TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (UCFKnights.com) –In its lone race of October, the UCF cross country team put together a top five performance at the FSU Invitational on Friday morning.
The Knights finished fifth in the 25-team field, with three runners in the top 30 of the 5K race.
"I'm extremely proud of these young ladies," UCF assistant coach Bryan Jackson said. "They ran a great race from start to finish; it was the most complete race of the season. It's been the theme of this year to focus on the growth it would take as individuals and a team to reach our goals. As a coach, it has been a rewarding journey so far to see them all grow from race to race and week to week. I'm excited to watch the growth that will continue to take place as we enter the championship phase of the season."
Charlotte Crook, running her first 5K of the season, made her move into the top 20 between the first and second mile and crossed the line in 18:16.3 for 18thoverall.
From the start, Jamie Tomassetti was among the top 20 runners. She crossed the line close behind Crook, finishing in a personal-best 18:17.6 for 19thoverall.
Kaitlyn Soltis continued her strong junior campaign, improving her personal-best 5K mark by nearly 25 seconds to finish 26thoverall in 18:27.0.
At the two-mile marker, Vanessa Bolen sat in 101st. In the final 1700 meters, she made her move, passing 20 competitors to cross the line in a personal-best time of 19:47.2 for 80thplace. Fellow rookie Gabrielle LaRock followed a similar pattern, moving up 13 spots between the two-mile mark and the finish line. She posted a personal-best time of 20:26.0 and finished 117thin the 224-competitor field.
Next up, the Knights head to the 2019 American Athletic Conference Championship on Nov. 1. Hosted by Memphis, the 6K race will start at 10 a.m. at Shelby Farms Park.
