NCAA

Plourde, Venters Named USTFCCCA First-Team All-America

Plourde, Venters Named USTFCCCA First-Team All-America


NEW ORLEANS – Simone Plourde and Emily Venters of Utah track & field were officially named USTFCCCA First-Team All-Americans on Monday the association announced. In addition, Utah finished with its highest indoor season ranking ever after tying for 21st in the final rankings release.
 

This is the first All-America honor for both Plourde and Venters in track & field and the third All-America honor for Venters in her career after collecting two in cross country (2018, 2022).
 
Additionally, this is the first time the Utah program has had two All-Americans in the same year, let alone a pair of first-teamers during the indoor track season. Plourde and Venters nearly doubled the number of All-American winners for Utah after becoming the fourth and fifth Ute to earn the honor in indoor track.
 
The Women of Utah finished with nine points to tie with Oklahoma State and Wisconsin at the indoor championships which in turned gave it a final ranking of No. 21 in the USTFCCCA National Poll – the highest ever in program history.
 
Venters picked up first-team All-America honors in her first-career indoor championships race with a time of 15:59.22 (aa) in the 5000m race to place fifth-overall – which tied Amanda Mergaert (2013, Mile) for the best finish at Utah.
 
However, 24 hours later, Plourde would record the best finish ever for Utah at the NCAA Indoor Championships when she put the pedal to the metal in the final 200m of the 3000m race to claim fourth with a time of 9:00.93 (aa) for her first-career All-America honor.
 

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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