
Gators Start Strong in Cross Country Season Opener
Friday, August 30, 2024 | Cross Country
Both the Men’s and Women’s teams secured second-place finishes in the UCF Invite to open the 2024 Cross Country schedule.
ORLANDO, Fla. – The Gators opened the 2024 Cross Country campaign with a strong showing at the UCF Invite. The Men (5k race) took a second-place team finish with 50 points, and the Women (5k race) also placed second with 51 points to start the season off right.
Breanna Stuart was Florida's top finisher in the women's race, claiming third with a 18:17.9 time. Freshman Ashley Fitzgerald broke into the top-10 in her collegiate debut, securing an 18:17.9 time.
Ashley Klingenberg, Christiana Coleman, and Kate Drummond rounded out Florida's scoring.
The Men's race saw Emerson Miller score eight team points with his 11th place finish and 15:30.0 time. All five of the Gators' scorers cracked the top-20 finishers, as Michael Fiore (12th), Alejandro Pena (16th), Riley Novak (17) and Aidan Villasuso (18) secured a second-place team finish.
The Gators' next race is set for September 27 when the Gators travel to Colombia Missouri for the Gans Creek Classic.
UCF Invite – Complete Results
Team Finishes
Men
FSU (15)
Florida (50)
USF (111)
Stetson (121)
Jacksonville (159)
Bethune Cookman (225)
Women
FSU (18)
Florida (51)
UCF (80)
USF (105)
Jacksonville (141)
Stetson (182)
Bethune Cookman (223)
Breanna Stuart was Florida's top finisher in the women's race, claiming third with a 18:17.9 time. Freshman Ashley Fitzgerald broke into the top-10 in her collegiate debut, securing an 18:17.9 time.
Ashley Klingenberg, Christiana Coleman, and Kate Drummond rounded out Florida's scoring.
The Men's race saw Emerson Miller score eight team points with his 11th place finish and 15:30.0 time. All five of the Gators' scorers cracked the top-20 finishers, as Michael Fiore (12th), Alejandro Pena (16th), Riley Novak (17) and Aidan Villasuso (18) secured a second-place team finish.
The Gators' next race is set for September 27 when the Gators travel to Colombia Missouri for the Gans Creek Classic.
UCF Invite – Complete Results
| Men – 2nd (50 points) | Women – 2nd (51 points) | ||||
| Place | Name | Time | Place (score) | Name | Time |
| 11 (8) | Emerson Miller | 15:30.0 | 3 (3) | Breanna Stuart | 18:17.9 |
| 12 (9) | Michael Fiore | 15:34.5 | 9 (8) | Ashley Fitzgerald | 18:34.0 |
| 16 (10) | Alejandro Pena | 15:41.4 | 15 (11) | Ashley Klingenberg | 18:55.7 |
| 17 (11) | Riley Novak | 15:44.4 | 19 (14) | Christiana Coleman | 19:02.6 |
| 18 (12) | Aidan Villasuso | 15:47.0 | 20 (15) | Kate Drummond | 19:02.7 |
| 25 (17*) | Gavin Nelson | 15:52.7 | 28 (20*) | Lindsey Kiehl | 19:20.0 |
| 27 (19*) | Alec Miller | 16:02.3 | 31 (22*) | Avery Fronrath | 19:30.3 |
| 28 | Orlando Cicilioni | 16:05.9 | 40 | Ava Wyant | 20:11.1 |
| 58 | Annie Loehle | 21:35.1 | |||
Team Finishes
Men
FSU (15)
Florida (50)
USF (111)
Stetson (121)
Jacksonville (159)
Bethune Cookman (225)
Women
FSU (18)
Florida (51)
UCF (80)
USF (105)
Jacksonville (141)
Stetson (182)
Bethune Cookman (223)
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