Event: Doc Adams Open
Where: Putah Creek Reserve Course – Davis, Calif.
When: Saturday at 9 a.m.
Who to watch? On the men’s side, Clovis, Calif. natives Jonathan Peterson and Russ Pfaff have led UC Davis so far this season.
Peterson, a sophomore, and Pfaff, a junior, have placed in the top 10 at both of the meets in which they have competed.
Led by Peterson they placed first and second at the Hornet Jamboree. Pfaff finished eighth with Petersen coming in ninth at the Stanford invitational last weekend.
Did you know? This year, the annual Doc Adams Open will include a community 5K race open to runners of all ages and skill levels.
“What we’ve added in this year is a community race to open it up to folks who are your runners or hobby joggers or what have you,” said coach Drew Wartenburg. “This will allow the community to come out and run on the cross country course, which is typically closed to the public, and to get some kind of link between them and our program. It can be a lonely sport.“
The community 5K will start at 8 a.m., prior to the women’s 6000 meter race on Putah Creek Reserve Course.
Preview: So far this season, UC Davis has placed in the top five on both the men’s and women’s sides in every meet except for a sixth place by the men at the USF Invitational.
“At the USF invite we didn’t race a full squad,” said assistant coach and former UC Davis standout runner Kim Conley. “It was kind of for people that needed a little experience or an extra race under their belt.“
Since then, UC Davis earned first place finishes on both sides at the Hornet Jamboree and third and fourth place finishes by the men and women, respectively, at the very competitive Stanford Invitational.
While excited about the progress and success so far this season, coach Wartenburg knows that the cross country season, fittingly so, is not a sprint but rather a marathon.
“Early signs indicate good things,” Wartenburg said, “but obviously a lot of things need to fall into place in the next 8 to 9 weeks.“
– John S. Heller
