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Photo Credit: Yannick Peterhans/Pac-12
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Venters, Plourde Take Home All-Pac-12 Accolades
11/2/2022 12:00 PM | Cross Country
Emily Venters and Simone Plourde of the Utah cross country team were both named All-Pac-12 selections.
SAN FRANCISCO – Emily Venters and Simone Plourde of the Utah cross country team were named All-Pac-12 First-Team selections by the conference on Wednesday for their efforts at last week's championships meet.
Venters, who finished second at the Pac-12 Championships last week behind a PR time of 19:16.7, became just the second Woman of Utah ever to earn back-to-back All-Pac-12 First-Team honors – joining All-American Poppy Tank (2019-20). The Lawrence, Kans., native bested her performance from last year's championship finish (third) this year with her runner-up finish.
Plourde also recorded a PR at the Pac-12 Championships with a time of 19:29.7 and finished fifth overall to garner her first-team selection. The Montreal, Canada, product joins Venters as the fourth and fifth Ute, respectively, to earn all-conference accolades back-to-back years. She joins Amanda Mergaert (2011-12) and Grayson Murphy (2016-17) as the third Ute runner to earn second-team honors one season and first-team selections the following year.
Venters and Plourde earning All-Pac-12 First-Team honors marks the first time Utah has had multiple first-team recipients in consecutive years since joining the Conference of Champions. It is also the third time (2019, 2021, 2022) that Utah has had multiple all-conference honorees since 2011.
IN THE RANKINGS
After its gutsy performance at the 2022 Pac-12 Championships, Utah moved up one spot to No. 9 in the latest USTFCCCA National Coaches Poll released on Nov. 1 as teams prepare for NCAA Regionals. Utah, who sits at No. 5 in the latest USTFCCCA Regional Polls, is set to compete in the toughest region in the country next Friday, Nov. 11, at the UNM North Golf Course in Albuquerque, N.M. Gun is set to go off at 11 a.m. (MT) for the women followed by the men at Noon.
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.
Venters, who finished second at the Pac-12 Championships last week behind a PR time of 19:16.7, became just the second Woman of Utah ever to earn back-to-back All-Pac-12 First-Team honors – joining All-American Poppy Tank (2019-20). The Lawrence, Kans., native bested her performance from last year's championship finish (third) this year with her runner-up finish.
Plourde also recorded a PR at the Pac-12 Championships with a time of 19:29.7 and finished fifth overall to garner her first-team selection. The Montreal, Canada, product joins Venters as the fourth and fifth Ute, respectively, to earn all-conference accolades back-to-back years. She joins Amanda Mergaert (2011-12) and Grayson Murphy (2016-17) as the third Ute runner to earn second-team honors one season and first-team selections the following year.
Venters and Plourde earning All-Pac-12 First-Team honors marks the first time Utah has had multiple first-team recipients in consecutive years since joining the Conference of Champions. It is also the third time (2019, 2021, 2022) that Utah has had multiple all-conference honorees since 2011.
IN THE RANKINGS
After its gutsy performance at the 2022 Pac-12 Championships, Utah moved up one spot to No. 9 in the latest USTFCCCA National Coaches Poll released on Nov. 1 as teams prepare for NCAA Regionals. Utah, who sits at No. 5 in the latest USTFCCCA Regional Polls, is set to compete in the toughest region in the country next Friday, Nov. 11, at the UNM North Golf Course in Albuquerque, N.M. Gun is set to go off at 11 a.m. (MT) for the women followed by the men at Noon.
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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