Women of Utah Set to Open 2024 Campaign at UVU Invitational Friday

SALT LAKE CITY – The No. 14-ranked Utah cross country team will send a group of runners down to compete at the UVU Invitational this Friday, Aug. 30, at Scera Park to open the 2024 season. Gun is slated to go off at 10 a.m. (MDT) for the women with the men to follow.
 
UVU INVITATIONAL
DATE: Friday, Aug. 30
WHERE: Orem, UT
WHEN: 10 a.m. (MDT)
VENUE: Scera Park (Course Map)
LIVE RESULTS: https://meettrax.com/meets/376/results/by-event
PARTICIPATING TEAMS: Idaho State, Salt Lake CC, Snow College Southern Idaho, Southern Utah, #14 Utah, Utah Tech, #23 Utah Valley, Weber State
UTAH PARTICIPANTS: Lauren Ayers, Vero Boire, Grace Burnett, Josie Fale, Grace Moroney, Anna Peters, Bri Rinn
 
IN THE RANKINGS
Utah was ranked No. 14 in the USTFCCCA Preseason Poll that was released on Tuesday, Aug. 27, marking its highest ranking ever in the preseason poll. The Utes will enter 2024 with arguably their best group of returners in the Kyle Kepler Era behind a pair of All-American returner in McKaylie Caesar and Anna Peters. Joining Caesar and Peters from last year’s championship roster are Morgan Jensen and Katarzyna Nowakowska.
 
This is the third-consecutive season the Women of Utah have been ranked in the preseason poll and fifth time overall in program history (2017, 2019, 2022, 2023, 2024). The No. 14 ranking came on the heels of Utah finishing 13th-overall at the 2023 NCAA Championships, its second-best finish ever, despite returning just one scorer (Jensen) from the 2022 squad that finished 12th.
 
FROM THE LINE
The Utes will send seven runners to the season-opener this Friday at the UVU Invitational. Of the seven, five are returners while two true freshmen will make their collegiate debut. Lauren Ayers (Tualtin, Ore.) and Josie Fale (Portland, Ore.) will make their collegiate debuts when they toe the line alongside returnees Vero Boire, Grace Burnett, Grace Moroney, Anna Peters and Bri Rinn.
 
FLASHBACK FRIDAY
The Women of Utah will have a trio of familiar faces racing at the UVU Invitational in Anna Peters, Grace Moroney and Bri Rinn. Peters led the way for Utah at last year’s race, finishing third with a 5k time of 16:35.3 in her collegiate debut. Moroney crossed the finish line with a mark of 17:41.9 for 10th-overall in her first…