Utah Valley cross country will open its 2026 season on Friday, September 4th, with the UVU Invitational at Scera Park in Orem. Friday's women's race will begin at 10 a.m. MT, while the men's will follow at 10:45. Results for the three-mile race will be posted via Sporttrax.com.
This year's squad features many notable returners, as well as some promising newcomers striving to make their mark at Utah Valley.
On the women's side, returners Artana Nice, Elisabeth Ferrell, and Julie Moore will be looking to build off of last year's WAC Championship results, with each of them previously placing 17th, 18th, and 31st. The trio also placed 55th, 77th and 112th, respectively, at the regional championships. Other notable athletes include sophomores Olivia Larsen, Sophia Biesinger and Tori Stratton Benedict, who are returning to UVU after serving LDS missions following their freshman seasons.
Joining them will be newcomers Caren Kipsirat and Reagan Doman, who were added to the team in January. Both were outdoor track and field regional qualifiers, with Kipsirat setting the school record in the steeplechase.
For the men's team, Sila Kiplagat will look to follow up on his WAC Freshman of the Year honors in cross country, indoor, and outdoor track and field, and his 14th-place finish at the regional championships. Kiplagat was also the WAC Athlete of the Year in outdoor track and field.
Wyatt Mortensen, Porter Whitworth and Alex Hartshorn will be looking to follow up on their WAC Championship finishes of 4th, 12th and 13th. They also placed 66th, 56th and 57th at the regional championships, while Jayden Fitzgarrald placed 50th to record the highest finish among the Wolverines on the men's side.
Among the men's newcomers is BYU transfer Mark Boyle, who will be making his debut as a Wolverine following his 2024 National Championship season with the Cougars.
Following Friday's race, the Wolverines will be staying in-state for the Beehive Invite, hosted by the University of Utah on Thursday, September 10th. The race will be at Sugarhouse Park, with the men's race at 10 a.m. MT followed by the women's race at 10:50.
