ORLANDO – The 2021 cross country schedule, which was announced on Friday, features four in-state regular season meets, including the UCF Invite.
The Knights open the fall campaign on Sept. 1 at the FAU Invitational before heading to Gainesville for the Mountain Dew Invitational on Sept. 11.
The Black and Gold return to action on Oct. 1, hosting the UCF Invite. The Knights have taken the team title in back-to-back UCF Invites and look to extend their home win streak to three consecutive seasons.
UCF heads to Florida State on Oct. 15 for the pre-nationals meet, which will also serve as a final preparation for the American Athletic Conference Championship, held in Lakeland, Fla. on Oct. 29.
The 2021 NCAA South Regional will take place in Huntsville, Ala. on Nov. 12, followed by the NCAA Championship on Nov. 20 in Tallahassee.
The Knights return to fall action after an altered 2020-21 season that saw UCF race twice in the spring of 2021. Valerie Lastra highlights a key group of returners, as the Miami native broke both the UCF freshman 5K and 6K races in just two outings during her first campaign as a Knight. Lastra became the first Knight to earn American Athletic Conference Freshman of the Year honors after finishing fourth at the conference meet. UCF also returns the core of its distance experience, including Charlotte Crook, Katie Pinnell, and Alexandra Del Re.
