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The University of Utah Athletics
Plourde and Venters Named All-Americans; Denis Earns Honorable Mention
6/12/2023 12:36 PM | Track & Field
Utah’s Simone Plourde and Emily Venters were officially announced All-Americans by the USTFCCCA.
NEW ORLEANS – Simone Plourde and Emily Venters of the Utah track & Field team were officially named All-Americans while Dinedye Denis picked up honorable mention honors by the USTFCCCA for their performances at the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships this past weekend.
The duo combined for four All-America awards, equaling the combined total of the previous seven seasons (including the cancelled season due to COVID-19). Additionally, the 16 points eared by Utah tied it for 15th overall in the team standings with USC – which was the highest total and finish in program history. Additionally, the Utes were tied for the second-highest finisher among Pac-12 teams with the Trojans at the championships.
Venters, who arguably had one of the best seasons in program history, garnered two First-Team All-America honors to close out her collegiate career. The Lawrence, Kan., native first took national runner-up honors in the 10000m race with a mark of 32:47.70 for the best finish by a Woman of Utah at the championships while her 10k was the fastest by any Ute. She then followed up with a third-place finish in the 5000m 48 hours later with a run of 15:42.40 – which was also the best finish and time for a Ute in that race at the championships.
The last Ute to garner two first-team awards in the same championships was Jill Molen back in 1982 – the inaugural year the NCAA Championships were held on the women side. Venters is just the third Woman of Utah to earn multiple first-team accolades in her career, joining Grayson Murphy (2017-18, steeplechase) and Molen (1982, 5k/10k). Meanwhile, Venters is the only Ute to have three first-team distinctions to her name between the indoor and outdoor season.
Plourde also saw herself cemented into program history this past weekend when she earned two All-America awards. The Montreal, Canada, product first took home Second-Team All-America honors in the 1500m race after running a 4:11.91 – the fastest time at championships to not qualify for the finals. Plourde then went out and took home first-team honors in the 5000m race after crossing the finish line in seventh with a mark of 15:50.10.
Her and Venters joins Murphy, Amanda Mergaert as the only Utes to have three or more All-America accolades in their career. Mergaert, who was recently named to the 2023 Utah Athletics Hall of Fame class, is the only four-time All-American at Utah with two first-team and two second-team honors.
Like her teammates, Denis also competed at the NCAA Championships for the first time in her career and earned herself Honorable Mention distinction after placing 18th-overall in the 400m hurdles (57.73).
The duo of Plourde and Venters concluded the season becoming just the second pair of Utes to earn multiple All-America awards in the same championships since Molen (NCAA) and Carla Pittelkow (AIAW) to do so in 1982.
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.
The duo combined for four All-America awards, equaling the combined total of the previous seven seasons (including the cancelled season due to COVID-19). Additionally, the 16 points eared by Utah tied it for 15th overall in the team standings with USC – which was the highest total and finish in program history. Additionally, the Utes were tied for the second-highest finisher among Pac-12 teams with the Trojans at the championships.
Venters, who arguably had one of the best seasons in program history, garnered two First-Team All-America honors to close out her collegiate career. The Lawrence, Kan., native first took national runner-up honors in the 10000m race with a mark of 32:47.70 for the best finish by a Woman of Utah at the championships while her 10k was the fastest by any Ute. She then followed up with a third-place finish in the 5000m 48 hours later with a run of 15:42.40 – which was also the best finish and time for a Ute in that race at the championships.
The last Ute to garner two first-team awards in the same championships was Jill Molen back in 1982 – the inaugural year the NCAA Championships were held on the women side. Venters is just the third Woman of Utah to earn multiple first-team accolades in her career, joining Grayson Murphy (2017-18, steeplechase) and Molen (1982, 5k/10k). Meanwhile, Venters is the only Ute to have three first-team distinctions to her name between the indoor and outdoor season.
Plourde also saw herself cemented into program history this past weekend when she earned two All-America awards. The Montreal, Canada, product first took home Second-Team All-America honors in the 1500m race after running a 4:11.91 – the fastest time at championships to not qualify for the finals. Plourde then went out and took home first-team honors in the 5000m race after crossing the finish line in seventh with a mark of 15:50.10.
Her and Venters joins Murphy, Amanda Mergaert as the only Utes to have three or more All-America accolades in their career. Mergaert, who was recently named to the 2023 Utah Athletics Hall of Fame class, is the only four-time All-American at Utah with two first-team and two second-team honors.
Like her teammates, Denis also competed at the NCAA Championships for the first time in her career and earned herself Honorable Mention distinction after placing 18th-overall in the 400m hurdles (57.73).
The duo of Plourde and Venters concluded the season becoming just the second pair of Utes to earn multiple All-America awards in the same championships since Molen (NCAA) and Carla Pittelkow (AIAW) to do so in 1982.
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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