Cross Country Impresses at Big 12 Championship in WacoCross Country Impresses at Big 12 Championship in Waco

Cross Country Impresses at Big 12 Championship in Waco

by Ava Jessum

WACO, Texas - Competing in their second Big 12 Championships, the Knights cross country team gave a strong performance, improving upon their debut outing last season. The team competed in the women's 6k race at the Cottonwood Creek Golf Course, placing 12th out of 16 teams.

I’m so proud of the way the ladies competed today. We had three of our seven athletes making their Big 12 debut, which makes Avery’s performance really something to build on. Penelope has been here before and ran with that experience which helped her have her best race of the season. We trusted ourselves, controlled what we could control, and executed a great team race.

Assistant Coach Bryan Harmon

Junior Penelope Sosa led the team through the halfway point sitting in 86th place. In the back half of the course Sosa showcased an impressive kick, finishing strong in 75th with a respectable finish of 21:25.9. Following closely behind was freshman Avery Latto who finished in 78th with a new personal best of 21:56.4, smashing her previous record by nearly two minutes. 

Kendall Hughes (Jr) and Abby Clements (So) remained neck and neck the entirety of the race, but Hughes pulled away in the final stretch finishing 85th with a time of 22:07.3. Clements wasn’t too far behind finishing 87th and putting up a 22:12.4.

Both Paige and Riley Jaszczak improved their standings from UCF’s inaugural appearance in the Big 12 Championships, finishing 96th and 98th respectively. 

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Ultimately, BYU took the top spot for the second consecutive year. BYU had finishers slotted in 5th to 7th, but it was West Virginia's Ceili McCabe who finished first overall with a time of 19:02.6.

The Knights are now setting their sights on the NCAA South Regional Championship, which is set to take place in Tallahassee, Florida on Nov. 15.

Results

Team Finish: 12th (350 Pts.)

75. Penelope Sosa (21:52.8)

78. Avery Latto (2:56.4)

85. Kendall Hughes (22:07.2)

87. Abby Clements (22:12.4)

96. Paige Jaszczak (22:29.7)

98. Riley Jaszczak (22:31.6)

107. Ava Quattrocchi (22:47.0)