Cross Country Gains Speed, Sandui Shines With Historic Run at Southern ShowcaseCross Country Gains Speed, Sandui Shines With Historic Run at Southern Showcase

Cross Country Gains Speed, Sandui Shines With Historic Run at Southern Showcase

by Ainsley Keaveny

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. - Highlighted by five personal-best times, and an all-time, top-three 5k run from Yvone Sandui, the UCF cross country team turned heads at the Southern Showcase on Friday morning with a tenth-place team finish.

"We're just running really well together. We're running for each other, and that's how you get better in this sport, is by running for more than just yourself."

Head Coach Bryan HarmonOn the team effort at Friday's race

Running a field of nearly 500 girls, Sophomore Sandui led the way for the Knights with a personal-best time of 17:11.9, placing 19th overall, outpacing five of the seven Alabama runners, the top-ranked team in the South Region’s preseason poll. Sandui’s stellar race not only made a mark on the showcase’s time sheet, but also on the Knight’s history books, earning the third-best 5k time in program history.

 

New to the Black and Gold roster this season, sophomore Alexandra Raquet made an immediate impact on the squad. Coming in just behind Sandui, Raquet crossed 27th with a personal record of her own at 17.19.0, good for eighth in the program's all-time 5k records. The 27th-place finish also marks the best 5k placement of her collegiate career. 

"They were confident, they executed at a high level, and that's what you want to go out and do against good competition on a good course."

Head Coach Bryan HarmonOn Raquet and Sandui's performance

Izzy Richardson was the third Knight to cross the line in 87th, clocking in at 18:03.4. Ava Quattrocchi followed at 18:11.7 to come in at 107th, with Paige Jaszczak (18:14.1) right on her heels in 108th, also setting a personal best. 

Sophomore Madison Patchan (18:23.6) was the next Knight to cross the finish in 121st, as Kendall Hughes followed to join the day’s PR club, posting a time of 18:26.8 to place 132nd in her first race of the season. Freshman Daisy Ross followed just seconds behind at 18:28.8 at an 138th-place finish, with Riley Jaszczak (18:37.4) and Masha Dorofeev (18:42.8) coming in after to earn a 160th and 173rd-place finish, respectively. 

Rounding out the Knights’ lineup, junior Abby Clements joined the PR club with a time of 18:59.0 to finish 203rd, while teammate Avery Latto closed things out at the 19:15.5 mark and a 234th place finish.

The team’s record-setting efforts secured the Knights yet another top-10 finish, sliding in at 10th place to outpace top programs such as Florida State, Miami, and host school, Jacksonville State.

RESULTS

Team Finish: Tenth (334 Pts.)

*Personal Best

UP NEXT

The Knights will rest up, taking a few weeks off before heading to Peoria, Ill., for the Bradley Pink Classic on Friday, Oct. 17, making their second straight showing at the meet. 

PR Lexi
PR Paige
PR Kendall
PR Abby

About UCF Athletics
UCF is a proud member of the Big 12 Conference. Our mission is to positively transform the lives of our students academically, athletically, and personally through a nationally competitive intercollegiate athletics program that enhances the reputation and visibility of the University. We strive to be Florida's preeminent athletic program representing UCF and our community with distinction on the national stage as "Orlando's Hometown Team". To learn more about UCF and Athletics, please visit our websites at www.ucf.edu and www.ucfknights.com.