The UCSB men’s and women’s cross country teams are set to compete in the Stanford Invitational this Saturday in Palo Alto.

The invitational brings in more than 30 college teams to compete annually and as many as 250 participants for each gender. Both squads should have high hopes for themselves after boasting impressive finishes in each of their two meets earlier this season.

In August, the men toppled Cal Poly 15-40 in The Lagoon Run. Led by junior runner Brad Littooy and senior runner Andrew Farkas, the Gauchos uprooted the Mustangs, putting up the top six times in the race.

The women’s team took a loss to the Mustangs in the Lagoon Race 25-34. Even though Gaucho senior runner Dani Moreno and junior runner Maxine Goyette placed first and second in the race, the Mustangs’ performance overshadowed the Gauchos attempt at victory.

In the UC Riverside Invitational, the Gauchos took third overall, finishing after Minnesota and Southern Utah. Junior runner Brian Guijarro finished eighth in the race to lead UCSB.

Led by Moreno, the women’s team placed second overall in the Riverside Invitational, finishing just 18 points behind Utah Valley. Moreno’s finish earned her the race’s title for the second year in a row.

Given the amount of competition at the invite, the event will be an opportunity for the Gauchos to measure themselves against some of the top programs in the nation.

The 41st Stanford Invitational is set to begin at 10 a.m. this Saturday at the Stanford University Golf Course.