OREM, Utah – Utah cross country sophomore Anna Peters opened her season on top of the podium late Friday morning, claiming the individual title at the UVU Invitational with a time of 16:25.8 in the 3-mile race while the Utes took third-overall as a team.
“Very pleased with that start,” head coach Kyle Kepler said. “All of our gals who ran here a year ago ran significantly faster. Anna was dominant. Grace and Bri were really tough in the middle of the race. Lauren’s first collegiate race was excellent. Grace Burnett’s journey back from a slew of injury plagued seasons was a huge success. I’m extremely happy for and proud of her. Josie will continue to improve with more training and experience.”
Peters continued where she left off last cross country season and this time took the individual crown – her first individual title as a collegian. The Post Falls, Idaho, product stayed up front with the lead group before taking the lead midway through and never looked back before crossing the finish line at 16:25.8.
Grace Moroney just missed out on a top-10 finish this year at the meet and came in 12th with a mark of 17:08.4 and was followed by Bri Rinn at 17:20.9 for 13th-overall.
Freshman Lauren Ayers made her collegiate debut with a run of 17:32.3 for 16th-overall while Grace Burnett, who returned to the line-up for the first time since 2022, checked in with a time of 18:40.8 for 66th-overall. Fellow freshman Josie Fale also competed in her first collegiate race and closed out the group of runners for Utah finishing 81st with a time of 18:58.7 in the 3-mile race.
The Women of Utah will have just short of a month to prepare for their first big race of the year on Friday, Sept. 27, at the Nuttycombe Invitational – site of this year’s NCAA Championships.
For the latest news and information on the Utah cross country and track & field programs, fans can stay connected online at www.UtahUtes.com, on social media by following on Facebook, X and Instagram or stay connected with Utah360, the official mobile app of Utah Athletics through the App Store or Google Play.
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