NEW ORLEANS – The Utah cross country will open the 2022 season on Thursday, Sept. 1, ranked No. 18 in the country after the USTFCCCA Preseason National Poll were released Wednesday afternoon.
The No. 18 ranking is the highest the Women of Utah have been ranked in the preseason polls and ties the 2020 squad for highest preseason ranking ever in program history. The Utes were ranked No. 22 in the preseason polls in 2017 and 2019.
Head coach Kyle Kepler returns a veteran group led by Keelah Barger, Morgan Jensen, Ariel Keklak, Lauren Peterson, Simone Plourde and Emily Venters – all of which competed on last year’s NCAA Championships team. The Utes will also have the services of Karli Branch, Grace Burnett, Caroline Fischer and Brooke Manson with the addition of newcomers Vero Boire, Caroline Fischer, Kylie Harnett, Bri Rinn and Erin Vringer.
Utah finished last season ranked No. 20 in the polls after finishing 20th at the NCAA Cross Country Championships. The Women of Utah reached as high as No. 7 last year in week #6 after taking second at the Pac-12 Championships.
The Utes kick off the 2022 season on Thursday, Sept. 1, at Lakeside Park in the UVU Invitational. The women’s race begins at 2:30 p.m. (MT) followed by the men.
For the latest news and information on the Utah cross country and track & field programs, fans can stay connected online at www.UtahUtes.com and on social media by following on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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