ORLANDO – From start to finish, the UCF cross country team’s third season in the Big 12 was defined by one thing: growth. Marked by record-setting performances and a series of program firsts, the season delivered plenty of highlights worth celebrating.
"I think overall it was a really great season for us. As a group, we are really moving in the direction that is sustainable for the future...We will look to build on the positive performances from the fall this indoor and outdoor season and be ready to keep elevating our program next fall!"
Head Coach Bryan Harmon
Setting The Pace Early
Coach Harmon and his squad opened the season on Aug. 29 in Jacksonville at the Florida Intercollegiate, securing an impressive third-place team finish. The strong debut was driven largely by the younger half of the Knights’ roster, highlighted by sophomore Ava Quattrocchi’s personal-best 5k time of 18:10.0. The freshmen duo of Daisy Ross and Masha Dorofeev added to the momentum, each turning in promising sub-20-minute performances. Ross finished 23rd with a time of 18:39.2, while Dorofeev placed 32nd in 19:01.8, early signs of a solid foundation for Harmon and his group in the seasons ahead.
The Black and Gold then traveled to Huntsville, Ala., for their second meet of the season, competing in the Southern Showcase on Sept. 12. There, the squad continued to blossom, earning another top-10 result with a 10th-place finish powered by five personal bests. Alexandra Raquet, Paige Jaszczak, Kendall Hughes, and Abigail Clements were among those setting new PRs, but the standout performance came from sophomore Yvone Sandui.
Racing in a field of nearly 500 athletes, Sandui led the Knights with a personal-best 17:11.9, finishing 19th overall and outpacing five of the seven runners from Alabama, the then-No. 1 team in the South Region.
In addition to Sandui’s standout performance, the Knights earned regional recognition following the meet. UCF entered the Sept. 13 South Region rankings at No. 13 in the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) poll. It marked the program’s first appearance in the regional rankings since Oct. 17, 2022, and its highest placement since Oct. 3 of that same year.
First time since ‘22 ๐
— UCF Track & Field/XC (@UCF_Track) September 15, 2025
Your Knights are 13th in @USTFCCCA Week 1 South Region Ranking pic.twitter.com/CFAZF81pVY
A Duo For The Record Books
Sandui’s second race of the season made history in more ways than one. Not only was her 17:11.9 mark good for the second-fastest 5k time in program history, but it also garnered her a Big 12 Runner of the Week honor, a program first honor since joining the conference two seasons ago.
But Sandui wasn’t the only member of the Black and Gold making waves in the record books. Raquet was following close behind at the meet with a personal-best mark of 17:19.0, good to take the third spot in the program’s all-time 5k records.
Raquet, a Louisville transfer, quickly emerged as one of the Knights’ most dependable performers. She led UCF in three of the four meets she competed in, anchoring the lineup with steady, top-tier results. She followed her breakout at the Southern Showcase with a record performance at the Bradley Pink Classic on Oct. 17, claiming eighth place in the season’s first 6k with a 21:45.77 finish, a then personal-best for the sophomore.
But Raquet saved her best for the NCAA South Regionals, where she shattered her previous 6k mark with a 20:29.29 performance. The run earned her 47th overall, the highest regional finish ever by a Knight, and secured the second-fastest 6k time in UCF history.
Racing To The Finish
After earning its third consecutive top-10 team finish at the Bradley Pink Classic 6k on Oct. 17, UCF geared up for its first postseason race, the Big 12 Championship, in Lawrence, Kan., on Oct. 31.
Despite the race taking place on one of the toughest courses the group had seen all season, Harmonโs senior squad, Hughes, Paige and Riley Jaszczak, Izzy Richardson and Penelope Sosa helped steer the squad through the challenge, ultimately garnering a 12th-place team finish.
"I want to thank our five seniors for their efforts over the last four years. Some of them have come quite a long way in the last few years as we've transitioned to the Big 12. They've left some big shoes to fill."
Head Coach Bryan HarmonIn their final appearance of the 2025 campaign, the Black and Gold set their sights on the NCAA South Regionals, where they would return to Huntsville, Ala., and John Hunt Park, the same course where the team delivered a record-setting performance earlier in the season at the Southern Showcase. This time, the Knights aimed to close the year with another statement effort. And they delivered.
Four Knights posted personal bests, once again led by Raquet with a commanding performance, running a 20:29.29 for 42nd place. Sophomores Quattrocchi and Madison Patchan continued their breakout campaigns, finishing just a second apart in 83rd and 85th. Quattrocchi claimed a new PR with a 21:16.6 time, while Patchan’s 21:16.7 mark also garnered a personal best.
Bailey McLain rounded out UCF’s top-100 finishers, delivering a poised and steady effort in her final regional race. She climbed through the middle kilometers to record a personal-best 21:25.9, closing her collegiate career on a high note.
"Our sophomores, Ava and Madison, really made an impact for us this season, and our transfers, Lexi and Yvone came in and immediately brought their experience to the table in a positive way."
Head Coach Bryan HarmonThe personal-best pushes didn’t go unrewarded, as they ultimately culminated in a 13th-place team finish, the best overall finish in UCF cross country history at regionals. A fitting conclusion for a season that was highlighted by relentless growth and resilience across the roster.
THEY DID THAT ๐๐
— UCF Track & Field/XC (@UCF_Track) November 14, 2025
13th-place team finish at NCAA South Regionals ๐ฎ๐จ pic.twitter.com/gI4BzLo7cf
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.