ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFKnights.com) - After a highly decorated cross country career, redshirt senior Anne-Marie Blaney will toe the line one final time as a Knight on Saturday morning.
Blaney will compete in the final cross country race of her UCF career at the 2016 NCAA Cross Country Championships in Terre Haute, Ind. The start time is set for 11 a.m. Watch the video above for more from the redshirt senior.
"I'm going to miss my team, but it's going to be really exciting," Blaney said. "I like going out there, representing my team, wearing those UCF letters and doing my best. The hardest part, for me, was getting here. I was pretty nervous at regionals, but in the end, I know that I'm just going to run my race."
The Ocala, Fla., native won five races this season, including the American Athletic Conference Championship on Oct. 29. She posted the second-fastest 6K time in program history at The American Championship, and shaved seven seconds off of it at the NCAA South Region race. Blaney now holds the top five 6K times in school history.
Blaney, who was named the USTFCCCA South Region Athlete of the Year on Tuesday, is ranked No. 19 in the FloTrack Top 25 individual rankings heading into the NCAA Championship. She has been recognized in the poll three times this season.
Assistant cross country coach Johnny Gray is not surprised to see the success that Blaney has had not only this season, but for her entire career.
"Anne-Marie has done everything that I've asked," Gray said. "She's a competitor; she has a lot of heart. Anne loves what she does. She just goes out there and gives it her all. She puts in so much work and, when she goes out there (to race), she gets nothing less than her best. That's what champions do. That's why she's such a tough competitor; she's going to give you her best always."
As part of a seven-day free trial, FloTrack will stream Saturday's race for free.
