Cross Country Set for Debut 6k at Pirate Invitational in Greenville

Orlando - The Knights are looking to build upon a strong start to their season following an impressive performance at home in the UCF Cross Country Invitational, journeying to Greenville, North Carolina, on Friday Morning for the Pirate Cross Country Invitational. 

In the final days of August, the team brought home a 3rd place finish with a standout performance from Isabella Richardson who finished in 8th overall, clocking an 18:33.7 in the 5K, in the squad’s first and only home meet of the season.

UCF was originally set to make their second appearance of the cross country season at the FSU Pre-Regionals on Sept. 27 at Apalachee Regional Park, however, the meet was canceled by Florida State Athletics due to Hurricane Helene. 

This will be the Knight's first appearance in the Pirate Cross Country Invitational, where they will tackle their first 6K of the season. The race will occur at 9:45 a.m. at Overton’s Lake Kristi Park.

The last time the Knights cross country team faced a regular-season 6k meet was the Arturo Barrios Invitational in October 2023. The team traveled to Texas A&M for the meet and finished 22nd overall, with an average time of 21:19.48. 

Along with the cancellation of the FSU Pre-Regionals, the Knights will no longer be competing in the FSU Invitational on Oct. 11, with no additional changes to the regularly scheduled season as of now. 
 
With an impressive performance anticipated at the Pirate Invitational, the Knights are looking to gain momentum as they continue their season ahead of its second Big 12 Championship.