Completed Event: Cross Country versus NCAA Championships on November 22, 2025 , , 17th / 32
Final Score
Cross Country
17th / 32
vs NCAA Championships
The University of Utah Athletics
Venters, Woolnough and Plourde Garner All-Pac-12 Accolades
11/4/2021 3:05 PM | Cross Country
For just the second time in program history, Utah had three runners earn All-Pac-12 honors.
SAN FRANCISCO – After a great Pac-12 Championships race, Emily Venters, Cara Woolnough and Simone Plourde each garnered All-Pac-12 accolades the league announced Thursday afternoon. Venters and Woolnough each took home first-team honors while Plourde collected second-team honors.
It marks just the second time the Utes have had three runners earn all-conference honors since joining the Pac-12 in 2011. The only other time Utah had three earn all-conference honors came in 2019, which was arguably the best season in program history up until this year's team – who took second at the Pac-12 Championships meet.
"Very proud and well deserved," head coach Kyle Kepler said of the news. "They have all worked so hard to push each other throughout the year, along with the rest of our group, and led us to some new heights."
Venters posted the best individual finish in program history at the Pac-12 Championships when she took third with a time of 20:40.7 and broke the previous top finish of fifth set back in 2017 by Grayson Murphy. The Lawrence, Kan., native now has a pair of top-5 finishes and a top-15 finish as a Ute.
Woolnough hasn't really missed a beat since her return to Salt Lake City after opting out of the 2020 campaign due to COVID-19. The Brisbane, Australia, product was the second Ute to cross the finish line, taking seventh overall at the Pac-12 Championships with a time of 20:55.0 to help the Women of Utah take runner-up honors.
Like Venters, Plourde has had a great transition in her first year as a member of the Utah cross country squad. In her first Pac-12 Championship race, Plourde kept pace with the best of the best in the Conference of Champions and just missed first-team honors after coming in at 11th with a time of 21:03.7.
Ute fans can catch the Women of Utah at the Timpanogos Golf Club next Friday, Nov. 12, when they compete at the NCAA Mountain Regionals. The loaded women's race with four teams ranked in the top-10 will start at 11 a.m. (MT).
For the latest news and information on the Utah cross country and track & field programs, fans can stay connected online at www.UtahUtes.com and on social media by following on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
It marks just the second time the Utes have had three runners earn all-conference honors since joining the Pac-12 in 2011. The only other time Utah had three earn all-conference honors came in 2019, which was arguably the best season in program history up until this year's team – who took second at the Pac-12 Championships meet.
"Very proud and well deserved," head coach Kyle Kepler said of the news. "They have all worked so hard to push each other throughout the year, along with the rest of our group, and led us to some new heights."
Venters posted the best individual finish in program history at the Pac-12 Championships when she took third with a time of 20:40.7 and broke the previous top finish of fifth set back in 2017 by Grayson Murphy. The Lawrence, Kan., native now has a pair of top-5 finishes and a top-15 finish as a Ute.
Woolnough hasn't really missed a beat since her return to Salt Lake City after opting out of the 2020 campaign due to COVID-19. The Brisbane, Australia, product was the second Ute to cross the finish line, taking seventh overall at the Pac-12 Championships with a time of 20:55.0 to help the Women of Utah take runner-up honors.
Like Venters, Plourde has had a great transition in her first year as a member of the Utah cross country squad. In her first Pac-12 Championship race, Plourde kept pace with the best of the best in the Conference of Champions and just missed first-team honors after coming in at 11th with a time of 21:03.7.
Ute fans can catch the Women of Utah at the Timpanogos Golf Club next Friday, Nov. 12, when they compete at the NCAA Mountain Regionals. The loaded women's race with four teams ranked in the top-10 will start at 11 a.m. (MT).
For the latest news and information on the Utah cross country and track & field programs, fans can stay connected online at www.UtahUtes.com and on social media by following on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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Players Mentioned
Crimson Corner with Bill Riley - Baylor's John Morris & Utah Track & Field Head Coach Kyle Kepler
Wednesday, November 12
Coach Kyle Kepler celebrates 20 years at the helm of Utah Cross Country/Track & Field
Monday, August 11
Utah Cross Country's McKaylie Caesar Feature - A Medical Miracle
Tuesday, April 29
Utes Insider – Cross Country Runner Bella Williams
Wednesday, November 17