UCLA Women Place Eighth at Big Ten Meet
The UCLA women's cross country team finished eighth at the 2026 Big Ten Championships, its best result since joining the conference in 2024.
Updated on Nov. 8, 2026 in Track & Field
The UCLA women's cross country team finished eighth with 232 points at the Big Ten Championships in Verona, Wisconsin, on Oct. 30. The men's team placed 10th among 15 programs with 298 points.
Why it matters
The women's result marks a four-spot climb from 12th in prior conference championship appearances, while the men's 10th-place finish came just ahead of Indiana, 298 to 302. Both teams' performances help set their positioning for the postseason.
Sophomore Evie Marheineke ran 20:33.7 for 29th overall in the women's 6-kilometer race, while fifth-year Henry Coughlan ran 23:59.4 for 41st in the men's 8-kilometer race. The UCLA men's five scoring runners combined for a team time of 2:01:44.
The players
Evie Marheineke
Sophomore distance runner for the UCLA women's cross country team who finished 29th overall at the Big Ten Championships.
Henry Coughlan
Fifth-year distance runner for the UCLA men's cross country team who finished 41st overall at the Big Ten Championships.
The details
Oregon won both the men's and women's team titles at the Big Ten Championships held at the Thomas Zimmer Championship Cross Country Course. Junior Olivia Foody finished 38th in the women's race in 20:42.2.
Timeline
The 2026 Big Ten Championships were held Oct. 30 in Verona, Wisconsin.
The UCLA men's team finished ninth at the 2025 Big Ten Championships with 217 points.
Season Trajectory
UCLA's men's team moved from 217 points in 2025 to 298 points in 2026, while the women's team's eighth-place finish follows its first full season in the Big Ten. Both squads are positioned to compete at the NCAA West Regional on Nov. 13 in Sacramento.
The women's eighth-place finish and men's 10th-place result determine which athletes and teams advance to the next qualifying opportunity. Fans following UCLA's cross country program can track the NCAA West Regional entries as the Nov. 13 meet approaches.
The takeaway
UCLA's women's eighth-place finish in its first Big Ten seasons shows steady conference progress, while the men's narrow top-10 result underscores how tight the middle of the field remains. Watch the NCAA West Regional on Nov. 13 for the next step.
What happens next
Both UCLA teams will compete at the NCAA West Regional on Nov. 13, 2026, in Sacramento, with the goal of advancing to the NCAA Championship.
Further reading
Explore more in Track & Field coverage from around the Los Angeles area.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Daily Bruin.
