Track & Field's Distance Group Delivers Strong Performance at the Visit Gainesville Indoor ClassicTrack & Field's Distance Group Delivers Strong Performance at the Visit Gainesville Indoor Classic

Track & Field's Distance Group Delivers Strong Performance at the Visit Gainesville Indoor Classic

by Aiden Kocol

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The UCF Track and Field distance squad continued to raise the bar with another strong performance at the Visit Gainesville Indoor Classic, finishing with multiple PRs and all-time top ten marks.

"Today was another great day all around.  The 5k girls set the tone early and every event that was contested followed suit and really put themselves out there, challenged themselves, gave themselves a chance to run a personal best, earn more racing opportunities and set themselves up for a great rest of the season.  Couldn’t be happier with where we are as a group right now."

Distance Coach Bryan Harmon

MEET HIGHLIGHTS

  • The 5000m group set the tone for the Knights, with all three runners setting new personal bests. Avery Latto led the way with a third-place finish, crossing at the 17:13.05 mark. Paige Jaszczak (17:31.24) and Ava Quattrochi (17:34.43) followed closely, finishing fifth and sixth, respectively. 
  • Brianna Rodriguez, the only Knight competing in the 60m hurdles, finished first in her preliminary heat, clocking in at a personal-best time of 8.69 seconds. 
  • Rodriguez, Kendall Hughes, Bailey McLain, and Yvone Sandui took the track for the Knights’ first appearance in the distance medley relay, immediately making an impact on the program record books, coming in at seventh all-time with an 11:49.95 mark.

ADDITIONAL PERSONAL-BESTS & RECORDS
Across one action-packed day, seven Knights turned in performances that stood out on the results sheet: 

Avery Latto
5000m - 17:13.05, PR

Paige Jaszczak
5000m - 17:31.24, PR

Ava Quattrocchi
5000m - 17:34.43, PR

Brianna Rodriguezs
60H - 8.69s, PR

Raquel Edwards
800m - 2:12.16, PR

Masha Dorofeev
3000m - 9:56.28, PR, No. 6 All-Time

Madison Patchan
3000m - 10:02.21, PR

UP NEXT
The squad will be back together next weekend in Fayetteville, Ark., competing in their last regular-season meet, the Tyson Invitational on Feb. 13 and 14, at the Randal Tyson Track Center.