For the second year in a row, the University of Utah cross country team fell short in their hunt to make it to the NCAA Women’s Cross Country Championship. The season was not played in vain though. Take a look back at the highs and lows of this year’s cross country season:
Week One: Sagebrush Invite
The season started strong for the team when they traveled to Logan, UT to compete in the Sagebrush Invitational. The team finished in second place overall and was led by junior Sarah Feeny. This was Feeny’s first race back for the Utes after taking the last two years off to go on a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.
This meet was also the first time fans were able to see the freshman class in action. Kennedy Powell was the first of the incoming freshman who saw action in this meet. Powell placed 11th in her first collegiate meet.
Week Two: CSI Invitational
The team placed first overall in the College of Southern Idaho Invitational. The team was lead by two more freshman phenoms, Scarlet Dale and Sophie Ryan, who ran in the first collegiate races of their careers and placed in second and fourth respectively.
Week Three: BYU Autumn Classic
This meet was canceled because of the Bald Mountain and Pole Creek fires in Utah County.
Week Four: Battle in Beantown
The team left the western U.S. for the first time this season when they headed to Boston, MA to compete in the Battle in Beantown. The team placed third overall in this meet and was lead by Dale, Feeny and redshirt freshman Cara Woolnough.
Week Five: Steve T. Reeder Memorial
The now nationally ranked cross country team headed back up to Logan to compete once again. The No. 27 Utes were led by redshirt sophomore Emma Christensen, who placed 10th overall. The team placed third overall in this meet.
Week Six: Penn State National Open
The team headed back east to compete in their first 6K race of the season in College Station. The team captured a 10th place finish in this race and was lead by Dale, Feeny, Woolnough and true freshman Powell.
Week Seven: Utah Open
The team hosted their lone home meet of the season when they hosted the Utah Open. Even though she ran unattached from the U, sophomore Bella Williams captured first place in her first meet back from an injury she suffered last April. The team placed third overall in this meet.
Week Eight: Pac-12 Cross Country Championship
After a week full of adversity on the campus of the U, the team traveled to Palo Alto and competed in this meet, placing seventh overall. They were lead by Feeny, who placed 21st overall.
Week Nine: NCAA Mountain Region Championship
In what would sadly be their last meet of the season, the team competed in the Regional meet in Provo. The team finished in 11th place overall and was lead by Feeny, who placed 25th.
The All-Conference teams, as well as All-American teams, will not be announced until a later date. Many of the members of the cross country team will make the transition to the track team who is set to start their indoor season on Dec. 1 at the Weber State Winter Open.
