BOCA RATON, Fla. (UCFKnights.com) – The UCF cross country team opened the 2018 campaign with a strong showing at the FAU Invitational on Friday evening.
In its first competition under the leadership of head coach Dana Boone and assistant coach Bryan Jackson, UCF earned third place overall as a squad. Four Knights finished in the top 20 of the 5K race, with nearly every returning Knight posting an improved time.
"I'm really proud of how we competed today - great team effort," Jackson said. "We didn't have everyone out there yet, so I'm excited for what this means when we are at full strength. We have work to do, but this is a great starting point. We are moving on with momentum and excitement for what's to come."
Victoria Jung was the first Knight to cross the finish line, taking fifth place with a collegiate-best time of 18:57.52. She was joined in the top 10 by Jessica Dolan, who also used a personal best mark of 19:14.91 to finish ninth.
"The race felt really good from the beginning," Jung said. "It was a very smooth start, and I gradually moved up throughout, using some of the other girls to pull me along. Everyone did so great. We all stayed together and helped push one another the entire time. Everyone is really pleased with how they did."
In their UCF cross country debuts, Kaitlyn Soltis and Shayla Sanders both turned in top 20 finishes. Soltis crossed the line in 19:30.66 for 14th place, while Sanders finished 18th with a time of 19:47.27.
Crystal Tejeda posted her fasted 5K time, running across the line in 20:35.78 to finish 34th. Kayla McGowan dropped nearly seven seconds off her personal best for a mark of 21:23.67. Shiree Hinds crossed the line in 22:38.07 to round out UCF’s competitors.
The Knights return to action on Sept. 15, hosting the UCF Knights Cross Country Invitational.