Head Coach:

Kyle Kepler (9th Year)

 

Last Year:

8th Pac-12

8th Mountain Region

No NCAA 

 

Probable Top Five:

SR Rebekah Winterton (9:24 3k; 16:08 5k; 33:28 10k; 89th NCAA XC '13)

SR Susannah Hurst (9:37 3k; 16:06 5k; 33:55 10k)
JR Giselle Slotboom (17:07 5k; 12th Mountain Region XC '12)
FR Sarah Feeny (4:39 mile; 10:13 3200m*; 2x Footlocker Finalist, 14th and 32nd)

JR Andrea Chavez (2:07 800m; 4:28 1500m; 46th Mountain Region XC '13)

Impact Freshman/Recruits:

Sarah Feeny - Ogden, UT (4:39 mile; 10:13 3200*; 2X Footlocker Finalist, 14th and 32nd)

Claire MacMillan - San Lorenzo Valley, CA (5:03 Mile; 10:58 3200m; 4th CIF XC '13)

*Altitude

Analysis:

Wait a minute, did we put Utah in the number 21 spot? Yes, and it surprised us almost as much as it did you. But look at the facts.

Utah is returning Rebecca Winterton, who was a revelation last track season with her 33:28 10k and 16:08 5k performances. She had experience at the top level, having qualified last year as a junior and placing 89th. Also, fellow senior, Susannah Hurst was almost as good as Winterton with her 16:06 5k and 33:55 10k times. Those two, along with Dutch redshirt Giselle Slotboom, who was an impressive 12th two years ago in the Mountain Region, constitute a good trio to lead this team. Slotboom also has had experience running in European Junior competition for Holland.

But with this said, what puts the Salt Lake City school on the radar this year is their recruiting class. Kepler has traditionally lost top Utah girls to BYU and Weber State, but this time he pulled the coup in landing Dream Mile and Brooks Pr Outdoor winner, Sarah Feeny. She makes Kepler again believe in his ability to get the good Beehive State girls. Feeny’s 10:13 for 3200m at altitude is an amazing time. She is also the Utah state cross champion, in case we forgot to mention that.

 

And if it wasn’t for Feeny, all the talk would be about San Lorenzo Valley freshman, Claire McMillan. She was 4th in the CIF cross championships, and that is pretty darn good. Her track times were not as spectacular, but this is cross country we are talking about, and this is a whole different beast than the springtime oval. 

The Mountain Region is brutal for men, but not quite as bad for the women. Still, Utah will need to contend with Colorado, New Mexico, BYU, Weber State, and NAU to get to The Show this November. Not easy, but if they can get there, 21st is very doable for the Utes.

#21 Oklahoma Men
#22 Virginia Tech Women