ORLANDO – The UCF women's cross country team will close out its 2026 campaign Friday, Nov. 13, at the NCAA South Regional Championship at Apalachee Regional Park in Tallahassee, Florida, looking to build on last season's historic regional performance.
The Knights enter their final scheduled meet following an 11th-place finish at the Big 12 Championship in Stillwater, Oklahoma, where they totaled 313 points with an average 6K time of 22:03.2. UCF improved one spot from last year's 12th-place finish while reducing its team score by 38 points.
Junior Alexandra Raquet led the Black and Gold for the fourth consecutive meet, finishing 31st overall with a time of 20:46.6, improving 16 spots from last year's conference championship. Senior Caroline Moon followed in 64th at 21:55.6, while junior Emily Wheldon finished 79th with a time of 22:20.0.
UCF will look to build on its 2025 NCAA South Regional performance, when the Knights finished 13th overall with 400 points, marking the program's best regional finish in available records dating back to 2004. Raquet led the way with a 42nd-place finish and personal-best time of 20:29.29, while Madison Patchan and Bailey McLain were among four Knights to finish inside the top 100.
The Knights have enjoyed a strong 2026 campaign, highlighted by a team title at the Florida Intercollegiate and seven personal-best performances at the Arturo Barrios Invitational. Raquet's 19:49.2 performance in College Station marked the second-fastest 6K in program history, making her just the second Knight to break the 20-minute barrier.
Friday's competition will feature 38 programs, including nationally ranked No. 4 Alabama and No. 5 Florida, the top two teams in the latest USTFCCCA South Region rankings. Host Florida State, Vanderbilt and Tennessee round out the region's top five, while UCF enters ranked 13th in the South Region.
The Knights' seven-athlete lineup will feature Raquet, Moon, Wheldon, Patchan, Bella Brick, Daisy Ross and Sarah Rose, with Raquet and Patchan returning from last season's regional squad.
The women's 6K is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. ET Friday at Apalachee Regional Park in Tallahassee, Florida. The race will be streamed live on ESPN+.