athlete from Elsinore High School, competing in football, basketball, track & field and volleyball. For his exploits, he was named the Press Enterprise/HS Game Time Large School Boys High School Athlete of the Year. Anthony was a double State Meet qualifier in the long jump and triple jump, becoming a finalist in the former. His best performances are 23-02, 46-05, 22.32 & 48.56 in the long jump, triple jump, 200m and 400m respectively. Anthony wants to major in chemistry and work in forensics after graduation.      

"Anthony is an extremely gifted and committed athlete. He has huge potential in a number of events, and I'm excited to get to work with him and help maximize his talent." – Coach Daniel Newell

Victoria Sandoval (sprints) 
Walnut, CA / Walnut HS / Mt. San Antonio College
Victoria was a double state qualifier in the women's 100m & 4x100m relay at the 2017 CA Junior College State Championships. She raced the 100m and finished 10th, while her 4x100m relay team finished as State runner up in 45.84. Her personal bests are 11.99 for the 100m and 25.40 for the 200m. She will transfer as a psychology major.   

"Victoria adds to our short sprints depth, and gives us another frontline 4x100m relay leg as well. Her success at Mt. Sac bodes well for the jump to the Big West conference and Division I." – Coach Nate Browne

Mickie Seuga (throws)
Santa Rosa, CA / Eureka Senior HS / Santa Rosa Junior College
Mickie was a double Junior College State Meet qualifier in the shot put and the discus throw after finishing fifth and sixth at the NorCal Championships in each event. Her best marks are 40-04 in the shot, 132-06 in the discus, and 142-01 in the hammer throw. She will transfer into UCR as a sociology major. 

"We are looking forward to seeing Mickie develop into a quality thrower in her events, and follow in the footsteps of other NorCal JC throwers who have been successful at UCR." – Coach Kent Pagel

Seline Schinke (multis)
Palm Desert, CA / Palm Desert HS
Seline was a three-sport star for the Aztecs of Palm Desert High School, competing in volleyball, basketball and track & field. After starting to compete for the track & field team during her 10th grade season, she qualified for CIF in each of her seasons—the last two in both the high jump and long jump events. She's jumped 18-02 in the long jump and 5-04 in the high jump while also competing in the 400m, 800m, 100m hurdles, discus and both relays. Seline will join the multi events/heptathlon group, and is a biology major.    

"Seline is an exciting addition to our heptathlon group. She has had a great high school career in high jump and long jump, and has shown good capability in the throws and running events. Her amazing skills on the basketball and volleyball courts will translate nicely to the few events she has left to learn for heptathlon." – Coach Daniel Newell

Allison Soto (distances)
Beaumont, CA / Beaumont HS 
Allison joins fellow Highlanders Kailie Grimes and Andres Delgado from Head Coach Brandon Tedrow's program at Beaumont High School. She played soccer along with cross country and track & field for the Cougars all four years. She's run 18:33 for 5k in cross country, 5:16.60 for 1600m and 11:23.11 for the 3200m races. She will begin her UCR career as a biology major. 

"I am thrilled to see Ali running as a Highlander. Ali hasn't run a ton of mileage—that's the philosophy of her high school program—and she always split time as a four-year soccer player. We definitely intend to bring her along slowly, but with more experience, her opportunities are limitless!" – Coach Rob Hansen

Alyssa Tran (distances)
Chino Hills, CA / Ruben Ayala HS
Alyssa is new to the sport of track & field after many years as a competitive swimmer, although she did compete in cross country during all four years of high school. Her cross country best is 18:59 for a 5k race at the Clovis Invitational. During her first competitive track season, she ran 5:17.47 for the 1600m and 11:19.64 for the 3200m. Alyssa will come to UCR as a pre-business major.      

"Alyssa's experience is limited, and I am extremely excited about that. She is so fresh, and has such a great upside. As she accumulates miles and experience, she's going to be really exciting to watch grow!" – Coach Rob Hansen

Heinrich Van Niekerk (middle distance)
Pretoria, South Africa / Oklahoma State University
Heinrich transfers in from OSU after spending the last 1.5 semesters with the Cowboys. While in South Africa, he was a three-time South African Junior 800m champion. His lifetime bests from high school were 48.62 for 400m, 1:18.35 for 600m and 1:50.33 for the 800m. While at Oklahoma State he began racing the 1500m, achieving a best of 3:54.12. Heinrich eventually wants to major in plant biology, as his family owns a nursery back in South Africa.

"As a multiple time U19 National Champion in South Africa to his time with a very strong Oklahoma State program, Heinrich has a wealth of experience and knowledge. Heinrich also has many intangibles: he is intrinsically motivated, mature and possess strong leadership qualities. All of these attributes coupled with his work ethic and focus will quickly propel him to the top of tier of the NCAA sooner rather than later." – Coach Rob Hansen

Quinn Williams (hurdles) 
Mission Viejo, CA / Mission Viejo HS
Quinn is the back to back CIF Southern Section Division 2 300m hurdle champion and finished as runner up in the 110m hurdle race as well, helping his Mission Viejo High School team to the overall CIF team title. He had a seven-race winning streak to cap his season, and only lost twice in the 300m hurdles this season. He already has experience running the 400m hurdle races during his summer track seasons. His best 110m hurdle mark is 14.55, and 37.91 for the 300m hurdles. His 400m hurdle time of 55.83 and 60m hurdle best of 8.31 was achieved while competing for his club, The Orange County Heat. Quinn chose UCR in part due to its plant biology major, which is what he has declared.      
 
"Quinn has steadily progressed throughout his high school career into one of the best combo hurdlers in California. His mental toughness has led his friends to call him 'Commander Quinn', and this grit will be great asset as he moves up to the 400m hurdles." – Coach Daniel Newell