Cross Country Kicks Off Season at UVU Invitational

Thursday, September 1

Orem, UT

2:30 PM

University of Utah

UVU Invitational

Cross Country Kicks Off Season at UVU Invitational

8/30/2022 10:12 AM | Cross Country

Live Results Course Map

The Utah cross country team will kick open its 2022 campaign on Thursday, Sept. 1, at the UVU Invitational.

SALT LAKE CITY – The Utah cross country team is set to kick off its 2022 campaign with the UVU Invitational at 2:30 p.m. (MT) on Thursday, Sept. 1, held at Lakeside Park.

UVU INVITATIONAL
DATE: Thursday, Sept. 1
WHERE: Lakeside Park (Course Map)
WHEN: 2:30 p.m. (MT)
LIVE RESULTS: https://bit.ly/3B4za2n
PARTICIPANTS: BYU, Idaho State, Salt Lake CC, Southern Utah, Utah, Utah Valley (Host),
UTAH PARTICIPANTS: Maren Busath, Caroline Fischer, Kylie Hartnett, Chloe Kockler, Ellie Lundgreen, Maddie Reed, Claire Rusovick

THE LINE UP
Head coach Kyle Kepler is set to send seven runners to represent the Utes in their season-opening race. Returners competing for Utah include Maren Busath, Ellie Lundgreen, Maddie Reed and Claire Rusovick. Busath (23rd) and Rusovick (20th) both competed at the UVU Invitational last season with top-25 finishes to help the Utes take second overall.

Lundgreen will be making her first appearance on the cross country side since running for the Women of Utah at the 2019 NCAA Championships. Maddie reed saw action in a couple meets for the Utes last season – both top-25 finishes.

Chloe Kockler and transfer Caroline Fischer will be making their first appearances as a Ute on the cross country side while freshman Kylie Harnett makes her collegiate debut.

LAST TIME OUT
Utah finished in second last season in its 2021 season-opener at the UVU Invitational behind a third-place finish from Karli Branch in the 5K race while Lisha Van Onselen came in seventh followed by Ariel Keklak in eighth. Brook Manson checked in at 13th with Claire Rusovick rounding out the group of scorers while Maren Busath closing out the list of top-25 finishers in 23rd.

FRESH FACES
Heading into the 2022 season, the Women of Utah added four new faces to the roster. Newcomers Vero Boire, Kylie Hartnett, Bri Rinn and Erin Vringer are joined by transfer Caroline Fischer – who joined the Utes last spring but will be making her cross country debut this fall.

Vero Boire – Virginia
Caroline Fischer – Providence
Kylie Hartnett – Helena HS
Bri Rinn – Lincoln Southwest HS
Erin Vringer – Saint John HS

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SOLID CORE RETURNS
The Women of Utah return a solid core from last season behind Keelah Barger, Morgan Jensen, Ariel Keklak, Brooke Manson, Lauren Peterson, Simone Plourde and Emily Venters, who helped Utah secure a second-place finish at the 2021 Pac-12 Championships – its highest finish ever since joining the league.

REGIONAL RANKINGS
With the 2022 season officially starting on Thursday, Sept. 1, Utah checks in at No. 5 in the USTFCCCA Mountain Regional rankings. Arguably the toughest region in the country that has produced three of the last five National Champion on the women's side, the Utes have held their own and gone neck-and-neck with the top programs in the country.

Here is the preseason edition of the @NCAATrackField DI Women's Cross Country Regional Rankings!

Seven of the nine defending champions are back on top and projected to defend their crowns in 2022, but don't rule out other teams ready to rise up.https://t.co/qMZhbmf7mw pic.twitter.com/jhO5gQHiXg
— USTFCCCA (@USTFCCCA) August 30, 2022

The national poll will be released on Wednesday, Aug. 31, just ahead of the start of the 2022 NCAA Cross Country season.

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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