Women of Utah Set to Open 2024 Campaign at UVU Invitational Friday

Friday, August 30

Orem, UT

10 AM

University of Utah

UVU Invitational

Women of Utah Set to Open 2024 Campaign at UVU Invitational Friday

8/28/2024 12:58 PM | Cross Country

Live Results

The No. 14-ranked Utah cross country team will send a select group down to the UVU Invitational this Friday.

SALT LAKE CITY – The No. 14-ranked Utah cross country team will send a group of runners down to compete at the UVU Invitational this Friday, Aug. 30, at Scera Park to open the 2024 season. Gun is slated to go off at 10 a.m. (MDT) for the women with the men to follow.

UVU INVITATIONAL
DATE: Friday, Aug. 30
WHERE: Orem, UT
WHEN: 10 a.m. (MDT)
VENUE: Scera Park (Course Map)
LIVE RESULTS: https://meettrax.com/meets/376/results/by-event
PARTICIPATING TEAMS: Idaho State, Salt Lake CC, Snow College Southern Idaho, Southern Utah, #14 Utah, Utah Tech, #23 Utah Valley, Weber State
UTAH PARTICIPANTS: Lauren Ayers, Vero Boire, Grace Burnett, Josie Fale, Grace Moroney, Anna Peters, Bri Rinn

IN THE RANKINGS
Utah was ranked No. 14 in the USTFCCCA Preseason Poll that was released on Tuesday, Aug. 27, marking its highest ranking ever in the preseason poll. The Utes will enter 2024 with arguably their best group of returners in the Kyle Kepler Era behind a pair of All-American returner in McKaylie Caesar and Anna Peters. Joining Caesar and Peters from last year's championship roster are Morgan Jensen and Katarzyna Nowakowska.

This is the third-consecutive season the Women of Utah have been ranked in the preseason poll and fifth time overall in program history (2017, 2019, 2022, 2023, 2024). The No. 14 ranking came on the heels of Utah finishing 13th-overall at the 2023 NCAA Championships, its second-best finish ever, despite returning just one scorer (Jensen) from the 2022 squad that finished 12th.

FROM THE LINE
The Utes will send eight runners to the season-opener this Friday at the UVU Invitational. Of the seven, five are returners while two true freshmen will make their collegiate debut. Lauren Ayers (Tualatin, Ore.), and Josie Fale (Portland, Ore.) will make their collegiate debuts when they toe the line alongside returnees Vero Boire, Grace Burnett, Grace Moroney, Anna Peters and Bri Rinn.

FLASHBACK FRIDAY
The Women of Utah will have a trio of familiar faces racing at the UVU Invitational in Anna Peters, Grace Moroney and Bri Rinn. Peters led the way for Utah at last year's race, finishing third with a 5k time of 16:35.3 in her collegiate debut. Moroney crossed the finish line with a mark of 17:41.9 for 10th-overall in her first collegiate race while Rinn recorded a time of 18:45.6. The Utes as a team took second with 54 points with all five scorers in the top-15.

MARTIN AT U20 CHAMPIONSHIPS
Utah sophomore Kyla Martin is the latest Ute to compete on the world stage as she represents Team Canada at the World Athletics U20 Championships in Lima, Peru. The Barrie, Ontario, Canada, product recently advanced to the semifinals of the 800m run on Tuesday, August 27, when she took third in her heat with a run of 2:06.20 to earn an automatic spot in the semis.

Martin will race in the 800m semifinals at the U20 Championships on Thursday, Aug. 30, starting at 2:58 p.m. (MDT). Fans can follow along via live results through World Athletics and can watch the live stream depending on their country of origin here.

OLYMPIC DEBUT
Back in August, a pair of Utah alums in Simone Plourde (CAN) and Josefine Eriksen (NOR) made their Olympic debuts when they stepped foot on the track inside Stade de France at the Games of XXXIII Olympiad.

Plourde competed in the women's 1500m race for Team Canada and clocked in at 4:06.59 in round one before posting a 4:08.49 in the repechage round. Eriksen ran the lead leg in the 4x400m relay for Team Norway with a split of 52.30.

UP NEXT
Utah will have just under a month to prepare for the first big race of the season when they head to Nuttycombe Invitational on Friday, Sept. 27, - which will also serve as the host site of this year's NCAA Championships.

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, X and Instagram.

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