ORLANDO – The UCF cross country team is back in action on Friday at the 2021 NCAA South Regional in Huntsville, Alabama.
The 6K race is slated for a 9:30 a.m. start at the John Hunt Cross Country Course. Live results are available through XPress Timing.
Eights Knights will represent UCF at the South Region Final, with seven making their regional debuts with the Black and Gold. Charlotte Crook heads to her second regional after making her debut in at the 2019 meet. Crook finished 88th in her regional debut, posting a 22:07.1 6K performance.
The 2020 cross country season, which was delayed until the spring of 2021, did not have a regional meet, meaning Valerie Lastra, Mariana Rodriguez and Mackenzie Czurak will join Isabella Babilonia, Lillian Holtery, Kambry Smith and Rachel Wheatley in their regional debuts.
Lastra enters the regional after collecting her second straight all-conference honor with an eighth-place finish at the 2021 American Athletic Conference Championship on Oct. 29.
Crook matched her best conference finish, crossing the line 34th in 22:52.5. Babilonia came in just behind Crook, placing 35th in her conference debut in 22:53.1. Smith and Holtery both turned in top 50 performances in their AAC Championship debut, finishing 48th in 23:21.7 and 50th in 23:22.6, respectively.
The Knights enter the regional meet ranked 14th in the South Region. UCF made its season ranking debut on Sept. 13, moving into the regional rankings for the first time since Sept. 19, 2016. The No. 13 ranking marked UCF's highest since the Knights were No. 12 in the Nov. 3, 2014 poll.
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