Plourde, Venters Eye NCAA Indoor Championships in Albuquerque

SALT LAKE CITY – Utah track & field’s Simone Plourde and Emily Venters head to the Land of Enchantment this weekend to compete in the NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships (March 10-11) while the rest of the Utah squad heads south to open the outdoor season in St. George at the Utah Tech Invite.
 
NCAA INDOOR TRACK & FIELD CHAMPIONSHIPS
DATE: March 10-11, 2023
HOST: University of New Mexico
LOCATION: Albuquerque Convention Center
TICKETS: https://bit.ly/3J3BzhM
MEET SCHEDULE: https://bit.ly/3J4MdFh
ACCEPTED ENTRIES: https://bit.ly/41CmkUn
LIVE RESULTS: https://bit.ly/3J3WqSh
LIVE STREAM (ESPN+): Friday: https://es.pn/3Yru09r | 5:05 p.m. MT
LIVE STREAM (ESPN+): Saturday: https://es.pn/3SHZPcQ | 5 p.m. MT
 
UTAH TECH INVITE
DATE: March 10-11, 2023
HOST: Utah Tech University
LOCATION: Great Zion Stadium
 
AT THE CHAMPIONSHIPS

This weekend’s NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships will serve as the second appearance for Simone Plourde, her first with Utah, while Emily Venters will make her collegiate debut at the indoor championships in Albuquerque.
 
The duo will be Utah’s first participants in the indoor championships since Sarah Feeny competed in the mile back in 2019. Additionally, Plourde and Venter mark just the second time the Utah program has sent multiple athletes to the indoor championships. Nellie Hammons (800m) and Katie Decker (high jump) was the first duo to compete at the indoor championships for Utah during the 2003-04 indoor season.
 
Venters will kick things off for Utah on Friday, March 10, at 5:05 p.m. (MT) in the 5000m race before Plourde toes the line in the 3000m race on Saturday, March 11, at 5 p.m. (MT) inside the Albuquerque Convention Center.
 
Plourde ran the mile back in 2021 when it was hosted at Randall Tyson Track where she ran a 4:45.99 – which was good for 15th overall.
 
CREAM OF THE CROP
Simone Plourde and Emily Venters head into the indoor championships with a couple weeks of rest after running some of top times ever in their respective events at the Ken Shannon Last Chance Invite.
 
Simone Plourde
3000m – 8:53.95

• 1st all-time at Utah
• 2nd all-time in the Pac-12 (Indoor and Outdoor)
• 6th fastest time in the NCAA this season
• 23rd all-time in the NCAA (Indoor)

 
Emily Venters
5000m – 15:20.37

• 1st all-time at Utah
• 5th fastest time in the NCAA…