This past fall season of UCF Knights sports saw one team return to places it has not seen in years, another team continue its run of NCAA Tournament appearances, and another team fall short in its final season in The American.

In this special multi-part Knight Cap, we look back on the seasons of UCF’s fall Olympic Sports and where the program stands as it heads into an offseason of conference transition.

We wrap up with Cross Country.

Team Results

• UCF Invite 5K: 2nd of 9.
• North Alabama Showcase 5K: 9th of 39.
• Florida Atlantic Invitational 5K: 1st of 8.
• Arturo Barrios Invitational 6K: 13th of 38.
• American Athletic Conference Championship 6K: 8th of 11.
• NCAA South Region Championship 6K: 17th of 32.

Notes:

• Program concludes time in the AAC finishing no higher than 4th at the conference meet.
• First time the program has finished in Top 20 at NCAA South Regional in back-to-back seasons since 2013-14.

Let’s Talk About It

UCF’s Distance-Runner Coach Bryan Jackson joins the Banneret’s Bryson Turner to recap the UCF Cross Country team’s 2022 season and what lies ahead for the athletes in the 2023 Track and Field season and the Cross Country program in the Big 12:

First Impressions

Two true freshmen made the most of their first cross country seasons.

Arriving from New Zealand, Isabella Richardson made a statement by running the 4th-fastest 5K in program history, a 17:12.4, at the North Alabama Showcase. It was just her 2nd-ever race as a Knight. While she did not take home an individual race win, she did finish runner-up in her UCF debut at the Knights Invite 5K.

Penelope Sosa did manage to come away with an individual victory in 2022, winning the FAU Invite with a 17:55.3 time. However, she also etched her name into the UCF record books with a 17:49.1 time at the North Alabama Showcase, the 12th-fastest 5K in program history.

On to Track Season

The Cross Country team’s athletes will now turn their attention to the Indoor Track and Field season, which begins on Jan. 13 with the Jimmy Carnes Invitational in Gainesville.