ORLANDO - After a strong performance at the program’s second Big 12 Championship in Waco, Texas, earlier this month, the UCF cross country team will now embark on the NCAA South Regionals in Tallahassee, Florida, Friday morning at the Apalachee Regional Park.
The women’s 6k race begins at 8:30 a.m. ET and will be streamed on ESPN+. Live results are available here.
Originally slated to compete in the Florida capital twice, weather factors forced assistant coach Bryan Harmon and his squad to shift plans, and will now be stepping on the course for the first time in 2024.
One of the most competitive regions in the country, the south boasts five teams ranked among the top 30 in the latest USTFCCCA National Coaches Poll. To qualify for the National Championships in Verona, Wisconsin, later this month, a team must place within the top two of their respective region, while an additional 13 programs will be granted at-large bids.
The first four finishers in each region on a team not receiving an auto-bid will also be granted the opportunity to compete in Nationals.
Picked by many to place last in Waco without the talents of junior Isabella Richardson, the squad stepped up to the challenge, finishing 12th out of an impressive 16-team field. While Penelope Sosa led the way in 75th, it was freshman Avery Latto who stole the spotlight with a remarkable time of 2:56.4 and a 78th-place finish, breaking her personal best by nearly two minutes.
It will be the same seven who make the short trip north as coach Harmon will look to continue the progress of a great 2024 campaign: Abby Clements, Kendall Hughes, Paige Jaszczak, Riley Jaszczak, Avery Latto, Ava Quattrocchi, Penelope Sosa.